WWII United States Army Air Force Patch - Shipdham

Here is an original and scarce English made 506th Squadron 44th Bomb Group the “Flying Eight Balls” Jacket patch. Removed from jacket with age and service wear.
Measures 5” to 51/2”

Key History and FactsFirst B-24 Unit: It was the first USAAF group equipped with the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber and operated from England longer than any other B-24 group.Base: Stationed at RAF Shipdham (Station 115) in Norfolk, England, from October 1942 to June 1945.Combat Record: Flew 343 missions, dropping nearly 19,000 tons of bombs on enemy targets in Europe.Notable Missions: Participated in the famous low-level raid on the oil refineries at Ploiești, Romania, on August 1, 1943. Group commander Colonel Leon W. Johnson received the Medal of Honor for his leadership during that raid.Heavy Losses & Victories: Sustained 153 missing-in-action (MIA) aircraft losses—the highest of any Eighth Air Force B-24 group—while claiming over 300 enemy aircraft destroyed

Code: 58342