No. 603 Squadron RAuxAF
| No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron RAuxAF | |
|---|---|
| Active | 14 October 1925 – 26 December 1944 10 January – 15 August 1945 10 May 1946 – 10 March 1957 1 October 1999 – present |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
| Role | Force Protection/RAF Police and RAF Regiment |
| Part of | Combat Readiness Force |
| Headquarters | Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh |
| Nickname(s) | City of Edinburgh |
| Motto(s) | Scots: Gin ye daur ("If you dare") |
| Battle honours | Home Defence, 1940–42* Battle of Britain, 1940* Channel & North Sea, 1941* Fortress Europe, 1941* Malta, 1942* Mediterranean, 1943* Sicily, 1943* South-East Europe, 1943–44* France & Germany 1945 Honours marked with an asterisk* are those emblazoned on the Squadron Standard |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Flt Lt John Young (Acting OC) |
| Honorary Air Commodore | Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton |
| Notable commanders | Queen Elizabeth II was the Royal Honorary Air Commodore until her death on 8 September 2022 George Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk Lord David Douglas-Hamilton Christopher Foxley-Norris |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron Badge heraldry | On a rock a triple-towered castle, flying therefrom to the sinister a pennon The castle in the badge is similar to that in the Arms of the City of Edinburgh |
| Squadron Codes | RL (Apr 1939 – Sep 1939) XT (Sep 1939 – Apr 1942, Jan 1945 – Aug 1945, 1949 – Apr 1951) RAJ (May 1946 – 1949) |
No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. On reforming on 1 October 1999, the primary role of 603 Squadron was as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing force protection.
603 Sqn re-roled to become a reserve RAF Police unit from 1 April 2013. The Squadron retains a squadron's complement of RAF Regiment as part of its overall contribution to Force Protection and it still operates from a magnificent Victorian Town Mansion close to Edinburgh's city centre, as it has since the Town Headquarters was bought for the squadron in 1925.