Military Colours in the Military Museum of Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Last modified: 2009-11-21 by eugene ipavec
Keywords: spain | tenerife | coat of arms | cross: burgundy | military | eagle (black) | crown | lion (red) |
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• 6th Coastal Air Defense Artillery Group Ibiza (Grupo Antiaéreo Costal de Artillería VI (GACA VI))
• 47th Infantry Regiment Palma de Mallorca
• Troop Headquarters Mallorca (Jefatura de Tropas Mallorca)
• 2nd Mixed Engineers Group (Grupo Mixto de Ingenieros No.2)
• Invalids of Wars For The Fatherland (Caballeros Mutilados de Guerra por la Patria)
• 47th Infantry Regiment Palma de Mallorca
• Mallorquin "Banderas de Mochila" (Rucksack Flags) (1918-1924)

See also:

• Armed Forces' Flags (Spain)
• Naval Flags (Spain)
• City of Palma de Mallorca
• Mallorca Island
• Spain

Grupo Antiaéreo Costal de Artillería VI (GACA VI)

Group	1st Battery	2nd Battery
SVS Battery	PLM Battery

images by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 Jun 2009

All unit colours are squarish with golden fringes. They are made of silk covered with embroideries (crown and canons). All flags have the Coat of arms of Ibiza in their centres, topped by a royal crown and superimposed with two crossed gun barrels. Beneath the centre are black embowed inscriptions “GACA VI IBIZA”. The flags, one by one:

1. Group: basic colour white
2. 1st Battery: basic colour red, additional inscription directly beneath the shield: “1a BIA”
3. 2nd Battery: basic colour: greenish yellow, RGB (235/254/1), additional inscription directly beneath the shield: “2a BIA”
4. SVS Battery: basic colour purple, additional inscription directly beneath the shield: “BIA SVS”
5. PLM Battery: basic colour blue, additional inscription directly beneath the shield: “BIA PLM,”

I observed these flags in the Military Museum of Palma de Mallorca at San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 June 2009

I think these are descriptions of the subunits. SVS = Servicios; I think it's the Logistics Battery - transport, supply, that sort of thing. PLM = Plana Mayor; I think it's the Headquarters Battery.

Ian Sumner, 16 Jun 2009

5th Company	8th Company	Regiment (?)
Company (?)	Company (?)	Trumpet Bannerette

images by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17-26 Jun 2009

All unit colours have ratio approx.11:13 with golden fringes. They are made of silk covered with embroideries (badge). The badge is a golden signal horn topped by a coronet. A gun and a sword have been stuck saltirishly through the eye (?) of the horn. There are two types of flags. Type A shows the number of the regiment in the upper hoist and the number of company in the lower fly. Type B is without numbers and the coronet is slightly different. There are stones added instead of a second ring in the coronets base. Because it is the same badge, I guess the Type B flags are also flags of the 47th infantry. The flags one by one:

• 5th Company: basic colour dark red
• 8th Company: basic colour dark green
• Regiment (?): basic colour white
• Company (?): basic colour purple
• Company (?): basic colour yellow
• Trumpet bannerette: ratio is approx. 7/6.; golden fringes on three sides. The basic colour is red with golden (yellow) tressure.

I observed these flags in the Military Museum of Palma de Mallorca at San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17-26 Jun 2009

Jefatura de Tropas Mallorca

# 1	# 2	# 3
images by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jun 2009
Troop Headquarters Mallorca (Jefatura de Tropas) #1 is a red square flag with golden fringes. A brown staff (banot) is crossed with a silver (white) sword. The ensemble is superimposed by a silver (white) helmet. Its crest is a golden dragon and a blue mantling with a white cross patty (plus appendix). Above is a blue ribbon with a yellow inscription “VANGUARDIA HACIA ORIENTE” ("vigilance against the east") and below “JEFATURA DE TROPAS MALLORCA”. I observed this flag in the Mallorca Military Museum in San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.	Troop Headquarters Mallorca (Jefatura de Tropas) #2 is a white squarish white flag with golden fringes. In the centre of the flag is a coat of arms, based on the seal of city, university and kingdom of Mallorca, i.e. quarterly divided, the 1st and 4th quarter showing four red pallets in a yellow field, the 2nd and 3rd quarter showing a fortress upon a wavy sea topped by a palm tree. The shield is topped by a golden helmet. Its crest is a golden coronet, topped by a silver dragon, tongued red, and there is a red and yellow mantling. Unknown green leaves are surrounding the shield. The whole ensemble is superimposing a red cross burgundy and surrounded by an inscription in black capitals: “JEFATURA DE TROPAS DE MALLORCA CIA. DE CUARTEL GENERAL”. The flag is made of silk with embroideries of metallic threads. Source: I observed this flag in the Mallorca Military Museum in San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.	Troop Headquarters Mallorca (Jefatura de Tropas) #3 is a red squarish red flag. In the centre of the flag is a coat of arms, based on the seal of city, university and kingdom of Mallorca, i.e. quarterly divided, the 1st and 4th quarter showing four red pallets in a yellow field, the 2nd and 3rd quarter showing a fortress upon the sea. In this version the fortress is greenish, having seven segments, the inner five ones with a black door. The heaven is a celestial blue field, the sea a plain violet field. The fortress is topped by a palm tree in natural colour. The shield is topped by a greyish helmet. Its crest is a golden coronet, topped by a blue dragon and there is a red and yellow mantling. Below is a black, irregular inscription “JETROP”. Unknown green leaves are surrounding the shield. The flag is completely made of pieces of coloured felt. I observed this flag in the Mallorca Military Museum in San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 Jun 2009

