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.
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.
very nice Marcus. my favorite is the first one.
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.
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
Today we continue dressing it.
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.
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).
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.
Thanks for the link Marcus that is nice.
Jose, is that your hat in the photo?
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.
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
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
Cool Jose. Sorry about getting you in the wrong branch of the service. Thanks for the article I will read it when done here.
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.
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.
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….)