In 1939, the Royal Air Force implemented a plan to raise morale and entertain the troops during wartime, and The Squadronaires was one of the bands organized as a result.
After D-Day, the Squadronaires went on to entertain service personnel engaged in the Northwest European campaign but had to return to Britain because of military operations.
A cut-down version of the band (The Squadronetes), compared by vocalist Peter Morton, appeared every afternoon in the Palace Gardens (1960–1962).
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force, the Squadronaires produced an album entitled Squads Away in 1993, and in January 2002, they recorded Flying Home.
Jamie Deighton the band has played in Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London and for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove House, supporting Pop Idol winner, Will Young.
The band performs the majority of its concerts for charity, and in 2004 completed an eight-date tour of the South East to raise money for The Royal Air Forces Association.
Musical arranger and trumpet player Greg Francis then approached Mrs Mary Aldrich (Ronnie's widow) asking if he could obtain her permission to re-form the 'New Squadronaires' as a tribute to the original wartime Dance Band.
The orchestra was resident at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for two years, 2001 and 2002, and has remained popular with the many big band enthusiasts and holidaymakers.
The parts were actually thrown on a bonfire by ex-leader Aldrich in 1964, and so, it was necessary for Francis, who is owner of the registered trade mark name (The New Squadronaires Orchestra) to transcribe many of the original titles, from the existing recordings.