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FANCY A GAME
PLAY DARTS HERE SEE IF YOU STILL HAVE THE KNACK.
Royal Air Force Regiment
("Incorporating The RAF Regiment Association & The RAF Regiment Comrades Association").
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The RAF
Regiment was formed in 1942; RAF operations were thereafter marked by
the development of air support of ground troops and shipping within range, the
major bombing offensive in mainland Europe, attacks on capital ships and
submarines, supply from the air and deployment world wide. The technical
developments which took place during the war, and included the full
exploitation of radar and the development of the jet engine, transformed the
RAF.The first task of the Regiment was to relieve Army garrisons to airfields and RAF installations in the United Kingdom. Much to the relief of the Army, the new RAF Regiment assumed control and responsibility in the UK by the end of 1942. Whilst this was happening, senior offices were sent to the Middle east to organise the Corps in that theatre. Already established in this area were the various armoured car companies and the Iraq Levies from pre-war years of occupation. The first full year of the RAF Regiments existence, 1943, was to prove both active and interesting. From Alamein to Tripoli, from Algiers to Cape Bon, the Corps protected airfields from ground and low flying air attack and cleared mines and obstacles to the effectiveness of air operations.
The RAF Regiment has 4 Regular Ground Based Air Defence Squadrons and one Auxiliary Squadron. Each regular squadron is equipped with the Rapier (Field Standard C) surface to air missile system. Two of the Squadrons are based at RAF Honington the others are at RAF Waddington, near Lincoln and RAF Bruggen in Germany. Between them, the squadrons maintain a detachment providing ground based air defence in the Falkland Islands. In recent years units have served in Bosnia and most recently in Kosovo. Individuals are serving world wide, wherever RAF aircraft operate. A small number of selected personnel are working with the United Nations on peace keeping tasks in Sierra Leone, East Timor, Kuwait and Georgia.
The
Association:How it all started: After the THE SECOND WORLD WAR the RAF was slow to demobilise its men unlike many Army units. This was partly due to the fact that many were now serving in numerous overseas theatres. When de-mob day finally came most men wanted to re-establish themselves quickly into civilian life and forget the hardships of war, long separations from loved ones, family, friends not forgetting the trauma of war itself. Those who survived without injury counted themselves lucky. Starting an association at this time was far from the minds of most former members of the Regiment. Until sometime in 1946 when a group of officers used to meet for lunch on a weekly basis at the Old Bell in Holborn. These retired wartime officers held a dinner at the Cafe Royal in September 1947 and so began a series of annual events which soon formed the first Association within the Corps, known as the RAF Regiment Officers Dinner Club. Serving officers were also invited to join the club which became formalised in 1950. The Diner Club continues to hold an annual dinner and reception. Not to be overlooked, the Warrant Officers and SNCOs formed an Association in 1975, its aim being to promote, foster and maintain the RAF Regiment spirit of friendship and an opportunity for a reunion at least once a year. Another group of distinguished veterans who served in South East Asia Command of the RAF during World War Two banded together to form another association in 1982, know as the South East Asia Command Association (SEAC). Sadly, this association will soon cease to exist as its members fade away leaving too few to form a viable group.
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