Grupo Mixto de Ingenieros No.2

A yellow flag with golden fringes; ratio is est. 11:16. The flag is made of silk with golden, metallic embroideries. In the centre is an embattled tower having two open windows and an open doors. The pinnacles are topped by a dome. The tower is flanked by embowed inscriptions “GRUPO MIXTO DE” (above) and “INGENIEROS No 2” (below, the “o” of the number being exponed and underlined). For the background I chose RGB (210/210/30), for the embroideries RGB (141/124/7), for the separators RGB (105/92/41). The unit probably was located somewhere in the Balearic Islands. I observed this flag in the Mallorca Military Museum at San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Jul 2009

Caballeros Mutilados de Guerra por la Patria

All the flags I observed were squarish, showed the Spanish red over yellow over red triband and had a badge in the yellow stripe. All had golden fringes and three red-yellow-red ribbons at the hoist. The badge is a blue Spanish shield, its upper half divided by a golden saltire. In the lower half is an inscription in golden capitals: “FRANCO” (1st line), “18 DE JULIO” (2nd line), “1936” (3rd line)”. There was a golden or white bordure with golden inscriptions made of embroideries: “MUTILADOS” (dexter side), “DE LA”, “GUERRA” and “POR” (all in base separated by little 6-point stars), finally “LA PATRIA” (sinister side). In the chief of the bordure were two golden embowed lines.

# 1	# 2	# 3
images by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Jul 2009
Flag #1: The stripes are of equal width, the badge is in the centre of the yellow stripe, filling total height of the stripe. The bordure is golden. There are inscriptions made of golden embroideries as follows: “CABALLEROS” (in the upper red stripe shifted to the hoist), “MUTILADOS” (1st line) “DE GUERRA” (2nd line) (both vertically placed on the fly end exceeding the yellow stripe at both ends) and finally “POR LA PATRIA” (in the lower red stripe shifted to the hoist).	Flag #2: The stripes have ratio 1:2:1, the badge is shifted to the hoist. The bordure is white. There are inscriptions, made of golden embroideries as follows: “CABALLEROS MUTILADOS” (in the upper red stripe shifted to the hoist), “DE GUERRA” (in the lower red stripe centred relative to the badge). and finally “POR LA PATRIA” (vertically placed onto the fly and exceeding the yellow stripe at both sides).	Flag #3: The stripes have ratio 1:2:1, the badge is in the centre of the yellow stripe. The bordure is white. There are inscriptions, made of golden embroideries as follows: “CABALLEROS MUTILADOS” (in the upper red stripe shifted to the hoist), “DE GUERRA” (in the lower red stripe centred relative to the badge). and finally “POR LA PATRIA” (vertically placed onto the fly completely within the yellow stripe).

I observed these flags in the Mallorca Military Museum in San Carlos Castle on 26 May 2009. I have no idea about the background of those flags. They may be flags of an organization of supporters of General Franco, who had been injured exclusively during the 1936-1939 civil war, but I am not sure, as there were no comments in the museum.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Jul 2009

Spanish Military colours from the time of Alfonso XIII. (1886-1931), the model in use from 1918-1924. Both flags are made of cotton and the coat of arms is simply printed in black with Petra Sancta code upon the yellow stripe.

61st Infantry Regiment - Inca (Mallorca)	Mallorquin Squadrons Group	Detail of Coat of Arms
images by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 Jun 2009
62nd Infantry Regiment - Inca (Mallorca) (Regimiento de Infantería Inca No.62) A square flag, model 1918-1924, vertically divided into red - yellow - red with ratio approx 2:3:2. Within the yellow stripe is the coat of arms surrounded by embowed inscriptions in black capitals: "“REGIMIENTO DE INFANTERIA”" (top) and "“INCA No 62”" (bottom).	Mallorquin Squadrons Group (Grupo Escuadrones de Mallorca) A square flag vertically divided into red - yellow – red with ratio approx 1:15:1. Within the yellow stripe is the coat of arms surrounded by embowed inscriptions in black capitals: "“GRUPO”" (top) and "“ESCUADRONES DE MALLORCA”." Probably it is a cavalry flag, because it is much smaller than the infantry flag.	Coat of arms (detail of flags): In the centre is an oval shield of the dynasty of Bourbons, i.e. quarterly divided showing the arms of Castilia and Leon. In the centre is a round inescutcheon with three fleur de lys. The shield is flanked by twice a pair of flags and two pay rolls, two drums and a few small tools at the bottom. The shield is also surrounded by a chain of the order of the golden fleece.

I observed these flags in the Military Museum of Palma de Mallorca San Carlos castle on 26 May 2009.

These are banderas de mochila, also known as banderas de percha (backpack- or rucksack flags). They serve as flags to mark the locations of units in camps or barracks, or in the field, and one was placed on the grave of every soldier killed in action.

Source: [mzn97] Manzano Lahoz, Antonio, "Las banderas históricas del Ejército Español," 2nd edition (Madrid, Ministry of Defence, 1996)