Last modified: 2011-04-16 by ian macdonald
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![[Air Marshal (Brazil)]](../images/b/br^marar.gif)
image by Joseph
McMillan
Divided vertically, blue hoist with a winged sword surrounded by the
stars of the Cruzeiro do Sul (Southern Cross); fly divided horizontally into five green
and golden yellow stripes. Marechal do Ar equates to Marechal (Field Marshal) in the Brazilian
Army, a five star rank
now awarded only in wartime. On each of these flags the use of varying numbers of stripes
to indicate rank matches the use of the
Brazilian Army, at least in WWII period.
Joseph McMillan, 29 April 2001
image by Joseph
McMillan
Tenente-Brigadeiro equates to General do Exército (General of the Army) in the
Brazilian Army, the four star rank. Hoist blue with winged sword and four stars arranged as in the Cruzeiro do
Sul but without the small star (Epsilon crucis) near the center of the cross; fly
four green and yellow stripes.
Joseph McMillan, 29 April 2001
image by Joseph McMillan
Major-Brigadeiro equates to General de Divisão (Division General) in the
Brazilian Army, wearing three stars but the equivalent of a major general in other armies, like a French
général de division. Hoist blue with winged sword and three stars, one above and one
on either side of the handle of the sword; fly three green and yellow stripes.
Joseph McMillan, 29 April 2001
image by Joseph
McMillan
Hoist blue with winged sword and one star on each side of the handle; fly divided green
over yellow.
Joseph McMillan, 29 April 2001
image by Joseph
McMillan
The flags with the winged sword are for line (aviation) officers only; staff officers (intendence,
medical, etc) use the same patterns but with their branch insignia in place of the winged sword. For
medical officers, for example, the device is a sword with a snake coiled around it.
Joseph McMillan, 29 April 2001
image by Joseph
McMillan
image by Joseph McMillan
image by Joseph McMillan
image by Joseph McMillan The main source for these flags is the booklet published by the Ministério da Aeronáutica,
Dimensões e Modelos
de Bandeiras, Insígnias e Sinais em Uso na Aeronáutica do Brasil (Rio
de Janeiro: Imprensa Nacional, 1944). They are also shown in slightly different form at an
Unofficial
Força Aérea Brasileira website. Although the images on the website as well as the
plates in the booklet appear to show 2:3 proportions, the text of the booklet
is clear that they should be (or should have been?) 3:4.
Joe McMillan, 29 April 2001
More details with proper association to RAF ranks:
http://www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br/FAB/en/postos_insignias.html and the flags
themselves at:
http://www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br/FAB/en/postos_estandartes.html (with more
information at the bottom).
These were all taken from Air Force orders.
As for the size of the flags, I've measured them as they are available in my
local air base and they are 2:3...
Rudnei Dias da Cunha, 20 March 2011