US Army Air Force 528th Bomb Squadron Patch 3 7/8\" no glow a real one 380th bomb For Sale

VintageUS Army Air Force 528th Bomb Squadron Patch 3 7/8\" no glow a real one 380th bomb group . Flew B24 liberators in the pacific / Philippines
a real onenice patch no glow
location small wood cabinet second drawerWorld War II[edit]

Thesquadronwas activated atDavis-Monthan Field, Arizona on 3 November 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the380th Bombardment Group. After training withConsolidated B-24 Liberators, the squadron moved to theSouthwest Pacific Theaterin April 1943.[1][2]

Squadron B-24 after crash landing in Northern Australia after a raid on Balikpapan

The air echelon arrived atFenton Airfieldin the Australian Northern Territory by the end of April.[1]The ground echelon started out fromDarwin, Australiaby truck.[citation needed]For the remainder of its stay in Australia, the squadron and the rest of the 380th Group would be attached to theRoyal Australian Air Force(RAAF). It trained RAAF crews on the operation of the Liberator. Its initial combat operations were in May, when it flewarmed reconnaissancemissions.[2]

From its home at Fenton, the 528th attacked Japanese installations in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismark Archipelago, including airfields, ground installations and factories. In August 1943, it participated in a series of raids onoil refineriesinBalikpapan, Borneo in what at the time was the longest bombing mission flown by anArmy Air Forcesbomber unit. For this mission, the squadron was awarded theDistinguished Unit Citation(DUC). During April and May of 1944, the unit conducted a series of raids on enemy airfields in western New Guinea to support landings in theHollandiaarea, for which it was awarded a second DUC.[2]

On 23 April 1944, on a bombing run overNoemfoorIsland, five aircraft of the 528th participated in the wildest shooting spree of the war for the squadron. They were intercepted by twenty-five Japanese fighters and a very hot battle ensued for the next hour. The squadron claimed twelve of the enemy fighters destroyed. All five of the Liberators managed to make it back to Fenton, although heavily damaged. The squadron was not without losses though, one deadly and six wounded. This battle resulted in 21Distinguished Flying Crossesand 10Silver Starsbeing awarded to members of the 528th.[citation needed]

The squadron was relieved from attachment to the RAAF and moved to the Philippines in February 1945. Operating fromMindoro, the squadron providedair supportfor ground forces onLuzon, and attacked industrial targets inFormosa, ground installations along the China coast and transportation targets in French Indochina. It also continued its attacks on refineries in Borneo. In August 1945, the squadron moved toOkinawa. FollowingV-J Day, the squadron flewreconnaissancemissions over Japan and flewprisoners of warfrom Japan toManila. The squadron became nonoperational and moved toFort William McKinleyin November 1945. It was inactivated there in February 1946.[1][2]