No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment was a CBRN squadron of the RAF Regiment in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

with the ''Defensores Defendo'' (I defend the defenders). It disbanded in October 2021.

History

No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment was formed on 3 September 1951, at

RAF Yatesbury RAF Yatesbury is a former Royal Air Force airfield near the village of Yatesbury, Wiltshire, England, about east of the town of Calne. It was an important training establishment in the First and Second World Wars, and until its closure in 1965. ...

. The squadron was first deployed to Abu Suer in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. On 28 November 1951, the squadron saw its first action against the Egyptians. Four enemy were killed in this action. The squadron remained in Egypt predominantly as an Internal Security force until it redeployed to Cyprus in January 1956. In August 1977 the Queen,

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during h ...

, approved the awarding of a

Standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

to the squadron in recognition of 25 years service. During the 1980s, 27 Squadron was based at RAF Leuchars, in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Its role was

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

defence and was equipped with the Rapier Field Standard A anti-aircraft missile system. Detachments from 27 Squadron, would regularly be sent to

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, to provide airfield defence.

Present

In 1995, the squadron moved to

RAF Scampton Royal Air Force Scampton or RAF Scampton is a Royal Air Force station located adjacent to the A15 road near to the village of Scampton, Lincolnshire, and north-west of the city of Lincoln, England. RAF Scampton stands on the site of a First ...

as part of the

RAuxAF The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of His Majesty's Reserve Air Forces (Reserve Forces Act 1996, Part 1, Para 1,(2),(c)). It provides a primary rein ...

Regiment. On 1 April 1999, No 27 Squadron and

1st Royal Tank Regiment The 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1 RTR) was an Armoured warfare, armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps and operationally under 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingd ...

merged to form the

Joint Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Regiment The Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment was a specialist expeditionary unit of the British armed forces. Personnel of the Joint CBRN Regiment were trained in the detection, identification and monitoring of nuclear, biolo ...

(Jt NBC Regt). 27 Sqn ran the Biological Detection Capability of the Jt NBC Regt. In 2005, following the addition of radiological weapons to its remit, the Jt NBC Regt changed to the

Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Regiment The Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment was a specialist expeditionary unit of the British armed forces. Personnel of the Joint CBRN Regiment were trained in the detection, identification and monitoring of nuclear, biolo ...

(Joint CBRN Regiment). In 2008 27 Sqn, still based at

RAF Honington Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regim ...

, temporarily re-roled to full Field Sqn status and following an intensive period of training and kitting, deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2009 for a tour of duty in the Force Protection role. 27 Sqn returned to its

role. In 2012 the Jt CBRN Regiment disbanded with 27 Sqn continuing in the CBRN defence role as part of the new Defence CBRN Wing while

returned to the Field Army returning to role on the Challenger 2 prior to planned merger with 2 RTR in 2014. From March 2006 to August 2011, 27 Squadron was also responsible for providing Parachute Trained Light Role Teams of two eight man teams, commanded by a sergeant, with a two-man command element. The first parachute descent conducted by 27 Squadron personnel was in March 2006 when Sergeant Paul Crutchlow jumped with II Squadron. In August 2011, with the formation of the Defence CBRN Wing the Light Role teams moved from 27 Squadron to 26 Squadron. It remained a CBRN Squadron temporarily as the Counter-CBRN role was passed on to 28 Engineer Regiment but disbanded in October 2021

References

External links

27 Squadron RAF Regiment
{{Air force infantry 0027