RAF DEDBEN SQUADRON FLAG FROM THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, 1940
A heavy cotton RAF base flag, with turquoise blue field, RAF roundel and Union Jack canton, white hoist and rope attachments.
Provenance: The Mountfitchet Castle Museum, Essex (purchased from Watson's Auctions, Bishops Stortford, in the late 1950s).
A fine squadron flag, from the base used by the American Eagle squadrons, that joined the RAF and fought for Britain. A full-sized base flag to be flown from a flag pole, control tower or high building. Debden is near Saffron Waldon, Essex, north of London, constructed in 1937, with new hard runways laid in 1940 (probably using rubble from the Blitz of London). It was a sector station with an operation block for no 11 Group RAF, so various squadrons had temporary home from 1939 to 1942. From May to September 1942, Debden was used by the 71,121,and 133 American Eagle Squadrons. The airfield was turned over to the USAAF 8th Airforce in September 1942 for fighter and bomber use. Americans Eagles serving in the RAF in the above squadrons transferred over to the 4th fighter Group and continued to be stationed at Debden.
49 x 103 in (124 x 262cm)
