The RAF Regiment is the RAF’s ground defence capability and was formed by a Royal Warrant issued by King George VI on 1st February 1942. ITs role was to seize, secure and defend airfields to allow air operations to take place in a theatre of war. Though theoretically still its role today, it is much more focused on defending rather than seizing airfields currently due to the type of conflicts the UK has recently found itself in.
Its formation was deemed necessary as the German army ripped through France in the early parts of the Second World War. The Blitzkrieg tactics used by the Germans meant they quickly seized airfields which were often defended by few ground troops. As the British Army was stretched beyond capacity, it was decided this role would be taken up the RAF. The RAF Regiment was made up of personnel from Defence Squadrons 701-850 and originally numbered some 66,000 men, though this grew to over 80,000 during the course of the war.It was originally headquartered at RAF Belton Park, near Grantham in Lincolnshire.
During the Second World War there were generally two types of squadrons. One would be focused on air defence and have anti-air capabilities while the other ‘Field’ squadrons would focus on ground defence and be more equipped like an army unit. Several squadrons had parachute capabilities in order to seize airfields, which is a capability still held today by II Squadron. On 1st April 1943 the RAF Regiment mounted the Kings Guard for the first time at Buckingham Palace. During the Normandy Campaign, 25,000 men were transferred to the overstretched army due to heavy losses.
Men of the RAF Regiment fought with distinction during the Second World War, most notably during the Campaigns of the Far East against the Japanese in Burma (modern day Myanmar). In the battle of Imphal they provided vital airfield defence when supplies and reinforcements were restricted to being delivered by air between 29th March and 22nd June 1944.
When the newly captured and tactically important Meiktila airfield was captured Units 0f 1307 Wing moved in to defend it, along with some units of the British Army and US anti aircraft artillery. These units came under sustained attack by the Japanese but held out against the assault. To this day it is one of the Regiments proudest Battle Honours.
As Field Squadrons, Armoured Car Units and Light Anti Aircraft Units the RAF Regiment were deployed in multiple theatres in the Second World War, including North Africa, the Middle East, Italy, The Balkans and North Western Europe. There were also 69 Light Anti Aircraft Squadrons deployed on UK ground as part of Operation Diver to protect the UK against V1 Rockets.
Other notable actions of the RAF Regiment in the Second World War include being the frist British forces to reach Paris, among the first to enter Brussels and being the unit to arrest Adolf Hitlers successor as Fuhrer. Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz was arrested by an RAF Regiment unit commanded by Squadron Leader Mark Hobden. RAF Regiment units also shot down an ME 262 to become the first unit to score a ground-to-air kill on a combat jet aircraft.
The RAF Regiment survives to the modern day and continues to provide ground defence capabilities to the RAF.