Field sign

Not to be confused withfield mark.

Afield signis an unofficial differencing mark worn on a combatant's clothing to show the difference between friend and foe or a combatant and a civilian.

Examples

• Atabardin the livery colors of a lord and bearing his coat of arms was a common field sign.
• A sash of colored cloth worn on the waist or over the shoulder.
  • A red sash was worn by Imperial and Catholic troops of theThirty Years War.
  • A black and yellow sash was worn by Swedish troops of the Thirty Years War.
• A bow of ribbon worn on the cap or hat.
  • A black bow was worn by the troops of theHouse of Hanover.
  • A white bow was worn by theHouse of Bourbon.
  • A red bow was worn by theHouse of Savoy.
  • An orange bow was worn by theHouse of Orange.
• Thecockade(made originally of ribbon, cloth, or leather) is the best known type of field sign. The national and military insignia of most of the countries of Europe still use them today.
• Scottish clans had plantbadgesthat they wore in battle to tell foe from ally.
• The Welsh leek badge (now believed to be a "St. Mary's Leek", or Dandelion) goes back to theMiddle Ages.In 633 AD, the Welsh were sorely pressed by the invading Saxons. They met at theBattle of Heathfield,where there was a field filled with leeks. To distinguish themselves from the enemy, the Welsh wore the leeks in their hats—and subsequently gained a great victory over their enemies. To commemorate the victory they won, the Welsh soldiers were given the right to wear a leek pinned to their caps on 1 March, thefeast of their national patron saint,St. David.
• A wheat sheath around the arm was worn by Swedish troops of theHouse of Vasa.
• Irish Protestants andUlster Unionistsstill wear the orange ribbon of the House of Orange today in their caps on 12 July "King Billy's Day".This commemorates the defeat ofJames II'sJacobite troops by the forces ofWilliam, Prince of Orange.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi's followers, who became the nucleus of the irregularCacciatori delle alpicorps in 1859, wore theirred shirtswhen they fought the Austrians.

See also

• War flag- use by military forces to identify themselves