KINGDOM OF SPAIN
ARMY FLAGS & PENNANTS • 1939-77
Distinguishing flags for the Minister of War and Army general officers were introduced in 1939. The Minister's flag was a square version of the national flag with the crossed batons under a crown replacing the national coat of arms. Position and rank flags for general officers were also square. Those for general use were vertically divided, red /yellow/red, while those for use as car flags were horizontally striped like the national flag. For flags of a captain-general, crossed batons in blue were placed on the yellow stripe. The same flags with a blue five-pointed star added were the positional flags for the Army Chief of Staff. Other general officers had from one to three four-pointed stars on the yellow stripe. These stars were blue for generals in command or serving in a staff position, and red for generals without a command or appointment. The Minster of War's flag and the vertically striped rank flags existed in both fringed and unfringed versions, the former for use on ceremonial occassions.
The war flag was flown at Army installations. It differed from the national flag in its proportions and the positioning of the national coat of arms: centered rather than offset toward the hoist. When the coat of arms was revised in 1945 and a new national flag was introduced, the war flag was abolished and the national flag replaced it.
Flag Proportions: Spanish Army appointment/rank flags were made square.
