332nd Fighter Group, Spit Fire Patch

Patch with explanation text

The text reads: SPIT FIRE 332nd FIGHTER GROUP Lineage: Constituted as 332nd Fighter group on 4 July 1942. Activated on 13 October 1942. Trained with P-39 and P-40 aircraft. Moved to Italy, arriving early in February 1944. Began operations with Twelfth Air Force on 5 February. Used P-39's to escort convoys, protect harbors, and fly armed reconnaissance missions. Converted to P-47's during April- May and changed to P-51's in June. Operated with Fifteenth Air Force from May 1944 to April 1945, being engaged primarily in protecting bombers that struck such objectives as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshalling yards in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece. Also made strafing attacks on airdromes, railroads, highways, bridges, river traffic, troop concentrations, radar facilities, power stations, and other targets. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 24 March 1945 when the group escorted B-17's during a raid on a tank factory at Berlin, fought the interceptors that attacked the formation, and strafed transportation facilities while flying back to the base in Italy. Returned to the United States in October 1945. Inactivated on 19 October 1945. Activated: 1 July 1947, Equipped with P-47's. Inactivated on 1 July 1949. Squadrons: 99th, 1944-1945; 1947-1949. 100th, 1942-1945; 1947-1949. 301st, 1942- 1945; 1947-1949. 302nd, 1942-1945. Stations: Tuskegee, Alabama, 13 October 1942; Selfridge Field, Michigan, 29 March 1943; Oscoda, Michigan, 12 April 1943; Selfridge Field, Michigan, 9 July - 22 December 1943; Montecorvino, Italy, 3 Februrary 1944; Capodichino, Italy, 15 April 1944; Ramitelli Airfield, Italy, 28 May 1944; Cattolica, Italy, c. 4 May 1945; Lucera, Italy, c. 18 July - September 1945; Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 17-19 October 1945. Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio, 1 July 1947- 1 July 1949. Commanders: Lieutenant Colonel Sam W. Westbrook, Jr., 19 October 1942; Colonel Robert R. Selway, Jr., 16 May 1943; Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., 8 October 1943; Major George S. Roberts, 3 November 1944; Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., 24 December 1944; Major George S. Roberts, 9 June 1945 - unknown. - Unknown, 1 July - 28 August 1947; Major William A. Campbell, 28 August 1947 - 1 July 1949. Campaigns: American Theater; Air Combat, EAME Theater; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Norther France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley. Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation, Germany, 24 March 1945. Insigne - Shield: Azure on a fess nebule or, a panther passant sable armed and incensed gules. Motto: SPIT FIRE. (Approved 15 January 1943.)