Material: Cloth
Size: 85mm W x 35mm H
Description: This original military uniform cloth patch features a bold, right-facing eagle—historically referred to within the service branch as an albatross—with its wings completely outspread in full flight. The central avian motif is meticulously machine-embroidered using deep red cotton threads, creating a sharp texture against the coarse, sand-colored twill backing fabric. This specific structural material combination, known as red-on-khaki drill, was purposefully manufactured to be sewn directly onto the upper sleeves of standard service uniforms. The rectangular patch features unfinished cut edges, a common characteristic of mid-twentieth-century theater-made or mass-produced tactical insignia designed for simple integration onto standard issue field clothing.
Circa: 1941-1945
Although commonly called an eagle by modern collectors and the general public, the official Air Ministry design specifications from its inception in 1918 technically register the creature as an albatross. This red-on-khaki material variant was exclusively designated for the Khaki Drill (KD) tropical uniforms worn by ordinary airmen and non-commissioned officers serving in intense warm-weather theaters like North Africa, the Mediterranean, and South-East Asia.