USAAF Roundel (Operation Torch) Lapel Pin

The yellow-surround insignia was ordered in preparation for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa. Allied Force Headquarters Operations Memorandum No. 9, dated Sep 25ᵗʰ, 1942, specified the yellow surround for American aircraft participating in the operation. The marking began appearing on aircraft before the landings, with Oct 1ˢᵗ, 1942 given as an implementation date for Eighth Air Force aircraft. Operation Torch itself took place from Nov 8ᵗʰ to Nov 16ᵗʰ, 1942, with participating US aircraft carrying the distinctive yellow-bordered national insignia as an identification marking. The marking was not limited strictly to the dates of Operation Torch. It was applied before the invasion and remained on some aircraft afterwards, so there is no single universal end date for its use.