FUNERAL OF FRANCIS ALLAN PERRY - MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2025 at 3.20pm YEOVIL CREMATORIUM, BUNFORD LANE BA20 2EJ

With great sadness we announce the Funeral of Francis Allan Perry who died on the 11^th of October 2025, aged 102. A resident of Yeovil all his life, Allan was the longest serving veteran of the RAF Regiment, and one of the founding members for the newly formed Royal Air Force Regiment in 1942. He was a stalwart member of the Royal British Legion and of the RAF Regiment Association.

His funeral will take place at 15.20 hrs at the Yeovil Crematorium Bunford Lane Yeovil BA20 2EJ. Marshalled by the Yeovil Branch of the Royal British Legion the Royal Air Force will be represented by Air Marshal Professor Sir Christopher Coville and the King’s Colour Squadron of the RAF Regiment to support the family as they say farewell to this distinguished fellow veteran.  

Allan married Maisie in September 1947. They have 4 surviving children and celebrated 78 years of marriage in 2025. Unfortunately, due to her illness, they have been unable to live together for the past three years. Allan joined up as a ground Gunner on the 28th of August 1941 and subsequently the RAF Regiment in 1942, of which he was the founding member. After training, Allan sailed from Liverpool to join No. 2908 Squadron RAF based between Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt. During his war service, Allan served in Palestine, Transjordan, Syria, the Turkish border, Italy, Greece and Austria. Allan was demobbed on the 31st of December 1946, as an acting Sergeant. He returned to his pre-service employment with WD Sterling Ltd, as a foreman sorter until his retirement at 65. He then worked for a further 10 years as a delivery driver for ETP sales, a spin-off of the company.

Allan Perry was decorated for his wartime service with the Africa Star, the Italy Star, the 1939-45 Star, the 1939-45 Defence Medal, the 1939-45 War Medal and the 1939-45 Greece Medal.      

The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, then and today the Corps carries out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated to the delivery of air power.

The Royal Air Force Regiment is manned by personnel trained in various disciplines such as infantry tactics, force protection, field craft, sniper, support to special forces operations, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) defence and in the role of Counter Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-sUAS). They are equipped with advanced vehicles and detection measures. RAF Regiment instructors are responsible for training all Royal Air Force personnel in basic force protection such as first aid, weapon handling and CBRN skills. The Regiment and its members are known within the RAF as "The Regiment", "Rock Apes" or "Rocks".

History. The RAF Regiment was the creation of No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF, formed in Egypt in 1921 for operations in Iraq, followed shortly afterwards by No. 2 and No. 3 Company RAF. These were equipped with Rolls-Royce armoured cars and carried out policing operations throughout the Middle East in the 1920s.

The genesis of the modern RAF Regiment came from events in 1941, German airborne forces invaded Crete, then held by Greek, British and Commonwealth forces. The German invasion succeeded in major part because of the failure of the Allied land forces to recognise the strategic importance of the airfields, and hence to defend them adequately. In consequence, the RAF base at Maleme was taken largely intact by German paratrooper and glider forces, albeit with heavy casualties. The Germans were then reinforced by air behind allied lines. This led eventually to the loss of the whole island and substantial Allied losses in what became known as the Battle of Crete.

Disappointed with the failure of the British Army to recognise the importance of airfields in modern warfare, Prime Minister Churchill made the RAF responsible for the defence of its own bases and the RAF Regiment was formed on 1 February 1942, with its first headquarters established at RAF Belton Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire. It grew swiftly into a force of over 80,000 men. Made up of field squadrons equipped with Morris Light Reconnaissance Cars, Humber Light Reconnaissance Cars and Otter Light Reconnaissance Cars. The light anti-aircraft squadrons were originally armed with Hispano 20 mm cannon and then the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. Its role was to seize, secure and defend airfields to enable air operations to take place. Several parachute squadrons were formed to assist in the capture of airfields, a capability retained by No. II Squadron. It mounted the King's Guard at Buckingham Palace for the first time on 1 April 1943.

The RAF Regiment were instrumental during the campaign in North-Eastern India and Northern Burma which was fought in jungle and mountains with few or non-existent roads and which facilitated the infiltration of enemy patrols behind front lines. This was overcome by holding defensive "boxes" mainly or entirely supplied by air. The defence of forward airfields close to the main army concentrations was vital to this tactic.

As the Allies advanced across North Africa and into Italy and subsequently into Western Europe the British led the way with swift airfield construction and facilities to maintain and operate advance landing strips to ensure close air support for the advancing armies. Allan Perry and his colleagues delivered this capability so successfully that air superiority was constantly in place.

Air Marshal Professor Sir Christopher Coville is a Visiting Professor with the Freeman Air and Space Institute in the School of Security Studies. Sir Christopher joined the Royal Air Force in 1964 and later held senior appointments in Command, in NATO and in the MOD. Sir Christopher has enjoyed a successful second career in business and in the Third Sector.