Badge of the Royal Air Force - wikipedia Badge of the Royal Air Force Badge of the Royal Air Force The badge of the Royal Air Force is the heraldic emblem used to represent the RAF which features an Eagle superimposed on a circlet which is surmounted by a crown. The badge was based on a design by a tailor at Gieves Ltd of Savile Row. It was first used in August 1918 and the original circlet showed a garter and buckle. The present plain circlet dates from 26 January 1923 when the badge was registered at the College of Arms and, it being noted that the garter and buckle were heraldically incorrect, a substitution was made. In heraldic terms it is : `` In front of a circle inscribed with the motto Per Ardua Ad Astra and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affronty Head lowered and to the sinister. '' Although there have been debates among airmen over the years whether the bird was originally meant to be an albatross or an eagle, the consensus is that it was always an eagle. The badge is depicted on the iron gates at the ceremonial entrance to the Royal Air Force College Cranwell ; at the entrance to the Air Forces Memorial in Surrey ; and on the Polish War Memorial in London. The RAF Badge on Cranwell 's gates The RAF badge at the Air Forces Memorial The RAF Badge on the Polish War Memorial Other Air forces Other Commonwealth air forces have adopted badges which are based on the RAF badge. Several are shown below : Royal Australian Air Force badge Indian Air Force badge Nigerian Air Force badge References Jump up ^ Cranwell Heraldry Part One : The Royal Air Force Badge -- The Heraldry Society, September 2005 Jump up ^ Air Ministry Orders A. 666 / 49, 15 September 1949 Jump up ^ It 's an albatross, it 's an eagle... it 's an eagle Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. External links The RAF web site -- The Royal Air Force Badge Royal Air Force Royal Air Force portal Formations and units Commands Groups Stations Wings Squadrons Flights Conversion units Operational Training units Schools / Training units Ferry units Glider units Misc units Regiment squadrons Branches and components Air Force Board RAF Flying Branch RAF Regiment RAF Chaplains Branch RAF Intelligence RAF Legal Branch RAF Medical Services Princess Mary 's RAF Nursing Service RAF Police Search and Rescue Force Mountain Rescue Service RAF Marine Branch RAF Ground Trades Reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Volunteer Reserve Associated civil organisations Air Training Corps Royal Air Forces Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Benevolent Fund RAF Football Association Royal Air Force Museum Equipment List of RAF aircraft List of RAF missiles Personnel Officer ranks Other ranks List of personnel Appointments Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant - General of the RAF Regiment Chief of the Air Staff 's Warrant Officer Symbols and uniform Ensign Badge Roundels Uniform History Timeline Future Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Badge_of_the_Royal_Air_Force&oldid=808325705 '' Categories : Military heraldry Royal Air Force Badges Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use dmy dates from May 2017 Use British English from May 2017 Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 2 November 2017, at 05 : 26. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the bird on the raf badge
Answer: Eagle