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Military Flags (Portugal)

12:13, image by Željko Heimer

The Portuguese Military Flag
General Staff of the Armed Forces Flags

Chief of the General Staff

Portuguese Military Units’ Symbols in general

See also:

The Portuguese Military Flag

The Portuguese military flag (Smith’s dot in grid ) has a more complicated coat of arms than the national flag, sphere, shield, laurel wreath around it and scroll with motto "ESTA É A DITOSA PÁTRIA MINHA AMADA" (= this is my joyful beloved fatherland) ). The official measures are: 120×130 flag, armillary sphere diameter 40
Source:cba11
António Martins-Tuválkin, 3 Feb 1998

According to [sjcXX], the National Standard (that is, a colour) is the national flag, and is carried by those (Army) units entitled to one. The national flag when used as a colour is 1.25 m square, with cords and tassels in red, green and gold. The staff bears the unit name or abbreviation engraved on the staff, just below the lance head finial.
Ian Sumner, 19 Dec 2003

I believe the version of the Portuguese flag used as a military unit colour is trimmed with gold fringe.
Joe McMillan, 26 Feb 2003

General Staff of the Armed Forces Flags

[Portuguese general staff of the armed forces flag]

2:3, image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024

Some military flags are defined in the Resolution 387/77, published in Diário da República, on symbolism of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the heraldry of the Chief and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces
Source: here and original with B/W illustrations
General Staff of the Armed Forces (Portuguese: Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas) is the supreme military body of Portugal. It is responsible for the planning, command and control of the Portuguese Armed Forces. Its flag is blue with emblem of the Armed Forces General Staff. It is a yellow winged sea lion holding a silver-bladed ancient sword by his right arm.
Source: armed forces webpage
Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024

Chief of the General Staff

1:1, speculative image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024
1:1, image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024

The Armed Forces General Staff is headed by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (Portuguese: Chefe do Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas) or CEMGFA, the highest rank of general in the Portuguese Armed Forces.
Broad bordure of alternating red and yellow pieces starting from canton with yellow in ratio approx. 9:15:21 on all four edges, over all a centred cross yellow parting the inner field quarterly of white and blue, over all on centre the shield with the arms of the general staff with rays yellow coming out from shield and circumscription on a white annulet "ESTADO MAIOR GENERAL DAS FORCAS ARMADAS" (= supreme general staff of the armed forces)
I have found some images of current flag of Chief of the General Staff, what is similar, but its inner part is full white
Source: here
Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 Nov 2024

Portuguese Military Units’ Symbols in general

It seems that regiments and other divisions of the Portuguese military forces, particularly the army, have flags consisting of banners of the respective arms.
According to TV footage where I’ve Sumnerseen on several occasions this kind of flag in military ceremonies, the flags are either square or follow the same dimensions of the portuguese military standard: 10:11. I think they are really square.
Joe McMillan, 15 Dec 2003

If not law, then at least tradition requires that each unit in Portuguese secutiry forces (including the military and the police forces) has its own set of symbols.
Jorge Candeias, 16 May 2004

I’ve seen pictures of what could be called “heraldic standards” for Portuguese military units, but usually with a geometric background with either the shield or some charge from the arms on the centre, rather than an actual banner of the unit arms. The website of the Portugues military college calls such a flag a guião. www.aaacm.pt/colegiomilitar/guiao.htm. See other Portuguese military unit web pages refer to — without depicting — guiões of brigades, regiments, battalions, etc. Are these, guião and estandarte heráldico, the same thing?
Joe McMillan, 16 Dec 2003

I’ve seen both kinds of flags (guiões and simple banners-of-the-arms) and never understood the difference between the two, or when one or the other is used. Guiões are always flags with borders, usually containing squares in the corners and often with crosses in the main field. [Ex.: Airforce Academy vs. B.M.I.]
Jorge Candeias, 16 Dec 2003

An ICHG article by José de Campos e Sousa [sjcXX] says:

"Distinctive" symbols are shields which may have party fields or fields with charges.

"Distinctive and merit" symbols of units are similar, but have the helmet turned fully toward the dexter. "Distinctive and merit" shields for Arms and Services, for the use of the general in command, consist of the unit or formation badge superimposed on the badge of the Arm or Service. "Distinctive and merit" symbols for commanders of military regions and the equivalent (Quater-Master General, Inspector-General, and Vice Chief of Army Staff) can include arms with supporters or military trophies, or arms superimposed on badges of command.

"Merit" symbols include the cross of an Order placed behind the unit arms, or the collar of the Order placed around the shield.

Ian Sumner, 19 Dec 2003

Subunits’ Crests

This seems to be a rule in Portuguese military heraldry: the crest in the arms of a given subentity always (or at least usually) includes the shield of the entity that subentity is a part of. [Ex.: B.M.I.’ Golf group vs. B.M.I.]
Jorge Candeias, 15 Dec 2003

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