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Military flags (Sweden)

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by christopher oehler
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War Flag/War Ensign/Jack
[War flag, war ensign and Jack] by Željko Heimer
(4+2+4):(5+2+5+8)
Source: Album des pavillons (2000)


See Also:

External link:


About the War Flag

Neither Sweden nor Denmark uses a square version of the national flag as a jack. Both countries use the forked flag as both jack and ensign. It appears from photos that, though the jacks are smaller than the ensigns, they have the same proportions.

The 1971 Pedersen The International Flag Book in Color [ped71] describes the Swedish ensign and jack as:

"Last adopted 1906. The Swedish swallow-tailed flag was originally the King's personal emblem, or the emblem representing a command conferred by the King. It was at first two-pointed, but about 1600 the distinctive swallow-tail-and-tongue appeared. Besides the Navy, the flag is also flown by other defense departments, while civil departments fly square flags."

The overall ratio, including the tails, is 2:1 and is similar to the royal standard without the COA.
Michael P. Smuda, 1998


The size of Swedish ensigns

The size of ensigns used by the navy are not given metric by length. Instead the width is given in "dukar" (plural of duk, flaggduk=bunting). This goes back to old military regulations, at least mid-nineteenth century, where it was stipulated that the wool bunting "shall be of domestic authorized manufacturing, 18 inches [45 cm] wide, evenly woven and well edged, without loose threads across the bunting, that shows that the weft is thinner than the warp, which can not be considered as good, the weft and the warp must be equally thin." Reglemente den 20 maj 1847.

So, a flag measuring 180 by 90 cm is designated a "tvådukare" (two-cloth or -bunting), a 360 by 180 cm a "fyrdukare" (four-cloth or -bunting) and so on. You can see this on the heading of an ensign. Under the three crowns of Sweden, for example 2 D or 4 D is stamped.
Stefan Klein, 1 February 2002


Military Command

Military Region Command - Northern Military District. Personal Command Sign of the Chief of the Northern Military District

Blue square flag with a upright yellow sword, with a reindeer with the pole-star.

The personal command sign of the Northern Military District was introduced in 1966, when new regional military subdivisions of the Swedish Defence Forces were organized.

The command structure of the Armed Forces consists of the Supreme Commander, the Deputy Supreme Commander, and Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters.

Military Districts (MD) are charged with directing their regional activities, including co-operation with the civilian parts of the Total Defence organisation. Military Districts direct and carry out training of the Home Guard, and they support voluntary defence organisations.

As of January 1, 2005, there are three Military Districts South (MD S), Central (MD M), and North (MD N), and these all have local detachments. Army, Navy and Air Force units, schools and centres also operate at the local level.

Kristian Söderberg, 12-13 April 2005