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The RAF’s 201 Squadron, known as ‘Guernsey’s Own’, are visiting the island this week to exercise the ‘Privilege of Guernsey’ - meaning they can march along the St.Peter Port Seafront with colours flying, drums beating, and bayonets fixed.
Those on parade on Sunday morning will be inspected by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and the Bailiff, before proceeding to the Town Church for the annual Battle of Britain service.
After the service the Squadron will march from the Town Church to the Royal Court House.
Those aren’t the only stops on their visit, with a firing of the noon-day gun on Saturday, and visits to the Priaulx Library and the Allied Aircrew Memorial outside Guernsey Airport.
The squadron was originally formed 110 years ago in 1914, when it was named 1 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service.
In 1918 it underwent the name change to the one forever linking it with Guernsey.
'Guernsey’s Own 201 Squadron' have been linked to the island since 1939, as part of a programme which saw various Squadrons linked up with different towns and cities across the UK, to encourage support and recruitment for the RAF.
They had been stood down operationally in 2010, then disbanded in 2011, before being reformed again in 2021.
The relationship is still a close one, with members visiting Guernsey for special occasions and vice versa, including earlier this year when the Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell visited the 201 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth for its most recent Change of Command ceremony.
Wing Commander Rob McCartney, Officer Commanding 201 Squadron, said: “This year will mark the 30th Anniversary of when the Privilege was first conferred on 201 'Guernsey’s Own' Squadron, which was also the last time the whole squadron visited the island.
"This September represents a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity for the Royal Air Force to re-affirm this affiliation, which remains a significant source of pride for us on the Poseidon Force. Guernsey has played a fundamental part in our post-war identity.”
The Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir Richard McMahon, said: “We welcomed the re-formation of the Squadron in 2021 as an important part of the UK’s maritime surveillance capacity and are proud of the long-standing affiliation with the Squadron, the only remaining one from a 1939 scheme across the British Isles. I hope that islanders will turn out to give the Squadron a proper Guernsey welcome when they parade along the seafront on Sunday.”
His Excellency, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell said: ‘I am delighted that we are able to welcome 201 Squadron back to Guernsey as they exercise the Privilege of Guernsey for the second time."
201 Squadron will fire the noon day gun from Castle Cornet on Saturday before the church service on Sunday, with the seafront parade which is due to start at 10:00.
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