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Frequent inquiries are received by VF Squadron 5-B concerning the significance of the squadron insignia of a boar's head over a bar sinister. The meaning of the bar sinister may be found in any dictionary and the following article quoted from a current magazine rather effectively covers the application of the boar's head.

"The wild boar is the ugliest snouted, worst tempered, fastest -moving creature in the whole Noah's Ark of nature, and is as full of tricks as a 13-spade bridge hand. At a mile he can outrun many horses, and most horses raise a lather overtaking him in three. When he can run no longer, he turns on his pursuers, lowers his massive head and joyously gores horses, dogs and men with scimitar-like tusks -- hooked and murderous ivories, often a foot long. His humped shoulders and muscle-sheathed neck rank just below the bull in sheer weight-lifting strength; an angry boar can break a heavy barred gate by ramming it with his skull.

"A full sized boar weighs from 250 to 400 lbs., stands about three and one-half feet high at the shoulders, and takes no nonsense from anything in the jungle, field, or forest. He is the only animal that dares drink at the same pool with the tiger, and the difficulty of getting elephants to face a charging boar is well known to hog-hunters. Add to his strength and savagery, sport - that he is among the most guileful of animals, and you get some idea of the excellent sport that has been hunting him through the centuries.

"The boar is not a fat and indolent target; he is as shifty as a pickerel in eel-grass. He thinks as he gallops, and has no intention of letting you ride up and stab him in the rump."

The above description appears particularly apt at this time in view of both the appearance and the performance of the airplanes which this squadron operates. (FF-1) "The Boar's Head is taken directly from the one that graces the label on the Gordon Gin bottle. The scroll effect under the head is a strong of link sausage - a good line of bologna which all members of the squadron were to be adept at "shooting." The balls on the shield might be called balls of fire; actually they were supposed to typify good, strong masculinity. The bolt of lightning is the bar sinister - sign of bastardy. The whole theme was worked into sort of a toast or creed with which the squadron members were to begin and end all good drinking bouts:

"HERE'S TO US, THE RED RIPPERS.... A DAMN BUNCH OF GIN DRINKING, BOLOGNA SLINGING, TWO-BALLED, HE-MAN BASTARDS."