This fantastic piece of rare World War I aeronautical memorabilia is the fuselage fabric insignia from a 12th Aero Squadron Salmson 2 A.2 reconnaissance aircraft. The section of fabric is painted with the unmistakable flying eagle grasping an artillery shell emblem used by the 12th Aero Squadron. The fabric is in a 37 1/2 x 29 3/4 inch double sided frame. The 12th Aero Squadron operated over the skies of the Western Front during World War I and performed reconnaissance for the U.S. First Army. The squadron was active in the St. Mihiel offensive and Meuse-Argonne offensive. After the armistice the squadron was assigned to the U.S. Third Army and participated in the occupation of Germany before returning to the United States in the summer of 1919. The lineage of the 12th Aero Squadron can be traced to the USAAF 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The 12th Reconnaissance Squadron uses a similar eagle emblem.

Very good with much of the original paint remaining. World War I aircraft fabric rarely comes up for sale, and fabric with artistic expressions of wartime squadron insignia are virtually impossible to find. A must have for the serious early military aviation collector.