Spanish Army Heraldry

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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24 May 2008 16:26
 

The Spanish Army has a well developed system of Heraldry. The base of which is a shield crowned with a Royal Crown to this is added mottos decorations and arm of service insignia placed behind the shield. Examples of arm of service is crossed rifles with bayonets fixed for infantry, crossed gunbarrels for artillery, crossed lances for cavalry, crossed "electrodes" for signals.

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/personal/simbo_unifor/simbolo/escudos_armas/escudos/cg_et.gif

Army HQ.

 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/personal/simbo_unifor/simbolo/escudos_armas/escudos/futer.gif

Land Forces Command. F and Y for the Reyes Catolicos Ss Ferdinand and Isabella. The key and waves symbolises the defence of the Gibraltar Strait.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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24 May 2008 16:29
 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/personal/simbo_unifor/simbolo/escudos_armas/escudos/flo.gif

Operative Logistics Command. Lion and Castle for Castile and Leon. The shells for Santiago de Compostella where the Command’s Hq is situated.

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/far/imagfar/escudo-1.gif

Rapid Reaction Command, with the insignia of a General’s command.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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24 May 2008 16:32
 

very nice Marcus. my favorite is the first one.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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24 May 2008 18:32
 

A link to some other Spanish Army Heraldry:

http://www.asasve.es/portal/index.php?mod=article&cat=multimedia1&article=242

Notes:

AALOG = Logistics Grouping

AART = Artillery Academy

ACAB = Cavalry Academy

AGBS = NCO Basic General Academy

AGM = General Military Academy with its support units and four Cadet Battalions.

ALOG = Logistics Group

AINF = Infantry Academy

AING = Engineers Academy

BHELA = Attack Helicopter Battalion

BHELMA = Maneouver Helicopter Battalion

BELTRA = Transport Helicopter Battalion

BCZM = Mountain Rifles Battalion

BI Paracaidistas = Parachute Instruction Battalion

BIAC = Armoured Infantry Brigade

BIAT = Airtransportable Infantry Battalion

BICC = Tank Infantry Battalion

BIL = Light Infantry Battalion

BING = Engineer Battalion

BRC = Cavalry Brigade

BRILAT = Airtransportable Brigade

BRIPAC = Parachute Brigade

BT FAMET = Army Aviation Signals Battalion

CEFAMET = Army Aviation Training Centre

CEMAMA = Artillery Armament and Matriel Maintenance Center

CEMASA = Armoured Systems Maintenance Center

CEMAVR = Vehicle Maintenance Center

CEMMI = ?

CG ET = Army HQ

CGE = Army Geographical Centre

CIRE = Recruits Instruction Centre

CMultilados = Corps of Mutilated for the Country

COMGEN = General Command

CTINT = Intendenture Technical Centre

DIAB = Direccion de Abastecimiento y Mantenimiento = Maintenance and ? Direction

DIAE = Economics Direction

DIAPER = Personnel Assistance Direction

DIEN = Education Direction

DIIN = Infrastructure Direction

DIPE = Personnel Supply Direction

DISAN = Sanitary Direction

DISERTEC = Technical Services Direction

DITRANS = Transportation Direction

EMMOE = Military School for Mountain and Special Operations

ESC Informatica ET = Army Informatics School

ESC = School

ESE = Army Superior School

ESPOL = Polytechnical Scool

FAMET = Army Aviation

FAR = Rapid Reaction Force

GACA = Field Artillery Group (Battalion)

GACTA = Coast Artillery Group

GL = Logistics Battalion

GLPC = Parachute Dispatching and Rigging Group

IHCM = Military History and Culture Institute, which deals amongst other things with Army Heraldry.

JT =?

MAAA = Anti Aircraft Artillery Command

MACA = Field Artillery Command

MACTE = Straits Coast Artillery Command

MALE = Logistics Command

Mando =Command

MAPER = Personnel Command

MATRANS = Signals Command

MING = Engineer Command

RACA = Field Artillery Regiment

RAAA = Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment

RACTA = Coastal Artillery Regiment

RCLAC = Light Armoured Cavalry Regiment

RCZM = Mountain Rifles Regiment

RI = Infantry Regiment

RIAC = Armoured Infantry Regiment

RIAT = Airtransportable Infantry Regiment

RIL = Light Infantry Regiment

RIMZ = Motorized/Mechanized Infantry Regiment

RM = Military Region, these now seems to have been disbanded.

