Imagine you are a child living in the 1920s. The War is over, but the consequences have been terrible. You are proud that your father served King and Country, but he is not the same as before he went to fight. Still, he is proud to have served and proud of the flag which he served under. Your teacher has been teaching your class about the flag recently and gave you a lovely little booklet which shows how the flag is put together. You can’t wait to show it to your Father.
When I showed the children this little cardboard booklet explaining the evolution of the Union Jack they were intrigued. As one child quickly noted, the booklet showed 'the red bit in the corner of the Australian flag’ and they were intrigued to discover more about the design. They were amazed to discover how intricate and thoughtful the design was, and fascinated to learn the meaning behind the different components of the Union Jack.
The Union Jack, which is also sometimes known as the Union Flag, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Although it is familiar to us all, many do not realise that the Union Jack is actually made up of a number of different elements. Originally, the flag of England was white with a red cross and this was known as the banner of St. George. In 1603 though James VI of Scotland inherited the English and Irish thrones, uniting the three powers under one leader. It is these three powers, and their three banners, which make up the present Union Jack. The flag of England was a red cross on a white background, known as St George’s Cross while the Scottish flag was a white saltire on a blue background known as St Andrew’s Cross. These two flags were the first to be combined in 1606 and the red saltire of Ireland (known as the banner of St Patrick) was added in 1801.
The United Kingdom flag is not the only place where the Union Jack is to be found though, as it holds a place in a number of flags of British Dominions, including Australia and New Zealand. The presence of the Union Jack on the flag of Australia indicates the historic association between Britain and Australia and it is this association which has caused Australia to become involved in the World Wars. Australia is part of the British Commonwealth - the Queen of England is also the Queen of Australia. What this meant in 1914 (when it was King George V on the throne - he is pictured on the booklet’s cover) was that when Britain declared war on Germany, Australia automatically followed. In fact, it meant that all British Dominions were at war. The same happened at the beginning of World War Two, though the Dominions declared war separately (though on the same day as Britain itself).