RNLAF Patch s Royal Netherlands Air Force 298 Squadron Crest ac

RNLAF Patch Royal Netherlands Air Force 298 Squadron Crest Patch Darker Blue Centre 1988 Alouette III Soesterberg AB Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 114mm by 81mm four and one half inches by three and three sixteenth inches. 

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298 Squadron is the oldest squadron within the Royal Netherlands Air Force Defence Helicopter Command originating at the end of the Second World War as 6 Artillery Reconnaissance Section Artillerie Verkennings Afdeling ARVA which undertook artillery observation and reconnaissance missions. 6 ARVA based at Soesterberg AB equipped with four Auster Observation aircraft was redesignated 298 AOP Air Observation Post Squadron in March 1950. 298 AOP Squadron relocated to Deelen AB in 1951 and reequipped with L 21 Piper Super Cub aircraft. 

298 AOP Squadron received its first helicopters in 1955 with Hiller OH 23B Raven aircraft added to its fleet. The Squadron moved to Ypenburg AB in 1957 receiving six Alouette II in 1959 which formed a Search and Rescue SAR Flight. In 1962 the Search and Rescue Flight became and independent unit as 303 SAR Squadron. In 1963 298 Squadron relocated back to Deelen AB and began conversion to SA 316 Alouette III helicopters with the last OH 23B retired in 1965. In 1968 the 298 AOP Squadron relocated to Soesterberg AB leaving the remainder of its fixed wing L 21 Piper Super Cub aircraft with 300 Squadron at Deelen AB.

In 1975 the BO 105 helicopter was added to the Squadrons inventory using these and its Alouette IIIs until 1979 when the BO 105s were used to form another Squadron leaving 298 with Alouette IIIs. The Squadron carried out a number of United Nations deployments and in 1996 converted to Chinook CH 47D helicopters. 298 Squadron transferred to Gilze Rijen AB in 2009 to join RNLAFs other helicopter Squadrons making the base RNLAFs main operating base for military helicopters. The Squadron upgrading to CH 47F in 2011.

This patch dates from 1988