NEW RAF. BADGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 13, 15 July 1936, Page 9

NEW RAF. BADGES

FIRST TO BE APPROVED

An excellent example of the new Royal Air Force Squadron badges, a picture of which appears on this page, is Jthat^of No; 4-;(Army -Co-operation)' i^-one of the first to receive Koyal approval. The King has consented'personally to approve each . individual!, 'badge, which will be the distinguishuig: mark of the squadron. Badges will. itieri-'be recorded in a register, which; will be kept at the College of Arms-'in -thif custody of the inspector of BoyaliAir■Force badges—the Chester Herald.. ,ll_ No. 4 Squadron's badge isf'fpartic.u-. larly appropriate for an army, co^operij ation squadron. The motto. "In futurum' videre" (looking ahead) refers to the main role of reconnaissance. The sun in splendour symbolises "light for the Army"—the black half indicating night reconnaissance. The flash of lightning dividing the red half. of the sun from the black half has4wb interpretations—speed of action and wireless telegraphy. * The squadron is one of the oldest end most famous in the force. Those < were days when reconriais"sance was the primary role of aircraft. In those critical days, when the British Expeditionary Force had begun to retire, Captain G. S. Shephard and Lieu-! tenant I. M. Bonham-Carter,. of No.'4, rendered the invaluable service of Areporting the movements of Von Kluck's First Army. These reports made possible the Battle of the Marne, whereby the Allies effectively checked the progress of the enemy. . This old squadron has many battle 'honours. Typical of its achievements is the gallant deed of Lieutenant: J. W. Woodhouse. Just as dusk was falling on October 3, 1915, he landed an agent near Cambrai, but owing to the cylin-i ders oiling up the engine stopped when he tried to take off. The agent dressed in French uniform with plain clothes underneath, and carrying. two baskets of pigeons, had meanwhile reached the shelter of a wood, but he came back to give assistance. Lieutenant Woodhouse, however, insisted on his returning to cover, swung the propeller himself, jumped into the aeroplane as it moved off, and, in spite of a forced landing in enemy territory on the way home, eventually returned safely to the squadron.