RMPF = Railways mobilization and training regiment, now amalgamated with Railways Sapper Regiment no. 13 into Railways Regiment No. 13.

RPEI = Specialist and Pontoneer Engineer Regiment

RZF = Railways Sapper Regiment

ZM = Military Zone

Tabor = Batallion of Moroccan Regulares

Tercio = old Spanish name for a unit of Regimental Strength preserved by the Spanish Legion and RIL No 67.

Bandera = a Battalion in the Spanish Legion and Paratroopers.

 
JOSE CARRION RANGEL
 
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JOSE CARRION RANGEL
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24 May 2008 20:29
 

Only add that the leader of the spanish communist party proposed, two years ago, to leave the red St. James cross of our army coat of arms because in the intarnational missions it would be considered offensive. The eagle charged with the red cross appears in the frontal of the uniform hat.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_gTQCiRKlM-U/SDiySw4x8AI/AAAAAAAAClU/5dtfxPuUoYA/s400/gorra+de+plato.JPG

http://bp3.blogger.com/_gTQCiRKlM-U/SDiyTA4x8BI/AAAAAAAAClc/2A_M6YOkPPc/s400/Detalle+de+galleta+de+la+gorra+de+plato.JPG

 

Today we continue dressing it.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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25 May 2008 06:43
 

Well good they keept the St James’ Cross as this makes a truly distinctive insignia.

Form the site of the Army Aviation, behind the Shields the Rotorblades denoting Army Aviation Units:

 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/famet/imagenes/historia/heraldica/escbhelmaii1.gif

2nd Manouver Helicopter Battalion. This unit was formely based in the then Spanish Sahara whose deserts is symbolized by the gold field. The red bend wavy sinister denotes the red waters of Saguia el Hamra River in Sahara.

 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/famet/imagenes/historia/heraldica/escparque1.gif

Helicopter Park and Maintenance Centre.

 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/famet/imagenes/historia/heraldica/escusbap1.gif

Base Services Unit "Colonel Maté". The Eagle and Lightning is taken form a Army Helicopter Emblem approved 2 November 1961.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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25 May 2008 06:51
 

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/brczm/presentacion/imagenes/presentacion/escudo-armas.gif

Mountain Rifles Brigade "Aragon" I. To the Infantry’s Rifles is added a hunting horn for the Mountain Rifles. Othewise the arms is identical to those of the Province of Aragon (Aragonia).

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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25 May 2008 14:50
 

I agree and am glad they kept it! It is much more distinctive and clearly has a historical, social, cultural association alongside ant religious one. To remove it would’ve been a great mistake IMO.

I personally grow very tired of people stripping heraldry of any "Christian" imagery in an attempt not to "offend" anyone. I would no more expect a Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, etc nation to remove such insignia from their people’s uniforms so as not to offend me if I needed their humanitarian help due to a disaster…like a mission etc. We see much the same with the removal of all Christian, or religious, symbolism from state and local municipality arms/logos here in the States as well.

 

I don’t recall what thread, but I remember a couple of years ago having this debate when it was posted that someone in California wanted to remove a cross from an old seal, or arms, from an old Spanish Mission area of California. So much for history…I mean let’s pretend they were never here by removing all symbols so we don’t offend anyone…give me a break. How much more appropriate would a cross be for an area known to have been founded as an old SPanish Mission?

 

Truth be told I’m waiting for the day when these sorts of people get the idea to seek the removal of all such symbolism from gravestones at military cemeteries. When I go to see my grandparent’s graves at Ft. Logan here in Colorado (it is Memorial Day weekend) I always notice that the headstones are all carved with either crosses, of various forms, or Stars of David or crescents. I even seen one that looked like a sun in splendor, though I am ignorant of what religion that is supposed to represent…regrdless it was nice. It will happen one day…mark my words.

 

OK off soap box…mods if that offends anyone and you get a PM I am sorry in advance.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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25 May 2008 14:55
 

Thanks for the link Marcus that is nice.

Jose, is that your hat in the photo?

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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25 May 2008 17:04
 

Donnchadh;58682 wrote:

Thanks for the link Marcus that is nice.


Yes it is a nice display of arms, I specialy like the arms of the 1 Intelligence Unit with the Lynx head.

