36 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2009
Phantom battle
group provides
useful training
MARITIME forces from Composite Training System
can track and engage hundreds
several allied nations reported
[MCTS] next autumn,” said Capt of hostile or friendly contacts –
“closed up and cleaned away”
Buckley, “and it has not only something all but impossible to
in a major training exercise
become an integral element of our recreate at sea.
‘Enemy’ activity can be punched
that saw a British battle group
carrier strike training programme,
but has also allowed us to keep in as desired, in addition to extra
operate with Canadian and
pace with advancements in aircraft, ships, and submarines,
American ships – without a
synthetic training being made by without burning fuel or increasing
single turn of a propeller. the US Navy.” wear and tear to ships and
The Fleet Synthetic Training The UK carrier strike group equipment.
exercise, or FST, is a complex staff was participating in a pivotal Synthetic training does not
training event that links shipboard leadership role from a synthetic replace the need to train live,
and land-based personnel together trainer across the Atlantic in Dam but it does help to maximise live
to simulate escalating battle Neck, Virginia. training opportunities.
conditions in a real-time training By virtue of the advanced Such training events can be as
environment, writes Cdr Mary simulation technology employed, small as unit level, involving a single
Jenkins-Sims USN. however, Ark Royal’s and ship, or as large joint and coalition
involved in the near future. Dam Neck, noted that sending of the MCTS later this year.
FST exercises provide ships’ Chatham’s sensors indicated that exercises, which may include more
Chuck Kennard, Director of a carrier strike group to sea is Synthetic training will continue
operations teams and staffs they were at sea together in a battle than one strike group as well as
Wargaming at Tactical Training expensive. to be used in support of the
with dedicated opportunities to group that included not only one British Army, RAF, Royal Marines
Group, Atlantic, the US FST “Every time the cost of gas Royal Navy’s Versatile Maritime
train decision makers, promote another but also ships from the and allied forces. training sponsor, said: “One of the goes up ... the value of synthetic Training philosophy, which works
coordination between warfare United States and Canada. Obviously, the larger the beauties of a synthetic event is you training increases,” he said. to give individuals and teams
commanders, execute battle force Synthetic exercises can simulate exercise, the more planning and can turn the level of intensity up The RN’s emphasis on synthetic the skills, adaptability, resilience
operations and familiarise crews a variety of scenarios that navies support personnel are required. and down depending on how the training and simulation continues and confidence to fight and win,
with real-time operations and could face in the same type of The Southwick Park event training audience is doing.” to grow. and even in a climate of limited
terminology, without having to be environment in which they will welcomed observers from Italy and
Odie Ogden, Assistant Chief FST exercises are likely to resources, allows the men and
under way at sea. operate. Germany as nations who realise
of Staff and Director of Synthetic remain a mainstay in the training women of the Navy to train as
On this occasion, aircraft carrier Additionally, as the costs of the value of FST and synthetic
Training at Commander, Strike regime of the future, especially they fight and with whom they
HMS Ark Royal and frigate HMS being at sea, in financial as well training, and who hope to become
Force Training, Atlantic, also in upon introduction of Phase One fight.
Chatham went to Southwick Park, as manpower terms, continue to
north of Portsmouth, in the shape climb, and the quality of synthetic
of operations teams who headed training increases, it becomes a
for the Cook Building trainer at very effective method of training
the former HMS Dryad. deploying battle groups.
Fleet Training Captain Capt Synthetic training at facilities Ignore the myths – it’s
Phil Buckley dropped in to watch ashore enables the Navy to train
as Group Warfare Officer Lt Cdr with much less stress on equipment
Tom Corbett, of Ark Royal, guided while balancing employability and
one of two operations teams deployability requirements for
during the four-day exercise. sailors, and provides opportunities
“The FST is a key method of for much more varied training in
a Union Jack OR Flag
proving our distributed synthetic terms of participants (both allied
training capability ahead of the and adversarial) and situations.
introduction of the Maritime With simulation, trainees
LAST month our Letters page replied: “My Lords ... I think it
carried a letter from Capt Malcolm may fairly be stated, in reply to the
Farrow RN (retd), the president noble Earl, that the Union Jack
of the Flag Institute in London, should be regarded as the national
the world’s leading research and flag, and it undoubtedly may be
documentation centre for flags flown on land by all His Majesty’s
and flag information. subjects.”
Capt Farrow bemoaned the fact The reference is Hansard
that many – perhaps most – Britons Fourth Series Volume CXCII
would not recognise if the national (192) p579.
flag was flown upside down. On the other hand, those who
It was illustrated by a picture prefer the Union Flag need not
of a flag being lowered on board delve back so far but look to the
HMS Nottingham – which Other Place for support.
raised the hackles of some of our On June 27 1933, in answer to
readers. a question about whether private
“It’s not a Union Jack, it’s a citizens were prevented from
Union Flag – you should know flying the Union Flag, the Home
better,” was the gist of the Secretary said: “No sir, the Union
message. Flag is the national flag and may
And now we do, thanks to properly be flown by any British
another intervention from Capt subject on land,” (Hansard Fifth

Farrow. Series Vol 279 (1932-33) p1,324).
