- HOCHFLAGGE (HOCHFORMATFLAGGE or HOCHFORMATFAHNE)
- See ‘vertically hoisted flag
1)’ and its following note.
Hochflagge/Vertically Hoisted Flag of
Sankt Wolfgang, Germany (fotw)
- HOIST
- 1) That edge or section of a flag, which lies next to the flagpole, mast or
staff – the distance line (see also
‘Appendix I,
‘fly’, ‘heading’,
‘obverse’ and
‘reverse’).
- 2) See ‘signal hoist’.
- 3) (v) The act of raising a flag.
- 4) The width of a flag (see also ‘width’).
- HOIST-CHEVRON
- See ‘chevron 1)’
Flag of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Brazil (fotw)
- HOIST-DIAGONAL
- A direct translation of the Dutch term hijsdiagonaal but see ‘bend’,
‘per bend’
and ‘descending diagonal 2)’.
Flag of Klášterská Lhota, Czech Republic (fotw)
- HOIST-TRIANGLE (or HOISTTRIANGLE)
- The term – and a direct translation of the Dutch hijsdriehoek - sometimes used to describe
a triangular charge based on the hoist – a simple triangle, or (inaccurately) a simple pile/triangle
throughout – but see ‘pile 1)’ and
‘triangle 1)’.
Flag of Puerto Rico (fotw); National Flag of the
Czech Republic, (fotw); National Flag of
Cuba (fotw)
- HOIST STRIP
- See ‘heading’.
- HOIST OF FLAGS
- See ‘signal hoist’ (also
‘International Code of Signal Flags’ and
‘signal flag’).
US4 (Uniform-Sierra-4) in The International Code of Signals or “Nothing Can be Done Until The Weather Moderates” (fotw)
- HOISTED (or HOISTING) FLAG
- A term – and a direct translation of the German “hissflagge” or “hissfahne” used
in German language vexillology - to describe a conventional flag (that is a flag generally
longer than it is wide) which is hoisted on a flagpole in the normal way, but a term that
is only employed when such a flag is presented (either visually or in discussion) with
another - such as a banner, gonfalon or hanging flag - which is designed to be hung from
a cross bar or is otherwise vertically orientated (see also
‘banner 2),
‘cross bar’,
‘flag 1)’,
‘gonfalon 1)’,
‘hanging flag’,
‘outrigger flag’ and
‘vertically hoisted flag 1)’).
Hoisted Flag and Banner of Albisheim, Germany (fotw)
- HOISTLINE (or HOIST LINE)
- A piece of rope sewn into the heading of a flag to which the toggle (at the
top of the heading) and becket (or eye splice) in the other end below the flag,
or Inglefield clips (at both ends) are attached and by means of which the flag
is bent on (or attached) to the halyard (see also ‘Appendix I’,
‘becket’, ‘bend on’,
‘eye splice’,
‘halyard’,
‘toggle’, and
‘Inglefield clips’).
Please note that the hoistline is described as a
distance line in US military specifications.
- HOLIDAY COLOURS (or COLORS)
- In US naval usage, a larger than usual set of colours flown by a vessel or shore installation on
holidays and other special occasions (see also
‘ceremonial ensign’,
‘garrison flag’ and
‘Sunday ensign’).
- HOLY LAMB
- See ‘agnus dei’.
Flag of Ochtrup, Germany (fotw)
- HOMEWARD BOUND PENNANT
- In USN usage and in some others the term for a paying off pennant -
see ‘paying off pennant’.
- HONORARY DISTINCTION(S)
- A collective term for any addition (or additions) to a flag/colour that is
(or are) granted in recognition of an act (or acts) of courage – see ‘augmentation of honour’
and ‘battle honour’.
Arms of Malta 1943–64 (fotw)
- HONOUR (or HONOR) BANNER
- The term – and a direct translation of the German Ehrenbanner – for those flags (usually
decorated with a fringe) that were awarded to various non-military organizations for excellent
performance by the former GDR and possibly other Communist bloc countries – but see
‘award flag’
(also ‘banner 3)’ and
‘touring flag’).
Honour Banner for Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, GDR (Eugene Ipavec); Honour Banner for Efforts in Developing the Town of Leipzig, GDR (Eugene Ipavec)
- HONOUR (or HONOR) ENSIGN
- See ‘ensign of honour’.
Honour Ensign/Ensign of Honour, Russian Federation (fotw and CS)
- HONOUR (or HONOR) FLAG
- 1) The flag, now obsolete, that was selected to represent those nations which were working
towards world peace prior to the foundation of the United Nations Organization, and in
official/semi-official use (particularly, but not exclusively, in the USA) from 1943 to c1948 -
the four freedoms flag.
- 2) The flag that was presented to those towns and districts in Australia who subscribed
twice their quota of funds to the Commonwealth Government's Seventh War Loan in 1918.
- 3) One of the flags presented in 1832 by the government of Belgium to honour those
municipalities who had made a significant contribution towards the independence of that cuntry.
- 4) See ‘flag of honour’.
![[Honor flag - proposed UN flag]](../images/v/vxt-d506.gif)
From left:
The Honour Flag (fotw); The Honour Flag, Australia
1918 (fotw); The Honour Flag, Belgium 1832 (fotw)
Please note with regard to 1) that the red bars – optionally blue or green and
possibly yellow – were said to represent the four freedoms (freedom of speech and expression,
freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedom from want and freedom from fear)
for which the Second World War was being fought, and that the alternative name of four freedoms
flag was in occasional use until 1945.
- HONOUR (or HONOR) JACK
- See ‘jack of honour’.
