On 24 July 2023, the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Richard Knighton, was the Reviewing Officer at a Parade at Royal Air Force Cosford during which he presented 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron with its new Standard. The Squadron Commander, Squadron Leader John Roylance, was the Parade Commander, and Flight Lieutenant Chris Halliwell received and carried the Standard. The Chief of the Air Staff and the Squadron’s Honorary Air Commodore, Air Vice-Marshal Aroop Mozumder addressed the Parade, and the Chaplain-in-Chief, The Venerable Doctor (Air Vice-Marshal) Giles Legood lead the Service and consecrated the Standard. Music was provided by the Royal Air Force College Band. Following the Advance in Review Order, a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight performed a 3-pass flypast.
Attendees included the Commandant-General , Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Munro, the Station Commander, Group Captain Cameron Gibb, Squadron and Station personnel and their families, dignitaries and members of the local community and representatives from the Royal Air Force and Royal Auxiliary Air Force Foundation.
The occasion marked another episode in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force’s long association with Squadron Standards. It began 80 years earlier when, on 1st April 1943, the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force, King George VI approved the award of Standards to operational Regular and Auxiliary Squadrons. 11 years later, , 11 March 1954, 605 Squadron was presented with its Standard at Royal Air Force Honiley by Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret.
In 1957, all of the Auxiliary Squadrons were disbanded, and, on 10 March 1957, 605 Squadron’s Standard was laid up in the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Lindisfarne, Castle Vale.
In 1998, following a request from the then Inspector of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, the Air Force Board agreed that selected Auxiliary Squadrons, albeit with non-flying roles, could be awarded the numbers of former Auxiliary flying Squadrons. As a consequence, 605 Squadron was reformed on 1 November 2014 at Royal Air Force Cosford.
In 2017 , Queen Elizabeth II approved the award of new Standards to nine of these resurrected Squadrons including 605 Squadron.
In common with all military Standards, 605 Squadron’s is a beautifully embroidered work of art. In the centre is the original Squadron badge, and on either side are seven of the ten Battle Honours won by the Squadron, namely:
1940 Dunkirk
1940 Battle of Britain
1941 Malta
1942 Eastern Waters
1942 – 1943 Fortress Europe
1944 Home Defence
1944 -1945 France and Germany
RTWM – Aug 23