No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment

No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment
Active 1979 - present
Country United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Type Air Force Infantry
Role Force protection
Garrison/HQ RAF Waddington
Motto(s) "Freedom of the Skies and of the Land"

No. 2503 (County of Lincoln) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Regiment reserve squadron based at RAF Waddington, in Lincolnshire, [1] fairly close to the city of Lincoln and RAF Cranwell. Gunners are recruited both from ex-regulars in the RAF Regiment and civilians in a 50 miles radius surrounding RAF Waddington.[2] The squadron is an infantry squadron in the dismounted close-combat force protection role.[3]

History

The squadron was formed on 1 July 1979 at RAF Scampton[4][5] to provide force protection to the Vulcans being maintained there at the time; in 1985, the squadron was moved to its current home to provide force sustainment for the regular RAF Regiment.[2] The squadron was deployed to Iraq during the Iraq War as part of Operation Telic, and gunners from the squadron have also been deployed to Germany,[6][7] the Balkans, Kuwait and Afghanistan[8] as part of Operation Herrick.[3]

The squadron standard was presented on 6 December 2005, backdated to July of the previous year.[4]

Miscellany

In 2015, the squadron was tasked with assisting on an archaeological dig, searching for a lost spitfire.[9]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.armedforces.co.uk/raf/listings/l0043.html
  2. 1 2 here, RAF Details. "RAF – 2503 Sqn". mod.uk.
  3. 1 2 here, RAF Details. "RAF - 2503 (County of Lincoln)". mod.uk.
  4. 1 2 "Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation". rafweb.org. M.B. Barrass. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. ↑ http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/record?catid=8869031&catln=6
  6. ↑ http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060029216
  7. ↑ http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060029217
  8. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/raf-reservists-help-defend-kandahar-airfield
  9. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/478812/20151027-FOI-08883-Archaeological-dig-Redaction-O.pdf
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