Semaphore flags were a form of communication that was used mainly in Europe in the 18th century. The Term Semaphore comes from the Greek word meaning “sign bearing” and was also referred to as an “optical telegraph” at times. The system was used by a person holding two flags cut in half diagonally with the top part being red and the other half being yellow. Than these flags were held in a particular position and translated alphabetically to determine what message was being delivered. Surprisingly, the symbol which most people assume stands for peace (the circle with an upside down “Y” with a line going through it) is actually a semaphore symbol for nuclear disarmament. The two lines at four and eight (if looking at it as a clock) stand for the letter “N” and the vertical line cutting right down the middle stands for the letter “D” The use of Semaphore flags can be traced back to as long ago as 1684. It is believed to have been invented by an English scientist named Robert Hooke. He tried getting the Royal society to accept it in practical use but was unsuccessful; years later it did become a vital part of communication between ships and naval bases and eventually was used by railway sytems around the world. Till this day semaphore flags are used, it is even taught to children in boy scouts as a form of communication when out in the wilderness.
If you have a moment take a look at this link of the different positions and what each symbol represents http://www.anbg.gov.au/flags/semaphore.html
This particular post was very interesting to me. Semaphore is a form of communication I didn't know anything about until I read this post. This seems to be a very reliable form of communication that is well documented and very standardized. I definitely see the reason that it was used by the Navy to communicate between ships. It is funny how a simple technology like the 2 way radio can render a near art form like semaphore completely obsolete.
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