Virtual Museum - Badges

Ref. No. 126. RFC WINGS. WWI Royal Flying Corps wings badge. Embroided on khaki material.

Ref. No. 872 BRASS RAF HAT BADGE.. 
Ref. No. 862. RAF 1939 AIR GUNNER BREVET.  This badge was previously owned by Bob Parker, an RNZAF air gunner who flew Vickers Wellington Bombers from England during WWII. 

Ref. No. 1052. BREVET – NAVIGATOR. WWII. Worn on front left side of jacket.
Ref. No. 863. ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE BADGE.  Light blue cotton sewn onto darker blue wool cloth.
Ref No. 879.  PERSPEX SWEETHEART PENDANT with eagle and crown.  Made by someone in the RNZAF during WWII, these items were made from perspex that was often collected from crashed aircraft.  They were sent/given to girlfriends and wives back in New Zealand.  The story is often told that air force personnel were quite excited when an aircraft crashed as that meant there would be a new supply of perspex with which to make "sweetheart" items.  They would rush over to the crashed aircraft and immediately collect what they could - the condition of the pilot often being only of secondary concern!
Ref. No. 1050. RNZAF 40 SQUADRON BADGE. The motto “Ki Nga Hau E Wha” means “To the Four Winds.” 40 Squadron was the first transport squadron formed within the RNZAF and goes back to 1943 with the introduction of C-47s to the RNZAF. Disbanded in 1947, but reformed in 1954, it continued with Hastings, DC6s and eventually C-130s. In 1981, two 727s joined the squadron. The 727s have now been replaced with 757s. Since 1965, the squadron has operated flights to Antarctica and has taken crews to places such as Pakistan, India, Australia, Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Rwanda, and the Middle East. In the Gulf War 1990/91 two Hercules, crews and support personnel were sent to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia where they served with an RAF Transport Squadron. The squadron has carried out re-supply and support missions for New Zealand Defence Force deployments to Somalia, Bosnia, Bougainville and more recently the Arabian Gulf and East Timor.

Ref. No. 1054. RNZAF 75 SQUADRON PATCH. No. 75 Squadron was began as an RFC and then RAF Home defence fighter unit in World War I.  It reformed with New Zealand aircrew and aircraft just before the outbreak of WWII, in which it flew more sorties and suffered more casualties than any other bomber squadron (Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters). The squadron number and colours were gifted to the RNZAF in 1946, and it saw active service in Malaya. From 1970 onwards, it operated Douglas A-4 Skyhawks before being disbanded on 13 December 2001 by the New Zealand Labour government who believe an air combat component is not required as part of the New Zealand’s Defence Force.
Ref. No. 1053.  DOUGLAS A-4 SKYHAWK PATCH.  This patch was originally produced by the manufacturer, Douglas, and was worn on the left shoulder by pilots flying the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for the RNZAF. It was also worn by the pilots of other nations.
Ref. No. 1056. RNZAF SHOULDER INSIGNIA