Rarely seen Belgian theater-made embroidered patch, unofficial, owned by a member of the 428th Fighter Squadron. The finely-made patch is 5 in. in diameter and of exceptional quality, in very fine condition. The 428th and 429th Fighter Squadrons moved to England in Feb-Mar 1944 and were assigned to Ninth Air Force. The P-38 Lightnings attacked bridges and railroads in France in preparation for the Normandy invasion, provided cover for the invasion force that was crossing the Channel on the night of 5/6 June and flew bombing missions to support the landings on the following day. They began armed reconnaissance missions after D-Day to assist ground forces, and attacked highways and troops to aid the Allied breakthrough at St. Lo, 25 July 1944. The squadrons moved to the Continent in August, 1944 where they bombed and strafed airfields, hangars, railroads, bridges, highways, barges, fuel dumps, ammunition depots, gun emplacements, and troop concentrations until the end of the war; they also escorted bombers that struck marshalling yards, factories, cities, and other objectives.