R.A.F. Badge: Fighter Squadron 213 (Original)

Artist: 20th Century unidentified artist
Medium: Watercolour on Paper
Size: 8" x 12" (210mm x 300mm)
Date: c. 1950
Code: 20thRAFSq213

This is the unique original Watercolour painting by artist unknown.

This is a very rare original painting by an unknown artist, produced for an unpublished run of cigarette cards featuring R.A.F. badges, most likely by John Player & Sons Cigarettes.

This artwork features the badge of the R.A.F. Fighter Squadron 213.

The motto for No. 213 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is "Irritatus lacessit crabro," which translates to "The hornet attacks when roused". The squadron was nicknamed "The Hornets" after a Belgian general's description of their actions in defending trenches in World War I, and this phrase became the basis for their motto and emblem.

No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Seaplane Defence Flight which, since its creation in June 1917, had had the task of defending the seaplanes which flew out of Dunkirk.