Last modified: 2024-11-23 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: military | coat of arms(escutcheons) |
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![[Portuguese military flag]](../images/p/pt^.gif)
12:13, image by Željko Heimer, 3 Feb 1998
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
![[Portuguese military flag 1969/70 - 1979]](../images/p/pt^1969.gif)
1:1, image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 10 June 2024
Today being June 10th, Portugal´s day, here’s an especially nice one:
> The national colour in use in 1970-1979 by the Portuguese Armed Forces, which was significantly different from the previous and later models. It especially features a much larger representation of the shield, with the armillary sphere reaching almost the edges of the colour, while the laurels and the scroll fill the remaining cloth in a diapering fashion. Other than the design, there were other detail changes in the way this model was used, according to the law that introduced it, published on 9 December 1970 as Law Decree (or just Decree) nr. 202.
Sources: here and here
This novel design had been already published in 1969 in the more general law on Army heraldry (publ. on 3 June 1969 as Ministerial Decree no. 24107.
Sources: here and here (fig.48 p.629)
Besides the bolder filling of the cloth, this new design was salient in that the armillary sphere is shown with five parallels, instead of the usual three. This makes me think that the authors of the artwork and/or the promoters of this design shared in this regard the views of Afonso de Dornelas, who had previously used this very same design for the 1935 colonial coats of arms and pushed it for the 1967 ill-fated proposals for their respective flags.
In this regard, it is debatable how much this decree and the flag it promulgated was indeed fully compatible with the more general law of 1911, even though it was in use for the seven (very eventful!) years of 1970-1977. The June 1911 law precognised in its wording something that matches both designs indeed, but at that time the artwork shown in the April 1911 booklet [cba11] was certainly what was meant and, regardless of several more detailed regulations meanwhile issued, that was pretty much, what was in use in 1911-1970, and again after 1977.
See examples:
1. 1917 patriotic/educational poster by A. Quaresma (one among 21 Quadros Educativos) for the Education Min. of the Sindónio cabinet:
Sources: here and here
2. 2018 photo with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa doing his thing:
Source: this photo
I couldn’t find photographic examples of the 1970-1977 flag in use.) Appendices A and B of the 1970 law were replaced in 1977 by a Ministerial Decree (no. 387/77) that in practice reinstalled the previous model. See more details here
António Martins-Tuválkin, 10 June 2024
On p.594, precisely on appendix A of this source, there is some kind of construction sheet.
There the dimensions are given as follows:
height of sheet incl. tassels: 125cm
width of sheet incl. tassels: 125cm
height of fringes at bottom end: 8cm
length of spear between finial and top edge of sheet: 37cm
length of finial: 34cm
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 Nov 2024
![[Portuguese general staff of the armed forces flag]](../images/p/pt^genst.gif)
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 general staff flag #1]](../images/p/pt^cos.gif) 1:1, speculative image by Zoltan Horvath, 4 Sep 2024 |
![[chief general staff flag #1]](../images/p/pt^cosv.gif) 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
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
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
back to Portugal main page click here
