Sailor-made War Patrol Patch from USS Bugara (SS-331)
![one hand painted insignia patch with skull over exploding submarine red black and blue on brown fabric one hand painted insignia patch with skull over exploding submarine red black and blue on brown fabric](/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/artifacts/uniforms-and-personal-equipment/pins--badges--and-insignia/patches/patch--gulf-of-siam-campaign-uss-bugara/jcr%3acontent/body/media_asset/image.img.jpg/1586195390629.jpg)
Title: Patch, War Patrol, Gulf of Siam, USS Bugara (SS-331)
Accession #: NHHC 2017.001.021
Circa: 1945
Size: 6"
Medium: fabric
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command
One sailor-made patch commemorating the USS Bugara (SS-331) war patrol of the Gulf of Siam in 1945. The patch is circular fabric cut with pinking shears. The center is painted with a white skull with the number 57 on its forehead exploding through the silhouette of a submarine. The entire design is on a field of blue.
Bugara's third war patrol of World War II was conducted in and around the Gulf of Siam. In the span of just over a month, she dispatched 57 small enemy cargo ships bound for Japanese ports. Respecting the rules of war, the submarine put the native crews safely ashore before sinking their vessels.