Heraldic badges of the Royal Air Force

[note 1][3] The approval process involves a member of the College of Arms (the Inspector of RAF Badges) who acts as an advisory on all matters pertaining to the design and suitability of the insignia and motto.

Some badges that have been approved by either King Edward VIII or George VI will have simply adopted the Queen's Crown after her accession in 1952.

The number of badges that King Edward VIII signed is limited due to his short time on the throne.

[5] In the case of 100 Squadron, their badge incorporated a skull and crossbones insignia that had been liberated from a French "house of ill-repute" in 1918.

234 Squadron had "..a dragon rampant, with flames issuing from the mouth.." approved by King George VI in August 1940.

[10] In 1935, the process of formalising the badges was undertaken whereby an official heraldic approval would be granted by the ruling monarch of the time.

[note 2][12][13] An Air Ministry Order (A.8/1936) was issued in January 1936 and detailed the criteria for badges and their ultimate approval via the Chester Herald and the king.

[14] In June of the same year, King Edward VIII approved the first raft of badges for numbers 4, 15, 18, 19, 22, 33, 201, 207, 216 and 604 Squadrons.

90 Signals Unit at RAF Leeming was re-formed as the Operational Information Services Wing (OISW), it was approved for a close copy version of the former No.

[27] Over 800 squadron and unit badges, carved from Welsh slate, are set into the floor of the central church of the Royal Air Force, St Clements Danes, London.

18 Squadron, who had a winged white pegasus as their insignia which dated back to the First World War.

When the badge was approved in 1936, the pegasus had been redrawn with a more upright rearing stance and was now painted in gules (which is the colour red in heraldry).

Due to their motto of Vigilant and the nature of their work (observation), they had been using the Eye of Horus as their squadron insignia.

The Russians awarded the squadron the star when they took Hawker Hurricanes out to Murmansk to train the Soviet crews during the Second World War.

[54] Squadrons would often use insignia reflecting where they had served, RAF stations would more often than not use a local landmark or item particular to that area.

[58][59] The station badge for RAF Waddington consists of a small part of Lincoln Cathedral, again a focussing point for crews returning from active missions.

In 1957, RAF Marham was awarded their new badge which depicted a blue bull as its insignia and the motto of Deter.

[61] Mottoes convey the spirit of the unit or squadron; for commands and training stations, this was usually about what the intended output of that particular role was.

[65] King George VI approved the badge for 617 Squadron in March 1944, some ten months after the Dambusters Raid.

100 Squadron had their badge awarded in 1938 whilst posted to RAF Seletar[90] and opted to have the motto (Sarang tebuan jengan dijolok; "Never stir up a hornets nest") written in Malaysian.

[91][92] The squadron blazon was traditionally a skull and crossbones (which it retains on its badge) with the motto Blood and Bones.

266 (Rhodesia) Squadron had their badge approved in August 1941 with a Bateleur eagle and the motto of Hlabezulu which derives from Shona meaning "The stabber of the sky.

[101][102] The component elements of badges are described – with regard to stances, positions, actions, attitudes and tinctures (colours) – by the use of heraldic blazon.

102 Squadron badge (shown on the right) is described as "On a demi-terrestrial globe azure & dark blue a lion rampant guardant gules holding in the forepaws a bomb sable".