In the confusion of the battlefield, flags provide an easy method of distinguishing friends from enemies. Flags were once a common sight wherever battle raged, and even today they are used by the military, both on land and at sea. In medieval times they identified individuals as well as groups, in the the way that car flags and flags that fly over battlefield headquarters still do today. When armies became more organized (from the sixteenth century onwards), their individual regiments and companies developed their own flags. These were known as Colours, and they were often elaborately decorated with embroidered coats of arms. Colours eventually became more important for ceremonies - more durable flags are now used in battle.