RAF Regiment 80th Anniversary Parade at Buckingham Palace His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Duke of Kent watched on as the RAF Regiment conducted a momentous parade at Buckingham Palace to mark their 80th Anniversary. The RAF Regiment were represented on parade by The Queen’s Colour Squadron of the RAF and ten other Regular and Reserve members of the RAF Regiment who carried their Squadron’s Standard.
vulnerability of airfields to attack by a highly mobile enemy. The RAF Regiment fought in all the major campaigns of the Second World War with Officers and Gunners being trained to operate as infantry, armoured car crewmen and air defence artillerymen. All members of the Regiment were initially trained as combat infantrymen, an arrangement that continues to the present day.
The RAF have the honour of conducting ceremonial Public Duties across the London Palaces every year. However, this year they provided both the dismounting and mounting Guards, allowing a Changing of Guard to be comprised entirely of RAF personnel. The Captain of the Guard was Squadron Leader Brendan Dunne, Officer Commanding The Queen’s Colour Squadron who was given command to execute the anniversary mount. The RAF Regiment is a specialist corps within the RAF, established by Royal Warrant in 1942 it was born of the recognition of the necessity for an indigenous and credible RAF ground defence force. The success of German ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics during the opening years of the war had signalled the
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The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston and Air ViceMarshal Suraya Marshall attended the momentous parade.
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It was both an honour and a privilege to be present on the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, to witness the Changing of the Guard on the 80th anniversary of the Royal Air Force Regiment; a duty that the Corps has undertaken, on behalf of the Royal Air Force, since its formation in 1942
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Air Vice-Marshal Smeath United States Head of the British Defence Staff
The Corps particularly distinguished itself at Meiktila in Burma, where it had suffered heavy losses repeatedly counter attacking Japanese forces attempting to capture the airstrip; at Monte Casino in Italy, where Squadrons fought alongside Army Units; and during the Normandy landings, when RAF Regiment wings were amongst the first Units to come ashore at the Juno beachhead. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston and the senior serving RAF Regiment Officer, Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath were also in attendance. Air Vice-Marshal Smeath is
