I know for certain the US flag does this, but does it carry the same definition regarding the Australian Flag:
A flag flown or displayed up side down signifies:
- A sign of distress (rooted from maritime or military traditions)
- Political Protest (like distrust towards government or authority)
- It’s to protest over government policies (flex that in Canberra)
- It’s a naval SOS signal when a ship is under attack or sinking
- It’s also a SOS signal when military outposts are under attack
- Only displayed or shown during extreme peril & danger
A flag flown or displayed in reverse signifies:
- Moving forward and refusing to retreat (it has battlefield origins)
- Mainly exclusive to law enforcement (police) or the military (ADF)
- It’s placed in reverse on combat uniforms as a symbol to charge forward
- The patch is placed on the right shoulder on soldiers (like ADF personnel)
- Right side placement is only common in police cruisers / military vehicles
- In aviation: the flag on aircraft typically flies alongside wind direction
“backwards” would require modifying the flag to mount on the opposite side. It would need to be built backwards. It’s not flying a flag differently, but flying a different flag.
The “moving forwards” thing strikes me as odd. It implies that “forwards” is to the right of frame, but I can’t think of why this association would exist, besides being mounted on the righthand side of something.