Biography
Soon following Great Britain's involvement in the Second World War, seasoned entertainers were recruited by the Royal Air Force Music Services to populate dance bands stationed at RAF bases. These musicians performed standard military tasks by day before donning band attire each evening to deliver jazz and pop performances that boosted morale among service members. Instrumentalists who had played with groups such as the Heralds of Swing and the Bert Ambrose Orchestra opted to enlist voluntarily rather than await conscription, reporting first to RAF Uxbridge and later, after initial instruction at Morecombe, joining the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra. This unit, widely recognized as the Squadronaires and casually called "the Squads," operated under the direction of vocalist and pianist Jimmy Miller. Its lineup featured trumpeters Archie Craig and Tommy McQuater, trombonists Eric Breeze and George Chisholm, reed players Andy McDevitt, Jimmy Durrant, Harry Lewis, and Tom Bradbury, plus a rhythm section comprising pianist Ronnie Aldrich, guitarist Sid Collin, bassist Arthur Madden, and drummer Jock Cummings. With "There's Something in the Air" as its signature theme, the ensemble cut gramophone discs, broadcast on BBC radio, and traveled widely, frequently appearing in recently liberated areas or near active combat zones. Accounts even claim the group executed a rapid withdrawal amid the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Once hostilities ended, most original members left military service one by one, prompting the creation of a civilian Squadronaires ensemble led by Ronnie Aldrich that maintained strong popularity until the early 1960s. A fresh iteration of the Royal Air Force Squadronaires began to form in 1985 and was formally established at RAF Uxbridge in January 1987 under Sergeant Jimmy Miller's leadership, with several founding musicians present for the occasion. The revived unit has issued multiple acclaimed recordings, among them Big Band Spectacular, Swing Squadron, Squads Away, and Flying Home, has appeared at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, and continues the wartime band's original purpose by performing for British armed forces personnel at their current postings.
Albums
