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603 Squadron RAuxAF

Gin Ye Daur (If You Dare)

About

603 Squadron falls under 5 Force Protection Wing and are based in the City of Edinburgh.  It provides trained RAF Regiment and RAF Police personnel to augment RAF Force Protection units world-wide.

Formed as a light bomber squadron in 1925, 603 Squadron became a fighter squadron in 1939.  It fought in the Battle of Britain, Malta and elsewhere in the Second World War.

Personnel are required to be fit and robust and are recruited from Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England.  Most training is conducted at weekends and during evenings, with an annual two-week training camp each year.

The Squadron has deployed personnel to all major RAF deployments in the last twenty years and routinely has personnel deployed world-wide.

History

1925   Formed as an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron at RAF Turnhouse, flying the Airco DH.9A Light bomber, with the Squadron Headquarters in Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh, where it remains.

1939   Equipped with the Spitfire and credited with shooting down the first enemy aircraft over the UK in World War Two, shooting a bomber into the Firth of Forth.

1940   Deployed to RAF Hornchurch to take part in the Battle of Britain, becoming one of the leading scoring squadrons.

1942   Deployed to defend Malta.

1943   Converted to a maritime strike squadron, flying Beaufighters, operating from North Africa.

1945   Disbanded at the end of the war.

1946   Reformed as a Unit of the Auxiliary Air Force and began recruiting personnel to man a Spitfire Squadron during June at RAF Turnhouse.  Receiving its first Spitfire in October, it flew this type until conversion to De Havilland Vampire in May 1951.  The type was flown until disbandment on 10 March 1957.  The Auxiliary Air Force became the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in 1947.

1959 – 1999   RAF Reservists in Edinburgh served in 2 Maritime Headquarters Unit, based in Learmonth Terrace.

1999   Reformed as a Force Protection and Operations Support Squadron.

2003   Members of 603 Squadron deployed to Kuwait for Operation TELIC.  Between 2003 and 2013, members of the Squadron served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

2013   The Squadron began recruiting RAF Police personnel and the Squadron is now a RAF Force Protection Squadron with equal elements of RAF Police and RAF Regiment.

2020   Members of the Squadron were mobilised to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Battle honours

1940-42*   Home Defence

1940*   Battle of Britain

1941*   Channel and North Sea

1942*   Fortress Europe

1942*   Malta

1943*   Mediterranean

1943*   Sicily

1944*   South East Europe

1944   France and Germany

Honours marked with an asterisk, may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard.

Roles

RAF Police Officer

RAF Regiment Officer

RAF Regiment Gunner

RAF Police

Contact

603 Squadron, 25 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh, EH4 1NZ

For recruitment enquiries, please phone: 0345 606 9069

Connect with 603 Squadron RAuxAF