King's Colour Squadron
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... the visit a few weeks earlier by Senior NCOs from the Queen’s Colour Squadron (QCS) to RAF Catterick (affectionately known as the body snatchers), would end up with me volunteering to join this unit …
In April 1978 I found myself on a train heading south from Darlington to London Kings Cross along with a number of my friends / colleagues, having completed the Basic Gunner course at the Royal Air Force Regiment Depot, RAF Catterick. We arrived at Kings Cross and got on the underground to head to Uxbridge. On coming out of the station we walked up towards the RAF Camp and headed for the Guard Room. Once we had checked in, we were told to wait there, and someone will be along to get us shortly. A few minutes later the strange sound of what I was to learn later were what I can only describe as hobnail boots, was audible. Then we saw this very smartly dressed Corporal (Tom Jones) heading along the side of the parade square towards us. A strange feeling of dread came over me. I didn't realise then that the visit a few weeks earlier by Senior NCOs from the Queen’s Colour Squadron (QCS) to RAF Catterick (affectionately known as the body snatchers), would end up with me volunteering to join this unit … and here I am. Had I only but known that what was to follow would be probably the most difficult and intense period of training over the next 6 weeks, to get us all up from where we were, to a standard that was acceptable to join the most prodigious drill and ceremonial unit throughout the combined military services in the United Kingdom, and indeed, the world.
I knew that if I went away from that camp at the weekend to go home, I would never have gone back. So I said to myself “just knuckle down and get on with it - stay here for the 6 weeks and that'll be it, you'll either make the grade or you won’t”. And that's what I did. 6 weeks later 3 of the 4 of us or 5 of the 6 [we were joined by 2 others when we arrived] graduated and became fully fledged members of the Queen's Colour Squadron.
History. The RAF had a ceremonial drill unit based at the then Royal Air Force Depot at Uxbridge, Middlesex, soon after its formation in 1918 and first performed public duties when it mounted the King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace on 1 April 1943 for King George VI. This led to the RAF Regiment mounting the King’s Guard on behalf of the Royal Air Force[1], a duty which it has carried out every year since.
On 26 May 1951, in recognition of the achievements of the Royal Air Force, Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, acting on behalf of her Father King George VI, presented the very first Colour for the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom to the Service. Following the subsequent coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, on the 1 November 1960 the RAF Drill Unit was re-named The Queen’s Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force (Royal Air Force, 2024).
Authors Note: A Colour is not a Flag or a Standard – each is defined and has a purpose. Military colours, standards and guidons are integral parts of the identity of military units throughout history and still in use today. Historically, they marked the location of military commanders and acted as a source of motivation for troops. These items were key to locating an army on a battlefield and reflect the relationships between armed forces and heads of state. So important were these items that they were assigned elite soldiers to protect them on the battlefield. To lose a colour or have it captured was cause of great shame. When old colours and standards were replaced, they were often laid up in churches or cathedrals or donated to museums (Campbell & Baars, 2019).
My Part. My part on QCS started in the April of 1978 and ended in February 1980 when I was posted to 63 Sqn RAF Regt at RAF Gutersloh, Germany. During those 2 years I travelled extensively around the UK and Europe as part of the squadron and took part in a diverse range of events from the Changing of the Guard (Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, St James’ Palace) to The Royal Tournament (Earl’s Court, 1978); the State Funeral of Lord Mountbatten to the Festival of Remembrance.
From the spring to autumn each year the main focus of squadron duties was all the State and VIP ceremonial, interspersed with every weekend being at a display or military tattoo somewhere. Over the autumn and winter months we practiced our “field skills” given that we were at heart, trained as an infantry unit. At the time we were known as 7 (Field) Squadron RAF Regiment. The number changed to 63 Squadron RAF Regiment many years later when 63 Sqn was disbanded post Falklands Conflict.
Bibliography
Campbell, B. A. & Baars, C., 2019. The Curation and Care of Museum Collections. 1st ed. Abingdon: Routledge.
Royal Air Force, 2024. King's Colour Squadron | About. [Online]
Available at: https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/kings-colour-squadron/
[Accessed 13 March 2024].
[1] There are strict rules around eligibility to carry out this task (the Changing of the Guard – effectively guarding the Monarch) and not all units meet those criteria.