Honour Jack/Jack of Honour (Forces Navales Françaises Libres), France (fotw)
- HONOUR (or HONOR) POINT
- 1) On flags, originally a US term for that position on
a flag where the colour or charge with the greatest or highest symbolism is placed,
almost always the upper canton – point of honour sometimes called the place of honour (see also
‘canton 1)’,
‘quarter 1)’ and
‘union’).
- 2) In heraldry, a point on the shield slightly above the exact centre -
the fesse- or fess-point (see
also ‘shield’).
![[honour point]](../images/v/vxt-d1381.gif)
![[honour point]](../images/v/vxt-d1382.gif)
Please note with regard to 1), not to be confused with the position
of honour - see ‘position of honour’.
- HONOUR (or HONOR) POSITION
- See ‘position of honour’.
- HONOURABLE (or HONORABLE) ORDINARIES
- See ‘ordinary’.
![[chief example]](../images/v/vxt-d578.gif)
![[cross example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115a.gif)
![[pale example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115b.gif)
![[saltire example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115c.gif)
![[fess example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115d.gif)
![[pile example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115e.gif)
![[chevron example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115f.gif)
![[quarter example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115g.gif)
![[bend example]](../images/v/vxt-d1115h.gif)
Examples: Chief; Cross; Pale; Saltire; Fess; Pile; Chevron; Quarter; Bend
- HOOCH FLAG
- In US military usage (particularly during the Vietnam War) the colloquial term for
a small, entirely unofficial, company or unit flag.
- HOOKED-CROSS
- See ‘swastika’.
![[honour point]](../images/v/vxt-d1864.gif)
Flag of the National Socialist Front, Sweden (fotw)
- HORIZONTAL BICOLOUR
- See ‘bicolour 1)’
(also ‘bicolour 2)’ and
‘over’).
Civil Flag of Niederösterreich, Austria (fotw)
- HORIZONTAL LATIN CROSS
- See ‘off-centred cross2)’ and
‘Scandinavian cross’
(also ‘Latin Cross’ in ‘Appendix VIII:’).
Flag of Stavropol, Russia (fotw)
- HORIZONTAL MERIDIAN (or MEDIAN)
- See ‘meridian’.
- HORIZONTAL MULTI-STRIPE
- See ‘multi-stripe’.
Flag of Aragon, Spain (fotw)
- HORIZONTAL TRIBAND
- See ‘triband 1)’ and ‘triband 2)’.
Flag of Argentina (fotw)
- HORIZONTAL TRICOLOUR
- See ‘tricolour 1)’ and ‘tricolour 2)’.
Flag of Azerbaijan (fotw)
- HORNED
- See ‘attired’.
![[Mettembert]](../images/v/vxt-d1383.gif)
Flag of Mettembert, Switzerland (fotw)
- HORN OF PLENTY
- See ‘cornucopia’.
Flag of
Bakersfield, US (fotw)
- HORSETAIL
- A decoration for military flags, especially in China where it is usually red;
made of real or simulated horsehair and is almost certainly descended from a
Mongolian vexilloid (see also ‘tugh 1)’).
Please note that the standards of some former French
cavalry units (notably the Spahis originally raised in North Africa) were also
decorated by horsetails - see ‘toug’.
- HORSETAIL STANDARD
- See ‘tugh 1)’ and
‘toug’.
![[horsetail standards]](../images/v/vxt-d441.jpg)
Turkish Horsetail Standards
(worldimages)
- HOUSE FLAG (or PENNANT)
- 1) The distinguishing flag or pennant of a merchant marine company flown at sea by ships
owned or managed by that company, and from their headquarters on shore – a
shipping or shipping company house flag or pennant (see also ‘flags and funnels’,
‘logo’ and
‘pennant 2)’).
- 2) See ‘corporate flag’.
- 3) The personal flag of the owner of a pleasure vessel or home – a private
signal (see also ‘personal flag 2)’).
- 4) See ‘battle flag 2)’.
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d585.gif)
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1838.gif)
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1140.gif)
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d585b.gif)
From left: Black Diamond Co, Canada (fotw);
Green and Co., US (fotw);
Alaska Steamship Co, US (fotw); White Star Line, UK (fotw)
- HOUSEWIMPEL
- See ‘house flag 1)’ above.
![[house pennant example]](../images/v/vxt-d1421.gif)
Housewinpel/House Pennant of The Blue Star Line, UK (fotw)
Please note that the correct term in English language vexillology
is house pennant - see ‘wimpel’ and following note.
- HURT
- The heraldic term for a blue disc – a roundel azure (see also
‘bezant’,
‘plates’,
‘roundel 3)’ and
‘torteau’).
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d941a.gif)
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d941b.gif)
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d941c.gif)
Hurt example, Flag of Lenzburg, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Salisbury, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) 1939 – 1982 (fotw)
Please note that in strict English heraldic usage this term should only be applied when the charge described in blue (“azure”) – see ‘tinctures’ in ‘appendix III’.
- HUSBAND PENNANT (or WIMPEL)
- In Scandinavian (particularly Finnish) usage the colloquial term, and a direct translation
of the Finnish “isännänviiri” or Swedish “husbondsvimpel”, used for a provincial wimpel – see
‘provincial wimpel’
(also ‘wimpel’).
![[husband flag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1096.gif)
Husband Pennant/Provincial Wimpel of Kainuu, Finland (fotw)
- HUSSAR CUT
- A variation of the swallow-tail in which the cut in the fly of the flag is
shaped by several curves, and was formerly typical of the flags used by
Prussian later German
cavalry regiments (see also
‘descate’,
‘palm’,
‘guidon 2)’,
‘indentation(s)’, ‘rounded swallow-tail’ and
‘swallow-tail(ed)’).
![[Hussar cut example]](../images/v/vxt-d1508.gif)
2nd Hussar Regiment, Prussia c1740 (Klaus-Michael Schneider)
