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DOUGLAS BADER'S R.A.F. DIGBY SQUADRON FLAG

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
DOUGLAS BADER'S R.A.F. DIGBY SQUADRON FLAG
DOUGLAS BADER'S R.A.F. DIGBY SQUADRON FLAG
Rare R.A.F. squadron flag from the airfield at Digby which was kept as a souvenir of his service there by British ace Flight Lieutenant Douglas Bader. The heavy cotton flag, 71" x 33", is comprised of separate colored cloth sections sewn together to create a British Union Jack canton and the RAF roundel. A sturdy section of white duck is sewn to the hoist, and it is marked with a crown, the year "1940", and other numerals. Three lengths of hemp rope are also attached to the hoist. Provenance: Arthur Dunn (Bader's personal wartime friend), Private Collection of the Former Assistant Secretary of the Battle of Britain Association; The War Museum. During World War II, Digby was home to Nos. 29 and 46 Squadrons of the RAF which included Guy Gibson of later "Dambuster" fame. During May and June, 1940 the station also housed No. 222 Squadron and its commander, fighter ace Flight Lieutenant Douglas Bader, who took this Digby station flag into his possession during his stay there. The station was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe through early 1940, but remained in action throughout the war.