QueeN’s colouR sQuAdRoN

63 SquAdRON RAF REGiMENT 63 Squadron RAF Regiment

The Queen’s Colour

Squadron January PiLOT OFFiCER N J dACEy March

On return from

Christmas leave,

The Queen’s

Colour Squadron (QCS) hit the ground running with an intense period of ceremonial training ahead of mounting the Queen’s

Guard at the

London Palaces.

What was particularly unique to this period of training was the complexities of preparing to conduct the dual mount to celebrate the RAF Regiment’s 80th anniversary on 1 February 2022. With double the regular work force required for the mount and the addition of RAF Regiment personnel from across the Force, the training for the task was complex. After some long days of drill and long nights of kit preparation, the squadron was ready to undertake the first mount on 24 January at St James’s Palace, Buckingham Palace and HM Tower of London.

The Queen’s Colour Squadron supported the RAF Benevolent fund on 10 January, Fg Off Edgar along with an RAF veteran who had served on QCS, worked together to showcase the launch of the RAF Benevolent Fund garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Ceremonially the QCS have undertaken the first Training Flight of 2022. The demanding 4-week drill and deportment course, famed as a rite of passage for all QCS personnel, culminated in a graduation parade on 24 March. The parade was reviewed by the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London, Mr Pete McGowran, and Yeoman Warder and ex QCS Warrant Officer Mr Paul Langley.

QCS provided a Lining Party at RAF Northolt for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Prime Ministers of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. The three Prime Ministers were meeting at RAF Northolt to discuss a range of issues and held Bi-Laterals in the RAF Northolt Officers’ Mess.

preparedness to ceremonially represent the RAF for that year. The PdA was a complete success and qCS was awarded its Public display Authority accordingly.

in our Force Protection role, 63 Squadron RAF Regiment is continuing its uplift of Counter-small uncrewed Air Systems trained personnel to support Op SHAdER. With two teams now deployed, and more personnel conducting the necessary training to deploy in the future, our personnel are extremely busy but relish the opportunity to support Force Protection operations.

February

February saw another busy but exciting month for qCS, not least because it saw the RAF Regiment celebrate its 80th anniversary on 1 February. in recognition of this milestone, qCS conducted a historic dual mount on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. This is unusual as conventionally there has to be at least one bearskin from the Foot Guards on the forecourt, but qCS formed both the Old and New Guards in their entirety for the event. qCS dismounted from the London Palaces on 4 February and entered straight into its preparations for its Public display Authority (PdA). The PdA is reviewed by Air Officer Commanding Number 2 Group and assesses qCS’s Over the past few months RAF Music has supported a variety of State ceremonial and Service engagements, whilst a number of personnel have continued to deploy on UK resilience operations as part of the national COVID-19 response.

We currently have musicians administering vaccines in Scotland, driving ambulances in Wales and supporting the NHS in the West Midlands. Director of Music, Sqn Ldr Richard Murray, has recently returned from 7 months delivering Defence support to the civil authorities from HQ Standing Joint Command (SJC). Sqn Ldr Murray was responsible for the activation of over 1000 Service personnel in support of UK Resilience Operations. He said:

“From driver assistance to the fuel crisis and ambulance services or specialist medical and vaccination support, seeing the effect of the plans you have delivered is extremely rewarding.”

RAF Musician SAC Jez Bristow deployed as a vaccinator, working at the NHS Oakley Road vaccination centre in Southampton. SAC Bristow said:

“I am very proud to have been deployed to help vaccinate the general public, the NHS made us feel very welcome and were very appreciative of