No. 5 Force Protection Wing - RAF Lossiemouth No. 7 Force Protection Wing - RAF Coningsby No. 8 Force Protection Wing - RAF Waddington Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment Squadrons 504 County of Nottingham Squadron RAuxAF [Regiment Flight only] 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron RAuxAF [Regiment Flight only] 609 West Riding Squadron RAuxAF (Ground Defence) 2503 Squadron (Ground Defence) 2620 Squadron (Ground Defence) 2622 Squadron (Ground Defence) 2623 Squadron (Ground Defence) 2624 Squadron (Ground Defence) Origin of the "Rock Ape" nickname In the past the nickname "Rock Ape" has been attributed to their traditional role guarding areas of Gibraltar, but this is not so. The term came into use after an accident in the Western Aden Protectorate in November 1952. Two RAF Regiment officers serving with the Aden Protectorate Levies at Dhala decided to amuse themselves by going out to shoot some of the hamadryas baboons (locally referred to as "rock apes"). The officers drew rifles and split up to hunt the apes. In the semi-darkness one of the officers fired at a moving object in the distance. When he reached the target he discovered he had shot the other officer. After emergency treatment Flight Lieutenant Percy Henry Mason survived to return to service a few months later. When asked by a board of inquiry why he had fired at his friend the officer replied that his target had "looked just like a rock ape" in the half light. The remark soon reverberated around the RAF and it was not long before the term was in general use. Notable former members British comedian Tony Hancock joined the RAF Regiment in 1942. British football manager Brian Clough served with the RAF Regiment during his national service. See also List of RAF Regiment units Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment Aden Protectorate Levies Iraq Levies RAAF Airfield Defence Guards RNZAF Security Forces USAF Security Forces List of air force ground units References Bibliography External links Official RAF Regiment homepage The Official RAF Regiment Association website Military units and formations established in 1942