 
JOSE CARRION RANGEL
 
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JOSE CARRION RANGEL
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25 May 2008 18:04
 

Donnchadh;58682 wrote:

Jose, is that your hat in the photo?


Well. It is a hat of the army. I´m member of the Air Force, which badge is the first in the world with two wings. It was designed, in 1913, by the wife of the Infante don Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón, inspired in pictures from the ancient Egypt. (Here is a short article with the life of the Infante: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_de_Orleans_y_Borbón )

 

This is the badge of my hat:

 

http://bp2.blogger.com/_gTQCiRKlM-U/SDnhng4x8CI/AAAAAAAAClk/iD0WfpTVtk4/s400/galleta+de+la+gorra.bmp

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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26 May 2008 01:13
 

Ah, yes, the one 1 Intelligence Unit is cool Marcus. My favorite is this one for DIIN simply because it is so simple and even though Or and Vert is not my favorite combo, I do like this one because of the thin fretty on it.

http://www.asasve.es/gallery/gallery/images/heraldica/img/DIIN.jpg

Followed by BANDERA Roger de Flor I Paracaidistas

http://www.asasve.es/gallery/gallery/images/heraldica/img/BANDERA Roger de Flor I Paracaidistas.jpg

 

And then by BANDERA Valenzuela I-3 Legión

http://www.asasve.es/gallery/gallery/images/heraldica/img/BANDERA Valenzuela I-3 Legion.jpg

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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26 May 2008 01:13
 

Cool Jose. Sorry about getting you in the wrong branch of the service. wink Thanks for the article I will read it when done here.

 
Nick B II
 
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Nick B II
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26 May 2008 03:50
 

Donnchadh;58681 wrote:

Truth be told I’m waiting for the day when these sorts of people get the idea to seek the removal of all such symbolism from gravestones at military cemeteries. When I go to see my grandparent’s graves at Ft. Logan here in Colorado (it is Memorial Day weekend) I always notice that the headstones are all carved with either crosses, of various forms, or Stars of David or crescents. I even seen one that looked like a sun in splendor, though I am ignorant of what religion that is supposed to represent…regrdless it was nice. It will happen one day…mark my words.

OK off soap box…mods if that offends anyone and you get a PM I am sorry in advance.

There are a lot of symbols allowed on VA tombstones:

http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

Most of them would look good as heraldic charges, so it’s semi-on topic.

BTW, American Atheists takes the hardest line on public displays of religion. They are currently trying to get the Lutheran Rose removed from Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Coat of Arms. Their logo is #16 on the VA list.

 

Don’t worry about VA Tombstones.

 
Marcus K
 
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Marcus K
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26 May 2008 05:49
 

The arms of the DIIN shows the helmet of the Logistical Support Command to which DIIN is subordinate. The green colour denotes DIIN as the third direction of the LSC. The fretty symbolises maintenance of the army’s infrastructure.

Bandera Roger de Flor I de Para, shows the canting arms of the namegiver. During the late 13th and early 14th centuries he commanded the mercenary unit Gran Compañia Catalana de los Almogárvares fighting in Italy and Anatolia.

 

Bandera Valenzuela I-3 (that is the I bn of the Terico D. Juan de Austria 3rd of the Legion) shows the cross of St. James as the namegiver Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of the Legion D. Rafael Valenzuela Urzáiz was a Knight of the Order of St. James.  He was killed in action in Morocco 1923.

 
Michael Swanson
 
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Michael Swanson
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26 May 2008 06:07
 

Nick B II;58692 wrote:

BTW, American Atheists takes the hardest line on public displays of religion. They are currently trying to get the Lutheran Rose removed from Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Coat of Arms. Their logo is #16 on the VA list.


Lloyd Clark, the guy in Frankenmuth against the coat of arms, recently dropped his efforts.  A Texas case, Murray v Austin, which held that a cross on a city seal was not a religious endorsement, would make any case like this impossible to win.

 

Activist groups on both sides of these trivial religious display issues have multiple purposes, not the least of which is to raise money.  The public gets sucked into the debates thinking there is real substance and this opens wallets.  Outspoken politicians make money, activist groups make money, churches make money, and newspapers make money.

 

Even Frankenmuth tourism increases.  (I remember as a child that we always stopped in that fair city after visiting the grandparents so my father could have a German dark beer with some cheese and split pea soup.  Yes, I remember those long drives with our bellies full of cheese and split pea soup….)