US Army Air Force 528th Bomb Squadron Patch 3 7/8 no glow a real one 380th bomb

US Army Air Force 528th Bomb Squadron Patch 3 7/8 no glow a real one 380th bomb group. Flew B24 liberators in the pacific / Philippines. Nice patch no glow. Location small wood cabinet second drawer. Was activated at Davis-Monthan Field. Arizona on 3 November 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 380th Bombardment Group. After training with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. The squadron moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater. Squadron B-24 after crash landing in Northern Australia after a raid on Balikpapan. The air echelon arrived at Fenton Airfield. In the Australian Northern Territory by the end of April. The ground echelon started out from Darwin, Australia. For the remainder of its stay in Australia, the squadron and the rest of the 380th Group would be attached to the Royal Australian Air Force. It trained RAAF crews on the operation of the Liberator. Its initial combat operations were in May, when it flew armed reconnaissance. From its home at Fenton, the 528th attacked Japanese installations in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismark Archipelago, including airfields, ground installations and factories. In August 1943, it participated in a series of raids on oil refineries. Borneo in what at the time was the longest bombing mission flown by an Army Air Forces. For this mission, the squadron was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. During April and May of 1944, the unit conducted a series of raids on enemy airfields in western New Guinea to support landings in the Hollandia. Area, for which it was awarded a second DUC. On 23 April 1944, on a bombing run over Noemfoor. Island, five aircraft of the 528th participated in the wildest shooting spree of the war for the squadron. They were intercepted by twenty-five Japanese fighters and a very hot battle ensued for the next hour. The squadron claimed twelve of the enemy fighters destroyed. All five of the Liberators managed to make it back to Fenton, although heavily damaged. The squadron was not without losses though, one deadly and six wounded. This battle resulted in 21 Distinguished Flying Crosses. And 10 Silver Stars. Being awarded to members of the 528th. The squadron was relieved from attachment to the RAAF and moved to the Philippines in February 1945. The squadron provided air support. For ground forces on Luzon. And attacked industrial targets in Formosa. Ground installations along the China coast and transportation targets in French Indochina. It also continued its attacks on refineries in Borneo. In August 1945, the squadron moved to Okinawa. The squadron flew reconnaissance. Missions over Japan and flew prisoners of war. From Japan to Manila. The squadron became nonoperational and moved to Fort William McKinley. It was inactivated there in February 1946.