They showed a bit on the 6pm news - looked VERY good. Well done the Regiment and TQCS

Well done QCS! The band was a combination of The Central Band of the RAF and The RAF Regiment Band. Excellent music as always. I'm a bit out of touch, but I notice that the musicians were not wearing those very silly hats which came in some years back. Is this a permanent change? If so, thank goodness!

Notice Prince Edward's RAF uniform had one of its rare outings - strong smell of mothballs on the balcony!

air pig - Mrs TTN would like a word with you!

Got to agree with that.

Whether the previous hat was good or bad, the current one is undistinguished.

In fact, in my opinion, even though QCS and our bands (and others when required) make a great effort in their turn out, our parade uniform is poor.

Given that this is a rumour-based forum, I'd go as far as to believe it highly likely that Prince William did not wear his RAF uniform to his wedding because it is, well, it is bland.

As the 100th approaches something more distinguished is required.

Batco

With great respect BATCO, I disagree. There was a thread here some time ago that illustrated the last time the RAF tried something "more distinguished" between the wars. The full dress uniform looked like something out of a Marx Brothers comedy. Much better to retain the continuity of the same uniform, as occasionally modified over the years. That after all is what our sister Services do, and thus retain their immediate recognition by the GBP.

Union Jack:-
An excellent and prolific purveyor of London ceremonial, troopingadmin can be subscribed to here:-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtD...hWzM8u6Hr8HVvw

Happy to accept that we disagree. I was not proposing a return to the interwar Dress Uniform. There are plenty of modest changes that could be made that retain the roots you note as important (and suit the British character) while improving on what we have got.

But we disagree.
Batco

Shock horror probe, gunfire at Buckingham Palace!
 

Ah, my misunderstanding. Evolution rather than revolution every time, which puts us into violent agreement I'm delighted to say, BATCO.

Arguably even better coverage of the two RAF bands and the RAF Regiment's triumphal day seen here. Incidently it illustrates well that the RAF March can be played for both slow and quick time:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0i2WtW-OFw

Anyone know if there is a film from inside the courtyard, and incidentally which squadron Standards - I guess must be BoB Squadrons, or existing fighter squadrons but which? Brilliant event and, again, well done TQCS and the Bands

The official Royal Air Force account states that:-
although I'm not sure that Stradling would have recognised its description of the Standards being:-
perhaps it was to differentiate them from the bosses' cars.

No idea which ten of the RAF BoB Squadrons still serve, nor in what context. We should simply be grateful that they do, I guess.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/r...rsary-10072015

He also wore it when that f**king photo was taken.


Excellent performance by TQCS and bands.

Of the 71 Sqns credited with service in the BoB Sqns these are the only ones still extant today:

1
3
17
29
32 The Royal Squadron
41
54 (my old stamping ground and an excellent Jag sqn)
72

401 RCAF

Not a lot left really.

Edit. I apologise to the Auxilliary squadrons, although not flying units currently

501
504
600
602
603
605
609

As at least one of our number can confirm, I have to plead guilty of doing just that. When I was at Kai Tak in 1968, the station commander, who liked to style himself "Commander RAF Hong Kong" decided that our participation in the annual Queens Birthday Parade was going to be a let down, as both the RN and Army contingents were going to parade colours, and we had none to parade as at that time there was no squadron on the station strength. He therefore ordered that a "standard" be prepared by painting a pole white, decorating it with some tassled cords brought from a shop in Kowloon, and attaching an RAF Ensign. My sergeant and I duly trained up a "colour party" and we paraded this illegal banner on the day at HMS Tamar. However it must have convinced the governor, standing in for HM, as he saluted it on passing it when inspecting the parade.

TTN

Wasn't there an RAFA Branch in Honkers?

It is odd that RAF Stations do not have their own standard, but Veterans organisations can get them by applying.

The RAF Boy Entrants Association applied and received one.

Dont know if there was a RAFA branch Iain, but I dont think anyone thought about that one.

Ceremonial Dress was good enough for George VI's wedding to the Queen Mum (Gawd Bless 'er)

https://bathknight.files.wordpress.c...pg?w=245&h=300

So ditch the hat, but maybe the rest would still work?

[PEDANT] OK, I know it was the Duke of York's Wedding to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, but you knew what I meant![/PEDANT]

I haven't seen the parade referred to in the OP, but always think the wearing of the 'Chin straps' on head wear looks a bit naff. Far better looking without them in my opinion.

Not as naff as a bare head with the hat bowling down the road.

I regretted the abandonment of the gold lace stripe down the trouser seam for No 5 dress ... one stripe for the lower orders, and 2 for Air Officers, IIRC.

Expensive [given the curse of the expanding waistline] but it was a nice feature.

There was a chap at Catterick who was still insisting on wearing his mess "overalls" as I believe they were called, even though they had officially gone out by then (1965). I thought they looked the business, very tight, with the elasticated foot straps to stop them riding up, and worn with patent leather ankle boots, as opposed to shoes.

This chap was tall and slim - they probably wouldn't have looked so good on a portly AVM!

TTN, I had a new pair of RAF Mess Dress Trousers/Overalls [minus the elastic] made by Messrs Moss in Covent Garden. I requested a 14" hem on them. The patronising drone with the tape measure said, "Sir - one can only wear them that narrow when wearing proper Mess boots." "I do." "Ahhh ... "

Lovely full-length boots in German chrome leather, made to measure in Singapore in '68 for the princely sum of £6. They're still going strong. Sadly, the waistband on the trousers has shrunk a bit.