Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
RAF Badges - Nos 500 - 598 Squadrons
The table below shows the badges awarded to each unit, the motto and translation where known, the monarch who authorised it and the general date of the award
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No badge authorised |
No 500 (County of Kent) Squadron | No 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron | No 502 (Ulster) Squadron | No 503 (City of Lincoln) Squadron |
Motto: Quo fata vocent (Whither the fates may call) Authorised: King George VI - April 1937 |
Motto: Nil Time (Fear nothing) Authorised: King George VI - November 1938 |
Motto: Nihil timeo (I fear nothing) Authorised: King George VI - November 1937 |
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No badge authorised |
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No 504 Squadron | No 510 Squadron | No 511 Squadron | No 512 Squadron |
Motto: Vindicat in Ventis (It avenges in the wind) Authorised: King George VI - October 1941 |
Motto: Surely
and quickly
Authorised: King George VI - April 1944 |
Motto: Pegasus militaris
(Pegasus at war)
Authorised: King George VI - August 1945 |
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No badge authorised |
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No badge authorised |
No 513 Squadron |
No 514 Squadron |
No 515 Squadron |
No 516 Squadron |
Motto: Nil obstare
potest (Nothing can withstand)
Authorised: King George VI - August 1944 |
Motto: Celeriter ferite ut hostes necetis
(Strike quickly to kill the enemy)
Authorised: King George VI - November 1944 |
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No 517 Squadron |
No 518 Squadron | No 519 Squadron | No 520 Squadron |
Motto: Non nobis laboramus
(We work not for ourselves)
Authorised: King George VI - October 1945 |
Motto: Tha An Iuchair Againn-Ne (We hold the key)
Authorised: King George VI - December 1945 |
Motto: Undaunted
by weather
Authorised: King George VI - November 1945 |
Motto: Tomorrow's weather today Authorised: King George VI - July 1945 |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
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No badge authorised |
No 521 Squadron |
No 524 Squadron |
No 525 Squadron |
No 526 Squadron |
Motto: Vinciendo vincimus (We
link together to conquer)
Authorised: King George VI - March 1946 |
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No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No 527 Squadron | No 528 Squadron | No 529 Squadron |
No 530 Squadron |
Motto: Silently we serve
Authorised: King George VI - March 1946 |
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No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No 531 Squadron |
No 532 Squadron | No 533 Squadron | No 534 Squadron |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No 535 Squadron |
No 536 Squadron |
No 537 Squadron |
No 538 Squadron |
No badge authorised |
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No 539 Squadron |
No 540 Squadron |
No 541 Squadron | No 542 Squadron |
Motto: Sine qua
non (Indispensable)
Authorised: King George VI - June 1945 |
Motto:
Alone above all
Authorised: King George VI - November 1944 |
Motto: Above all
Authorised: Queen Elizabeth II - December 1955 |
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No badge authorised |
No 543 Squadron | No 544 Squadron | No 547 Squadron |
No 548 Squadron |
Motto:
Valiant and Vigilant Authorised: Queen Elizabeth II - June 1958 |
Motto: Quero (I seek)
Authorised: King George VI - July 1944 |
Motto:
Celer ad caedendum ( Swift to strike)
Authorised: King George VI - April 1944 |
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No badge authorised |
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No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No 549 Squadron | No 550 Squadron | No 567 Squadron | No 569 Squadron |
Motto: Per ignem vincimus ( Through fire we conquer) Authorised: King George VI - July 1945 |
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No badge authorised |
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No 570 Squadron | No 571 Squadron | No 575 Squadron | No 576 Squadron |
Motto:
Impertum deducimus (We launch the spearhead)
Authorised: King George VI - September 1944 |
Motto: The air is our path
Authorised: King George VI - March 1947 |
Motto:
Carpe diem (Seize the opportunity)
Authorised: King George VI - June 1945 |
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No badge authorised |
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No badge authorised |
No 577 Squadron | No 578 Squadron | No 582 Squadron | No 586 Squadron |
Motto: Accuracy
Authorised: King George VI - February 1945 |
Motto: Praecolamus
designates (We fly before marking)
Authorised: King George VI - October 1945 |
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No badge authorised |
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No badge authorised |
No badge authorised |
No 587 Squadron | No 595 Squadron | No 597 Squadron | No 598 Squadron |
Motto: Sevi Balliste (Servants of the gun) Authorised: King George VI - March 1949 |
All badges on this page are Crown Copyright and have been produced by Mary Denton on behalf of the RAF Heraldry Trust and are displayed on this page with the permission of the RAFHT. Mary Denton and the RAFHT have probably completed half of the 'official' badges authorised but are still looking for sponsorship for the remaining badges. The work continues and details can be found on their website.
*These badges have been produced by Steve Clements.
© Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Directorate of Intellectual Property Rights
This page was last updated on 17/03/25