Royal Engineers Airfield Construction Formation Sign D Day +

The first I have personal encountered, and I believe rather rare is this Shoulder / Formation Badge of the Royal Engineers Airfield Construction units which became active in the following days of D Day in the constructed of forward airfield in France

A circular badge divided into three equal segments in red, green and blue with black backing in the centre of which is a white triangular design which represents the airstrips the unit constructed. Without doubt uniform removed the Badge appears to be hand embroidered and is in very good condition.

Before having to head back to England to refuel it became vital that airfields should be constructed in France to provide landing grounds after the initial assault and that means should be provided for the construction of others at intervals of about a hundred miles along the lines of advance and for the repair of captured enemy airfields.

The Army created and trained special units for this purpose by converting existing Royal Engineer and Pioneer Corps formations. No.12 Army Group RE (12 AGRE) was formed with, under its command, three airfield construction groups Nos 13, 16 and 24, and a unit formed from civil engineers in Air Ministry offices which was named 5357 Wing. Each of the RE groups had a group HQ and two road construction companies.

The name “road construction company” was adopted presumably to prevent the enemy from discovering  their real purpose.