RAF Patch b 56 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Lightning Fighter

RAF Patch 56 Squadron Royal Air Force Crest Patch Lightning Fighter Interceptor early 1970s Applique embroidered on wool cut edge 115mm by 79mm four and one half inches by three and one eighth inches.

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Squadron History 

56 Squadron ended the war flying Tempest fighters over Northwest Europe under 2TAF and converted to to the RAFs first jet fighter the Meteor F III in April 1946 at RAF Bentwaters. 56 Sqn relocated to RAF Waterbeach upgrading to Meteor F 8 in 1952 and Swift fighters in 1953. The Squadron received Hunter F 5s in 1955 and relocated to RAF Wattisham in September 1957. 56 Squadron reequipped with Lightning F 1As in 1960 and created the Firebirds Display Team. The Squadron relocated to RAF Akrotiri in 1967 and returned to RAF Wattisham in 1975. 

In 1976 No 56 Squadron exchanged their Lightnings for McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2s for the Air Defence role and shared their base of RAF Wattisham initially with No 23 Squadron with Phantom FRG 2s and subsequently on 23 Squadrons departure to the Falkland Islands in 1982 with 74 Squadron and their ex US Navy US Marine F 4JUK versions. 

No 56 Squadron disbanded in 1992 while the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit 229 OCU was renumbered as No 56 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Coningsby training crew and aircrew converting from other aircraft types to the Tornado F3.

This patch dates from the early 1970s.