The Union Jack

[John Albert Evans]

I never knew until few moments ago when it was mentioned by a BBC Commentator at Wimbledon that the Union Jack is only the Union Jack when it is being flown from a ship otherwise it is the Union Flag.

John Albert Evans

[Tony Wilding]

i never knew that either,

[John Gill]

That is why it is called a jackstaff, when flown aboard ship.

[Captain Kong]

Its when it is flown from a jack staff,
.
Now what will it be called if Scotland gets its independence next year
the flag will have to be changed to get rid of the St Andrews Cross.
What will the country be called. ? surely not the United Kingdom.
We will just have to be Great Britain again when the Scots leave. I will be British again instead of an UK.
Dont like being an UK

.
Brian

[Richard Quartermaine]

On one ship I was on I was called Hoppy, but it was only a roo's. Actually, I was the officer's steward.
Richard

[Keith at Tregenna]

There is much on this at Wikipedia:

The terms Union Jack, Union Flag, British Flag are all historically correct for describing the de facto national flag of the United Kingdom. Whether to call it the "Union Jack" or the "Union Flag" is a matter of debate by many. According to the Flag Institute, the vexillological organisation for the United Kingdom, "the national flag of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories is the Union Flag, which may also be called the Union Jack." The Institute also notes:

It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. In 1908, a government minister stated, in response to a Parliamentary question, that " the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag".

LINK: Union Jack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

K.

[Frederick Lacey]

Have always known that it was called the Union Jack only when it was flown from the Jack staff, I was told this when I was in the Sea Cadet

in the Forties, all our Petty Officers and Senior Officers had all just been discharged after the war and were sticklers for tradition, and you

never misheard a command with the voices they had, especially on parade with a .303 Rifle, which was nearly as big as me. Good old days.

[vic mcclymont]

Brian, a bit presumptuous about the Scots leaving, would you follow fish face?

Union Flag I was always led to be leave it was the Union Flag and only the Union Jack when flying at the Jackstaff of an HMS.
Also the Union Jack was the Union flag with the white border.
Vic.

[Ron Kendall]

If the cross of St Patrick was removed from the Union Flag,(it should have been many year's back), when Eire became the Republic of Ireland, the diagonal white crosses would have been the same width, and then those who fly it now "upside down", would not have to be told off about it. A local shop won a window dressing competition here recently, despite having two flags upside down. apparently, they are being imported like this from the far east, they should send them back, and educate all Schoolchildren on how to display the Flag, they have one in each classroom in the States, none of them the wrong way up!

[Captain Kong]

We cannot have the flag in our classrooms Ron.
It is Rascist.
Brian