Help Id Vietnam War patch: Cambodian Air Force

[crater]

Need help id'ing this patch. Its part of a Karat group I previously listed.

 

Height - 4-1/2"

 

Thanks

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/281876-korat-553rd-recon-388th-tag-ftr-wing-large-group/

 

[crater]

.

[tuckerf]

French? The top aircraft could be a Mystere, the middle a Fouga Magister and the bottom a Skyraider which the French also flew.

[Randy]

Cambodian Air Force, late 60s to early 70s. It is a Magister and Skyraider, plus a MiG 15/17.

 

Randy

[gwb123]

Wow! That is a neat one.

 

I loved the original thread as well.

[firefighter]

Very cool patch.

[crater]

Thanks for the reply's. Randy awesome id and also on the Tigereye

[firefighter]

Is this for a specific unit?

[firefighter]

Is the bottom aircraft an A-1 or T-28?

[gwb123]

Is the bottom aircraft an A-1 or T-28?

 

I was wondering the same thing.

[Longhorn92]

Conboy's book shows it as "1 Fighter Squadron (pre-1970)" and says, "The first insignia shows the three primary aircraft in the squadron late in the AVRK era: the Mig-17, CM-170, and T-28."

 

That's from page 235 of Ken Conboy's "FANK--A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces 1970-1975." Equinox Publishing 2011.

[firefighter]

Conboy's book shows it as "1 Fighter Squadron (pre-1970)" and says, "The first insignia shows the three primary aircraft in the squadron late in the AVRK era: the Mig-17, CM-170, and T-28."

 

That's from page 235 of Ken Conboy's "FANK--A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces 1970-1975." Equinox Publishing 2011.

 

 

That is some good team work & detective work. Excellent ID.

[Salvage Sailor]

Khmer Air Force Reorganization 1971-72

By the end of the year, the KAF's inventory now included sixteen T-28D fighter-bombers, twenty-four Cessna O-1D reconnaissance/observation light aircraft, nineteen C-47 transports, five U-17 light utility aircraft, nine Cessna T-41D Mescalero trainers, eleven Bell UH-1D transports, sixteen U-1A Otter liaison aircraft, three AC-47D Spooky gunships, and one EC-47D SIGINT aircraft. Col. So Satto also requested from the United States Northrop F-5A light fighters to replace the destroyed Shenyang, MiG and Fouga jets, but the US government turned down the request and offered in alternative some North American F-86F Sabrejets on the verge of retirement from the RTAF. However, an inspection made by a team of Cambodian technicians sent to Thailand revealed that the airframes were no longer in flyable condition, so the KAF Command rejected the proposal altogether. Unable to acquire new fighter jets, the KAF was left without air-to-air capacity for the remainder of the war. An additional offer of some Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar transports which had previously seen service with the RVNAF was equally turned down by the Cambodians. The Australians delivered in January 1972 six silvered C-47 transports for training purposes, which were posted to the KAF Air Academy in Battambang.

In 1972 KAF expansion slowed slightly as organisational difficulties were encountered. The Tactical Air Group was therefore re-organized into five squadrons created from the existing flight groups – the T-28D fighter-bombers under the 1st Fighter Squadron (French: 1ér Escadron de Combat); the EC-47D, the C-47 transports and AC-47D gunships under the 1st Transport Squadron (French: 1ér Escadron de Transport); the O-1D reconnaissance/observation light aircraft, the U-17 light utility aircraft and U-1A liaison aircraft under the Forward Air Controller Squadron (French: Escadron d'Observation et d'Accompagnement au Combat); the UH-1D, H-34 and Alouette helicopters under the Helicopter Squadron (French: Escadron d'Hélicoptères); and the silvered C-47 trainers, the T-41D trainers and the GY-80 light trainers under the Advanced Training Squadron (French: Escadron d'Entrainement Avancée). With the exception of the training squadron, which was stationed permanently at the Air Force Academy in Battambang, the other four squadrons were based at Pochentong Airbase. Inherited from the defunct AVNK, the KAF's administrative, support and technical branches remained untouched by this reorganization and retained their separate structure under the Territorial and Technical Group commands......

.....In the mist of this reorganisation, the Khmer Air Force's own inventory continued to expand via the MEDTC during the following year. Under the Foreign Military Sales program between January and November 1972, the KAF took delivery of fourteen AU-24A Stallion mini-gunships, fifteen T-28D fighter-bombers, four AC-47D gunships, nineteen UH-1H helicopters, sixteen T-28B unarmed trainers in poor condition, and another four T-41D trainers. An important addition to the KAF, the AU-24A mini-gunships were assigned to a newly-raised Mini-gunship Squadron stationed at Pochentong, which broadened supply convoy escort operations on the lower Mekong-Bassac corridors. Such operations had been carried out in conjunction with the MNK since mid-1971, when the KAF began to provide air cover to MNK convoys with their AC-47D gunships. Despite the slow improvements delivered by Brigadier-General So Satto's expansion programme, the KAF's own combat capabilities remained low and because of plentiful US air support – used excessively by the Cambodian Army – was relegated to a minor role only.

 

Conboy, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces, 1970-1975

[Randy]

Conboy's book shows it as "1 Fighter Squadron (pre-1970)" and says, "The first insignia shows the three primary aircraft in the squadron late in the AVRK era: the Mig-17, CM-170, and T-28."

 

That's from page 235 of Ken Conboy's "FANK--A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces 1970-1975." Equinox Publishing 2011.

It could very well be a T-28. But the Khmer AF did have A-1s as well during the 1960s. The wing bumps look A-1 to me, but the canopy looks T-28.

 

Randy

[firefighter]

It could very well be a T-28. But the Khmer AF did have A-1s as well during the 1960s. The wing bumps look A-1 to me, but the canopy looks T-28.

 

Randy

The canopy is what made me think T-28

[crater]

Thanks for the reply's and Longhorn92 for the id and name of book and Salvage Sailor for the great info.

 

Posting more of this group tonight.

 

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