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The Union Jack is the combination of the Union Flag
and the flagpole or mast from which it is flown. A sticker approximating
to the design of the Union Flag is the symbol for the United Kingdom.
As the Union Flag has a design such that there is a correct way up,
the design on the stickers has been modified so that the sticker may
be used either way up. NATO countries are required to mark all military
vehicles with their national flag when operating in NATO commands
of two or more countries. The patriotism of military vehicle enthusiasts knows no bounds as often vehicles that should never have them sometimes sport more than one sticker at each end of the vehicle. I suppose this counters the enthusiasm for US wartime markings that have been know to adorn a FV432! The stickers from car accessory shops always spoil a vehicle, the colours are sometimes strange and they are far too small. The correct dimensions are required to be 150 mm x 75 mm, genuine stickers often turn up, but there are some good reproduction stickers readily available at shows. Over the years the size of the sticker has been reduced twice. Officially, the sticker should be displayed in a prominent position
only on the left side of the vehicle front and rear. Trailers are
to only display the sticker on the rear, but they are not to be
displayed on motorcycles. Those of us with RAF vehicles have the option of even more stickers.
Adhesive strips with blue RAF insignia on a golden yellow background
are required on both sides of vehicles and trailers used on the
public highway, or seen by the public e.g. at civil airports. They
are not required where the vehicle is normally confined to RAF bases.
But RAF roundels are required on all vehicles front and rear, and
on the rear only of trailers. At the front of the vehicle the roundel
should be on the right side, which balances nicely if there is a
Union Flag sticker applied, which should be on the left side. However
the roundel for the rear of the vehicle should be on the left side.
This means that there is probably not enough room to accommodate
the roundel, if a Union Flag sticker has been correctly placed above
the number plate fittings. So sometimes the roundel is placed on
the left side of the rear door, or it creeps over to the nice flat
space on the right hand side. Clive Elliott |