The flag of the union being flown upside down

[TGTiff]

Maybe this should be in the what peeves me off thread but oh hum....
Why do so many British people at all these rallies and demonstration not know that the flag of the union ( union jack) Has a correct orientation!!
Broad white diagonal stripe uppermost next to the flag pole!!

[E63eeeeee...]

Why does anyone care? It's not like if you have it upside down it's the flag of another country or anything.

[Countdown]

I thought it was only called the "Union jack" when flown at sea?

[Blib]

TGTiff said:

Maybe this should be in the what peeves me off thread but oh hum....
Why do so many British people at all these rallies and demonstration not know that the flag of the union ( union jack) Has a correct orientation!!
Broad white diagonal stripe uppermost next to the flag pole!!

I see this all of the time.

There's a chap in my local town who flies a flag that seems almost as big as his house.

The thing's upside down. The utter durr brain shows his ignorance for all to see.

[Evanivitch]

And that's why I fly Y Ddraig Aur instead.

[gt40steve]

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Traditionally it was a sign of distress.

I asked one of my neighbours who was flying the flag (upside down) during the coronation if he needed help. He looked at me vacantly

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

Beat me!

[Evanivitch]

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

Not true of the union flag, but the blue ensign has been signalled in this way.

[Silvanus]

E63eeeeee... said:

Why does anyone care? It's not like if you have it upside down it's the flag of another country or anything.

If you are going to go to the effort of flying a flag, at least fly it the right way up. You just come across as a bit thick otherwise.

[gt40steve]

Countdown said:

I thought it was only called the "Union jack" when flown at sea?

Originally yes. The most commonly accepted reason is that jack was a term for small or lesser. Warships would fly a small flag from the bowsprit which was then termed the jack staff.

Later directives from The Admiralty and Parliament have deemed Union Flag & Union Jack as both correct and interchangeable terms.

[E63eeeeee...]

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

A distress signal that most people don't know is a distress signal is a pretty st distress signal.

[Blib]

E63eeeeee... said:

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

A distress signal that most people don't know is a distress signal is a pretty st distress signal.

Wasn't it used of, for example, a garrison had been taken by an enemy or compromised the soldiers would fly the flag upside down to warn approaching units that something was not right?

So, it was used to warn people who were aware of its significance.

[E63eeeeee...]

Blib said:

E63eeeeee... said:

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

A distress signal that most people don't know is a distress signal is a pretty st distress signal.

Wasn't it used of, for example, a garrison had been taken by an enemy or compromised the soldiers would fly the flag upside down to warn approaching units that something was not right?

So, it was used to warn people who were aware of its significance.

Seems not, sadly https://www.tastesofhistory.co.uk/post/dispelling-... I had a look for counter-examples with no luck.

[Evanivitch]

Blib said:

Wasn't it used of, for example, a garrison had been taken by an enemy or compromised the soldiers would fly the flag upside down to warn approaching units that something was not right?

So, it was used to warn people who were aware of its significance.

If a garrison had been taken who is flying the flag!?

[gt40steve]

E63eeeeee... said:

Blib said:

E63eeeeee... said:

gt40steve said:

Union flag flown upside down is traditionally a distress signal.

A distress signal that most people don't know is a distress signal is a pretty st distress signal.

Wasn't it used of, for example, a garrison had been taken by an enemy or compromised the soldiers would fly the flag upside down to warn approaching units that something was not right?

So, it was used to warn people who were aware of its significance.

Seems not, sadly https://www.tastesofhistory.co.uk/post/dispelling-... I had a look for counter-examples with no luck.

It has been said that the distress signal thing dates from the Boer War and / or Indian campaigns. As you rightly
say verification is hard to find.

[Randy Winkman]

I'm not that bothered but it does raise the issue of whether people know how to sing the national anthem properly. By that I mean whether they know when it's "our King" or "the King".

[CoolHands]

Who wants to fly the flag anyway? Ridiculous

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

CoolHands said:

Who wants to fly the flag anyway? Ridiculous

Scooch.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

So bad it's good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6yOIC6ihI


I defy you to watch the video & not have the tune rattling 'round after!