Red Cross?

[Hammers]

AS far as I can tell from what I see and  read the Rec Cross symbol was used during the Great War as a symbol for medical troops and camps. Medics used the symbol on various badges, sometimes stretcher bearers had the legend "S.B" on an arm band. But what about non-Christian troops and countries? The Red Crescent wasn't introduced until 1919 and I imagine Muslim and Sikh troops must have been reluctant to use the 'Frankish' cross about their person`.

[Plynkes]

Reluctant or not, they did wear it.

[Hammers]

You know, I have that Osprey, how did I miss it?

[Plynkes]

You may also recall my Imperial German Army Field Rabbi from a while back. In researching that conversion I discovered that they too wore a red cross armband.

[Paul Hicks]

If I remember the red cross comes from the founder being Swiss. He changed the colours of the flag from a red field to white and the white cross to red. I believe it started way back offering help to the injured of both sides during the Franco Prussian war.

[Plynkes]

It was founded earlier than that. I believe it was witnessing the horrors of Solferino that put the idea in his head (I remember pictures of lots of soldiers in blue uniforms and others in white ones from an old Blue Peter Annual article on the subject).

[Doc Twilight]

It was founded earlier than that. I believe it was witnessing the horrors of Solferino that put the idea in his head (I remember pictures of lots of soldiers in blue uniforms and others in white ones from an old Blue Peter Annual article on the subject).

Yep, that was it, Solferino. Same battle that Franz Josef II witnessed in person. He was so horrified by the battle that he spent the rest of his days wearing a Corporal's uniform, and sleeping on an army cot.

If I recall, there is a reference to "red cross" wagons being used during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Not one hundred percent positive, but that sticks in my mind as the earliest reference I'm aware of.

-Doc

[Hammers]

If I remember the red cross comes from the founder being Swiss. He changed the colours of the flag from a red field to white and the white cross to red. I believe it started way back offering help to the injured of both sides during the Franco Prussian war.

Yes, but it is clear that many moslems (including the Ottomans) did not fall for this cunning piece of logic, thus the Red Crecent appeared.

[Will Bailie]

Here's the short form of the history of Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols: http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/emblem-history

Basically, the Ottoman Empire started using the Red Crescent during the 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War.  It is argued variably that the Red Crescent is either a muslim symbol or a reversal of the colours of the Ottoman flag (just as the Red Cross is the reversal of the colours of the Swiss Flag). 

Neither symbol is supposed to be religious, but of course much of the discussion ends up being about religion.

[Centaur_Seducer]

Yes, but it is clear that many moslems (including the Ottomans) did not fall for this cunning piece of logic, thus the Red Crecent appeared.

I'm with Will on this one. The crescent (it used to be put on mosques in Ottoman territory, someone told me it was a way for the Ottomans to remind people of who really was in charge) isn't really a hardcore moslem symbol. If you want hardcore, check the Saudi Arabian flag

edit: damn iPhone, autospell and fat thumbs! /Edit