New Guidon for Army Air Corps 60th Anniversary

The Prince of Wales wore the distinctive sky-blue beret as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps for a service marking the 60th anniversary of its formation.

120 members of the Corps gathered for the ceremony on the lawns outside the west door of Salisbury Cathedral, a few miles from the Corps' base at Middle Wallop on the edge of Salisbury Plain. 

To mark the anniversary, the Queen has granted a new guidon, or flag, to the Corps. The old guidon was laid to rest with a service of commemoration inside the cathedral.

The Prince paid tribute to the achievements of the Air Corps over six decades.

“Army aviation has evolved continuously and has played a vital role in many of the key operations world wide. The campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated the decisive contribution that soldiers in the air can make to the outcome of the land air battle.”

The Army Air Corps has seen action in conflicts including Malaya, Borneo, Aden, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, the Balkans, Libya and Afghanistan, as well as providing disaster relief in the Far East and the Philippines.

Aircraft from the present day and across the decades provided a fly-past in the glorious blue skies enjoyed by the 1200 families, friends, and well-wishers who gathered for the ceremony.