No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment

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No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment
Active1979 - present
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
TypeAir Force Infantry
RoleForce protection
Garrison/HQRAF 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] The squadron consists of two Flights of RAF Regiment personnel and one Flight of RAF Police personnel.

History

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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

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

References

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  1. ^ "Royal Air Force - RAF Regiment & RAF Reserves - Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment (RAuxAF Regt) - r9a3 - Armed Forces". www.armedforces.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b here, RAF Details. "RAF – 2503 Sqn". mod.uk.
  3. ^ a b here, RAF Details. "RAF - 2503 (County of Lincoln)". mod.uk.
  4. ^ a b "Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation". rafweb.org. M.B. Barrass. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. ^ Archives, The National. "The Discovery Service". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  6. ^ "2503 (COUNTY OF LINCOLN) SQUADRON, RAF REGIMENT DEBRIEF AND INTERVIEWS AT HALTERN, WEST GERMANY [Allocated Title]". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  7. ^ "2503 (COUNTY OF LINCOLN) SQUADRON, RAF REGIMENT AT HALTERN, WEST GERMANY [Allocated Title]". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  8. ^ "RAF reservists help defend Kandahar Airfield". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Archaeological dig" (PDF). Ministry of Defence.
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