More about this squadron

History and heritage

603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron chose as its motto the Doric words 'Gin ye Daur', or 'If you dare'. Anyone who joined the Squadron did so knowing that he might have to face immense challenges.

603 Sqn was formed in 1925 at RAF Turnhouse. They were involved from the very outset in the first enemy action of the Second World War on 16 October 1939 when Luftwaffe bombers attempted to bomb naval units in Firth of Forth, the Sqn were responsible for shooting an enemy bomber. On 28 October, 603 and 602 Squadrons were involved in shooting down the first enemy bomber onto British soil in the Lammermuirs, but the greatest threat of all would come from the battle of Britain.

The fortunes of war propelled 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron into the very eye of the storm. Sent to Hornchurch in South East London, the pilots were hopelessly outnumbered in confronting the massed bombing formations of the Luftwaffe, accompanied by huge numbers of fighter aircraft. 603 Squadron sustained heavy losses in the unrelenting duel high up in the sky, but after each casualty another volunteer came forward, and their morale held. By the end of the Battle of Britain they had emerged as the top scoring Squadron in the Royal Air Force.

603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron received a total of eight Battle Honours from 1940 to 1944. In 1957 the Squadron stopped as a flying Squadron but carried on in other ground support units until 1959 when the Squadron was disbanded.

In 1999 the Squadron was reformed from No 2 (City of Edinburgh) Maritime headquarters Unit re-roled thus re-numbered No 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, with their primary role now being 'survive to operate' or Force protection. The Squadron now recruits male RAF Regiment Gunners.

Roles and Specialist Skills

As a Gunner, you are part of a highly mobile and heavily armed team, trained and organised to protect RAF assets and counter threats to the RAF's aircraft and bases. You form part of a range of groups, from vehicle-mounted patrols to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warning and Report Cells.

You will have to master a range of skills, which include infantry tactics, covert observation, target acquisition and close combat skills. Gunners also receive specialist weapons training, so you will become expert at handling everything from a bayonet to an anti-tank missile.

Combat training is physically and mentally demanding and can take place anywhere in the world, from the jungle to the Arctic. You need to be fit, active and prepared to endure difficult and demanding situations. For reasons of combat effectiveness, women cannot be accepted for this role.

Recent Deployments

Since 2003, a high percentage of our Reservists have been deployed on operational tours to the Falkland Islands, Kuwait, Iraq (for Operation Telic) and Afghanistan (for Operation Herrick). We currently have a number of Reservists deployed on operations in a variety of roles.

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