St Clement Danes holds
RAF Formation Service
Members of the Royal Air Force community gathered at St Clement Danes for the RAF formation service. The service takes place each year to mark the foundation of the Royal Air Force in 1918.
Each year the service focuses on a theme from the RAF's history. 2024 sees the 100th anniversary of the stand-up of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, resulting from Lord Trenchard's vision of civilians serving their country by joining flying squadrons in their spare time. and this year's service recognised all the RAF Reserves who serve and have served in the RAF.
RAF Volunteers have been an important part of the delivery of air power by the RAF ever since then, and today's RAF Reserves provide exquisite and niche skills in diverse areas such as medicine, media, cyber and even space by bringing their expertise from civilian life to the RAF.
This year's Formation service, in recognising the unique contribution made by the RAuxAF over the last 100 years, paid tribute to the more than 41,000 RAF Volunteer Reserves who have lost their lives in active service in support of RAF operations.
Music was performed by the Band of the RAF Regiment conducted by Wing Commander Richard Murray, Principal Director of Music (RAF), and the choir of St Clement Danes led by the assistant Director of Music Mr Newsome-Hubbard.
The service was led by the Reverend Mark Perry Resident Chaplain of St Clement Danes Church and the sermon was delivered by the Chaplain-in-Chief and Archdeacon for the Royal Air Force the Venerable Dr Giles Legood. The prayers were led by the Reverend Ruth Hake Deputy Chaplain-in-Chief (Personnel) and the Reverend Alasdair Nicoll Deputy Chaplain-in-Chief (Operations).
