Flagman’s world of flags

From the Telegraph 

Mrs Covey has been proudly holding aloft a legion flag pole at remembrance services and commemorations for three decades.

But now, despite her good health and physical fitness, the former air force cook has gone ‘’beyond the age of insurance'’, the Legion said.

Officials from her branch in Wellington, Somerset, have assured Mrs Covey the decision is not personal. Their national rules state 85 is the oldest insurable age and she must stop.

Mrs Covey last carried the flag for the Women’s Section, Wellington And District Branch, on November 11.

She takes no medication and can still drive a car. The standard pole carried by legion members is around eight-feet long, and has brass adornments including a spike on top.

Speaking from her home in Wellington, Mrs Covey said: ‘’They told me that I am not insured after the age of 85 so I asked if I could insure myself, as my son is a broker, and they said no.

‘’But I have been serving for the past two years and no one has said anything until now. I have a pair of good legs and arms, I am not on any medication and my eyesight and heart is good.

‘’I can drive a car but I can’t hold a standard.'’

She has been carrying out standard bearer duties for the Wellington branch and for the Southampton branch since 1974.

She served for four years as a cook in the RAF during the Second World War as well as working for decades with the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS).

As well as being chair of the women’s section of the legion branch, she has received the Queen’s medal and various honours in recognition of her work and service.

The standard has to be given back to the legion branch next week but Mrs Covey said she will just leave it outside her front door because she cannot bear to hand it over.

‘’I feel very sad about it, I have shed a few tears, now I am angry about it,'’ she said. ‘’I am very proud to be part of Wellington and to show the flag and my medals.

‘’I felt like giving it all up, but I am very devoted to the legion and I will continue with my other duties.'’

Mrs Covey is now two years past the official age limit and the local legion said it could not ignore the rules forever.

British Legion county chairman, Major Rikki Peters (retired), said the organisation had public liability insurance for events that ended at the age of 85.

Major Peters said: ‘’If Mrs Covey is carrying the standard - or even if she just trips - and it happens to swing down and hit someone then she would not be insured.

‘’I understand that she must be bitterly, bitterly disappointed, but it is a fact of life and there’s is really nothing we can do about it.'’

British Legion county secretary Monica Summers said: ‘’This is nothing personal. It’s the rule book and I have to comply with it, and unfortunately Mrs Covey is beyond the age of insurance.'’

From the BBC

The UK has apologised to Spain after the Royal Navy used a buoy with the Spanish colours for target practice.

The exercise took place off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this week. The UK ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry in Madrid to explain.

According to local reports, the navy hastily removed the buoy, which had a red-and-yellow marker, when approached by a Spanish police launch on Tuesday.

Ambassador Giles Paxman conceded it was insensitive and an error of judgement.

While acknowledging that the target had appeared “similar” to the Spanish flag, he insisted that was not what it was supposed to represent.

And he assured his hosts there would be no repetition of the incident.

Later the UK Ministry of Defence clarified that the colours were those of a maritime signal flag used by Nato.

“HMS Scimitar was using Flag No1 during gunnery practice - not the Spanish national flag,” a spokesperson said.

“Flag No1 is traditionally used on gunnery targets due to its high visibility - however, we recognise its similarity to the Spanish national flag and will use an alternative marker during gunnery practice in this area in the future.”

Gibraltar remains the lingering source of tension in an otherwise good relationship between the UK and Spain.

The UK claims a radius of three nautical miles around the Rock of Gibraltar as British territorial waters.

Spain disputes this, and in recent months there have been bad-tempered verbal exchanges between the Royal Navy and the Spanish police.

Spain’s main opposition Popular Party has urged the government to demand what it calls the “respect that Spain deserves”.