Chevron (insignia)

Last updated
An "Argent a chevron gules" in heraldic terminology Chevron demo.svg
An "Argent a chevron gules" in heraldic terminology

A chevron (also spelled cheveron, especially in older documents) is a V-shaped mark or symbol, often inverted. The word is usually used in reference to a kind of fret in architecture, or to a badge or insignia used in military or police uniforms to indicate rank or length of service, or in heraldry and the designs of flags (see flag terminology).

Contents

Ancient history

Appearing on pottery and petrographs throughout the ancient world, the chevron can be considered to be one of the oldest symbols in human history, with V-shaped markings occurring as early as the Neolithic era (6th to 5th millennia BC) as part of the Vinča symbols inventory. The Vinča culture responsible for the symbols appear to have used the chevron as part of a larger proto-writing system rather than any sort of heraldic or decorative use, and are not known to have passed the symbol on to any subsequent cultures. [1]

Many comparatively recent examples appear from approximately 1800 BC onward, beginning as part of an archaeological recovery of pottery designs from the palace of Knossos on Crete in the modern day country of Greece. [2] Furthermore the Nubian Kingdom of Kerma produced pottery with decorative repertoire confined to geometric designs such as chevrons. [3]

Heraldry

A chevron is one of the heraldic ordinaries, the simple geometrical figures which are the foundation of many coats of arms. A chevron is constructed by choosing a visually appealing angle such as the golden angle or any other angle the artist prefers. It can be subject to a number of modifications including inversion. When the ends are cut off in a way that looks like the splintered ends of a broken piece of wood, with an irregular zig-zag pattern, it is called éclaté. [4] When shown as a smaller size than standard, it is a diminutive called a chevronel.

Chevrons appeared early in the history of heraldry, especially in Normandy. In Scandinavia the chevron is known as sparre; an early example appears in the arms of Armand Desmondly.[ citation needed ]

Rank insignia

In Western European tradition, chevrons are used as an insignia of the ranks variously known, depending on the country, as non-commissioned officer or sub-officer ranks. This usage has become the worldwide norm, but there are many exceptions where other insignia, typically stripes but sometimes stars, are used for such ranks instead.

Many countries, such as France and Italy, use chevrons proper, or colloquially, the chevrons "point up". Many others, such as most Commonwealth countries, use inverted chevrons, or colloquially, the chevrons "point down."

In the United States, the Army and Marines use chevrons proper (although prior to the 20th century this was not true), while the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard use inverted chevrons. Arcs, known as "rockers", are also added to chevrons to indicate higher rank.

English-speaking countries tend to use three chevrons for a sergeant and two for a corporal.

Canadian and Australian Forces often refer to chevrons as "hooks". In the Dutch armed forces they are nicknamed "banana peels". [5]

In the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, chevrons are worn point down to denote non-commissioned officer rank, with one for lance corporal, two for corporal, three for sergeant, and three with a crown for staff sergeant (known as colour sergeant in infantry regiments and the Royal Marines) or flight sergeant (RAF). Branch and tradition results in variations in rank titles (corporal of horse being the equivalent of sergeant in the Household Cavalry) and spellings (serjeant in The Rifles). Large chevrons are also worn on the sleeves of Royal Navy sailors to denote good conduct rather than rank.

Although usually associated with non-commissioned officers, the chevron was originally used as an insignia to denote general officer ranks in the British Army. It was adopted from the insignia worn by cavalry during the 18th century, in particular the Household Cavalry. It was worn on the cuffs, forearms and tails of their coats, embroidered in gold bullion for the guards and silver for dragoons regiments. George III favoured the uniform of the Horse Guards, and his Windsor uniform followed a similar pattern. After 1768, a similar pattern uniform as worn the King was introduced to general officers, with the number and spacing of the chevrons denoting rank. For example, a major general would wear his chevrons in pairs: two on the sleeves, and two on the tails. A lieutenant general would wear them in groups of three, and a full general's would be equidistant. This practice continued into the early Victorian era.

Examples

Vexillology

Chevron inverted: The flag of the North American Vexillological Association. Flag of NAVA.svg
Chevron inverted: The flag of the North American Vexillological Association.

In vexillology, a chevron is a triangle on the hoist of a flag. The chevron is used in several national flags, such as the flag of Cuba, the flag of the Czech Republic, the flag of Jordan and the flag of Puerto Rico.

Other uses as insignia

Chevron used on Russian military vehicles during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 Russian Invasion vehicle marking V.svg
Chevron used on Russian military vehicles during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

In some armies, small chevrons are worn on the lower left sleeve to indicate length of service, akin to service stripes in the U.S. military. The Israel Defense Forces use chevrons in various orientations as organizational designators on their vehicles, specifically which company within a battalion they belong to. [8]

NATO armed forces use the "Λ" chevron as insignia to represent the alliance between different armies, during peacekeeping missions.

The US-led coalition that took part in Operation Desert Storm used a black "Λ" chevron in a similar manner as NATO forces use it on their ground vehicles. The design was created by a soldier in 3AD after the US military sought markings to identify coalition vehicles due to increased fratricide incidents.[ citation needed ] Its symbolism, according to the artist SGT Grzywa, was meant to be a V for Victory, a tribute to WWII Coalition Forces.[ citation needed ]

"V" chevrons were historically used as the insignia of the imperialist Russian Volunteer Army during the Russian Civil War, and in modern times as one of the military insignia by Russian forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Russian civilians have used it in support of their government. [9] [10]

French car maker Citroën uses a double chevron as its logo.

Chevrons on their side are also used as road signs to denote bends.

From the early 1950s until the early 2000s, Simplex, Faraday and many other companies manufactured the chevron series fire alarm manual pull station. The handle was shaped in a way where the handle looked like an inverted chevron. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant.

Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers.

Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.

Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal.

This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English.

The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Air Force.

The chart below shows the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army, with seniority, and pay grade, increasing from right to left. The enlisted ranks of corporal (E-4) and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The rank of specialist is also in pay grade E-4, but does not hold non-commissioned officer status; it is common that a soldier may never hold the rank of corporal, and instead be promoted from specialist to sergeant, attaining junior NCO status at that time.

Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadron; however, these are not trainee officers with many not choosing a career in the armed forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Army other ranks rank insignia</span> Enlisted rank insignia of the British Army

"Other ranks" is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".

The Military ranks of Finland are the military insignia used by the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, the system has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish and Swedish languages and official English translations. The Swedish forms are used in all Swedish-languages communications in Finland, e.g. in Swedish-speaking units of Finnish Defence Force. The system of ranks in the Swedish Armed Forces is slightly different.

Before Unification as the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, the Canadian military had three distinct services: the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Canadian Army. All three services had a Regular (full-time) component and a reserve (part-time) component. The rank structure for these services were based on the services of the British military, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the British Army. The change to a "Canadian" rank structure meant that many of the traditional (British) rank titles and insignia were removed or changed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel Defense Forces ranks</span> Ranking system within the IDF

The military ranks of Israel are the military insignia used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Because the IDF is an integrated force, ranks are the same in all services The ranks are derived from those in the paramilitary Haganah, which operated during the Mandate period in order to protect the Yishuv.

The ranks and insignia of the Confederate States were a rank insignia system devised for the Military of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has five rank schemes for active and reservist personnel, with a sixth for the auxiliaries of the SAF Volunteer Corps. The SAF has a unique rank structure as an integrated force, ranks are the same in the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS).

The Italian Army ranks are the ranks used by the Italian Army and are worn on epaulettes of shirts. The Army of Italy contains levels of ranks showing both their officers' status and seniority as dedicated members of the Italian militia. Although altered throughout history, the current ranks stand as the lowest rank being "soldato semplice" and the highest rank being "generale". There are a total of 32 ranks in seven categories. These categories include: temporary service volunteers, permanent service volunteers, sergeants, marshals (NCOs), junior officers, senior officers, and generals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine</span> Uniforms and insignia of the German navy during World War II

The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II. Kriegsmarine uniform design followed that of the preexisting Reichsmarine, itself based on that of the First World War Kaiserliche Marine. Kriegsmarine styles of uniform and insignia had many features in common with those of other European navies, all derived from the British Royal Navy of the 19th century, such as officers' frock coats, sleeve braid, and the "sailor suit" uniform for enlisted personnel and petty officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Vietnamese military ranks</span>

The system of Vietnamese military ranks was originally introduced on 22 March 1946 by President Ho Chi Minh, originally based on the military ranks system of Japanese military. Reference designs to the military ranks system of the French military. In 1958, the Vietnam People's Army military ranks system was changed, and has no Marshal or General of the Army or Brigadier General. In contrast, the Colonel General, Senior Colonel or Senior Lieutenant in Vietnam at present do not exist in many countries.

The Military ranks of Syria are the military insignia used by the Syrian Armed Forces. The Syrian military ranks use a rank structure similar to that of the British Armed Forces and the French Armed Forces. Commissioned officers' rank insignia are identical for the army and air force. These are gold on a bright green or black shoulder board for the army and gold on a bright blue board for the air force. Officer ranks are standard, although the highest is the equivalent of Colonel General, a rank held in 1986 only by the commander in chief and the minister of defense. Navy officer rank insignia are gold stripes worn on the lower sleeve. The highest-ranking officer in Syria's navy is the equivalent of lieutenant general. Army and air force rank for warrant officers is indicated by gold stars on an olive green shield worn on the upper left arm. Lower noncommissioned ranks are indicated by upright and inverted chevrons worn on the upper left arm.

Ranks of the Grande Armée describes the military ranks and the rank insignia used in Napoleon's Grande Armée. Officers and the most senior non-commissioned rank had rank insignia in the form of epaulettes, sergeants and corporals in the form of stripes or chevrons on the sleeves.

References

  1. ↑ Mäder, Michael: Ist die Donauschrift Schrift? Budapest: Archaeolingua. ISBN   978-615-5766-29-9, (2019),
  2. ↑ C.Michael Hogan (2007) Knossos Fieldnotes The Modern Antiquarian
  3. ↑ Bianchi, Robert Steven (2004). Daily Life of the Nubians. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 81. ISBN   978-0-313-32501-4.
  4. ↑ An example is said to appear in the arms of Blanluz, in Dauphiné. "Frédéric Luz: Grand Armorial Universel". Archived from the original on 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  5. ↑ See Infanterist 1939-1940: rangen - Het Nederlandsche Leger 1939-1940 Archived 2012-04-12 at the Wayback Machine , 2012
  6. ↑ "Part 9 Badges, Headdress and Embellishments". ARMY DRESS REGULATIONS (ALL RANKS) (PDF). Part 9 Sect 2 Annex D: Ministry of Defence. February 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ↑ "U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Gelbart, Marsh (2004). Modern Israeli Tanks and Infantry Carriers 1985–2004. Osprey Publishing. p. 44. ISBN   978-1-84176-579-2.
  9. ↑ "Why has the letter Z become the symbol of war for Russia?". The Guardian . 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  10. ↑ "Ivan Kuliak: Why has 'Z' become a Russian pro-war symbol?". BBC News. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  11. ↑ "*Vintage* *Rare* Simplex 4251-1 Fire Alarm Pull Station Chevron". Simplex 2001 Parts for Sale. 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.