The successor unit to the American Volunteer Group (aka the Flying Tigers) and run by Tigers chief Claire Chennault, the Chinese-American Composite Wing was a combined effort between the U.S. Army Air Force (including many former Flying Tigers who ended their de-jure "mercenary" status and resumed their former Army commissions) and the Republic of China Air Force, the CACW had American and Chinese men and officers working together against the Japanese in China, scoring many air to air kills and doing massive damage to enemy installations and logistics. The 4th Bomb Squadron of the 1st Bombardment Group of the CACW would earn the Distinguished Unit Citation for their actions warding off a sustained enemy assault on their own home base, inflicting an estimated 25% casualty rate on the attackers and facilitating a successful Chinese counterattack. Included with the group are two leather patches, one with the emblem of the 1st BG (a B-25 Mitchell dropping bombs with the U.S. and Chinese Nationalist stars as accents) and one with the 4th BS emblem (the silhouette of a long haired woman in front of a crescent moon). Also present is an embroidered silk banner, 13" wide and 16" long, with the 4th's emblem at top, American and Chinese aviator wings, and a front view of a Mitchell bomber mid-drop, along with untranslated symbols on the sides. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Very good, with minor wear on the patches and a few small stains on the banner.