Pictures: LA(Phot) Guy Pool
And, what’s more, we know for Swinging back towards the jack
sure that the caption was correct. argument, the First Sea Lord in
Union Jack? Union Flag? You pays 1939, considering proposals for
your money and you takes your the reform of flags, said that “9,999
Survivor’s letter
choice. of 10,000 Britishers called it the
Here, for those who still Union Jack,” (ADM 205/55).
maintain a jack is only a jack And in 1943 Lord Mountbatten
on a jackstay, etc etc etc, is the requested a flag for the Supreme
goes on display
definitive answer. Commander South East Asia,
“The terms Union Flag and known as the King’s Jack, the where it was hoisted.” and used the term Union Jack.
Union Jack are both historically Jack Flag or simply the Jack, and Even the Army agreed – Army Following debate, the Head of
correct for describing our de facto by 1674 was being called His Regulations of 1873 lists stations at Naval Law wrote: “Union Flag
A LETTER from a survivor of Tryon’s flagship HMS Victoria.
national flag,” said Capt Farrow. Majesty’s Jack,” said Capt Farrow. which “the National Flag (Union and Union Jack are both used
a peace-time disaster is to go Writing to a friend a fortnight
“Union Flag is perhaps more Just to confuse matters, in 1686 Jack) is authorised to be hoisted.” in King’s Regulations and other
on display at the Royal Naval later, John describes how
formal and Union Jack more Samuel Pepys referred to the flag Perhaps of most significance official books ... Both terms may
Museum in Portsmouth. Camperdown’s ram ploughed
populist, but either will do.” of an Admiral of the Fleet as the for the Naval community is a be taken as officially correct.”
The letter is from John into Victoria, leaving messmates
Despite its widespread official Union or Jack Flag. scrap of paper dating from 1902, The current widely-accepted
Baggett, a Yeoman of Signals “smashed to atoms”.
use and instant recognition, no That term recurred the discovered during research in design is a development of the
on board HMS Victoria during When the two battleships
statutory instrument has ever following century, according to 1996, which was in an old docket heraldic blazon created by the
exercises off Tripoli in the were disentangled, Victoria
declared it to be the national flag. Capt Farrow. at the MOD in Bath “which stated College of Arms in 1801, but Union
Mediterranean in June 1893. flooded and sank within
Nor have details such as colour, “In Royal Proclamations and that Admiralty Circular 1535 of Jacks in different proportions are
During the exercises minutes, taking more than
design or proportions, let alone Lord High Admiral’s instructions 1902 declared that both terms in official use today.
the Commander of the 360 men with her – including
the name, ever been established the flag was referred to as His Union Flag and Union Jack were So, the definitive answer is that
Mediterranean Fleet, Vice Tryon, who is reputed to have
unequivocally in law – although Majesty’s Jack, commonly called correct,” said Capt Farrow. there is no definitive answer.
Admiral Sir George Tryon, said “It is all my fault” as he
by usage and convention, certain the Union Jack or Our Jack, For those conspiracy theorists As Capt Farrow said: “Custom,
ordered two lines of warships went down with the ship.
design principles have become commonly called the Union Jack among you out there, the relevant practice and common usage over
running parallel to turn in Baggett apologises to his
widely accepted, hence the thicker and Union or Jack Flag,” he said. circular cannot be found, and the several hundred years may fairly
towards each other. friend as “I am rehearsing it
white diagonal at the top left. An Admiralty Warrant of whereabouts of the docket are no claim to establish our de facto
But his intention – either to again & am all of a shake so
The Union Jack was designed in September 1822 referred to longer known... national flag as having two equally
run one line outside the other, or dear friend please excuse the
1606, initially for use at sea, though “... His Majesty’s Jack, commonly However, The Times of June 20 correct names – Union Flag and
to turn in and run side-by-side writing, hand trembling.”
it was acknowledged that it had called the Union Jack.” 1902quotes that the national flag, Union Jack.
– were not clear, and officers The illustrated letter was
usage on land within the Acts of Instructions relating to the the flag of the kingdom and the “Nevertheless, until an
did not seek clarification. bought at auction.
Union (1706 Union with Scotland; Merchant Shipping Act 1854 empire is – to give it its popular appropriate statutory instrument
With insufficient distance It will go on display
1707 Union with England and state that the flag to be hoisted name – the Union Jack. declares it to be the national flag
between the two lines to allow with posters, poems and
1801 Union with Ireland) – only by British ships for a pilot is the And if you want chapter and and defines its properties, people
a safe manoeuvre, the lead photographs that appeared
as a royal or government flag, and Union Jack with a white border verse, you need to go back to the will still argue about every aspect
ship in the second column, after the event, which shocked
not a national flag. which, said Capt Farrow, “suggests House of Lords on July 14 1908 of it.”
HMS Camperdown, sliced into Victorian Britain.
“Following its introduction by that the Union Flag had acquired when, in response to a question Observations and outbursts to
King James the flag was variously the name Jack independently of by Earl Howe, the Earl of Crewe the usual address...
036_NN_aug.indd 1 14/7/09 10:48:44
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