The original grant of the squadron badge for ‘No. 190 Squadron’, hand-illuminated badge and motto, as painted by an artist of the College of Arms, dated February 1945, and signed by the Chester Herald and Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges, J. Heaton-Armstrong, and H.M. King George VI, in excellent condition £100-£150

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2009.

No. 190 Squadron was formed at Rochford in October 1917 and remained in the U.K. as a night training unit until the War’s end, being disbanded in April 1919. Reformed at Sullum Voe with Catalinas in March 1943, the Squadron flew anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic until again disbanded that December. In early 1944, however, No. 190 was reformed at Leicester East with Stirlings, to serve in support of the Airborne on glider-towing duties, in which role it went into action on D-Day. At Arnhem in September, the Squadron flew 46 glider-towing missions, prior to reverting to supply drops - 53 such missions being flown in the face of heavy flak over the coming days, for a loss of 11 aircraft. And No. 190’s good work continued during the Rhine crossing in March 1945, 30 Stirlings towing gliders to their designated D.Zs. Having then assisted in assorted troop movement sorties, No. 190 was disbanded in 1946.