Edinburgh University Air Squadron, 1946-1969
Summa Petunt Juvenes
Edinburgh University Air Squadron
In the late 1930s, University Air Squadrons were established within
the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve to attract university graduates
into the RAF as officers, to give undergraduates an understanding of the
RAF and of aviation generally, and to provide basic flying training.
Edinburgh University Air Squadron was initially formed in 1941 at
RAF Turnhouse, but after merging with Glasgow and Aberdeen was
disbanded early in 1946. Later that year it was reformed within No 66
Group, being transferred to No 25 Group on 12 January 1959 as a
separate unit and it remained as such until the beginning of 1969.
Aircraft used: - Moth, Tiger Moth II, Harvard T Mk 2b, Chipmunk T Mk 10,
Prentice T Mk 1, Proctor C Mk 2
During this period, students who applied to join a UAS were required to complete a comprehensive selection process. They were then admitted to the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) as Officer
Cadets.
In January 1969, EUAS ceased to exist as a stand-alone unit, merging with St Andrews UAS to form East Lowlands UAS. This, in turn merged with Aberdeen and Dundee UASs in 2003 to form East of Scotland UAS, based at RAF Leuchars.
In March 2017 the informal group of former members of EUAS was established as the Edinburgh University Air Squadron Association, Winkle Brown Memorial Fund SCIO with charitable status. The aim of the EUAS Association was to raise funds for a memorial statue to Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown, arguably Britain's Best Pilot and a Scot who was brought up in the Scottish Borders and educated in Edinburgh.
The statue to Winkle was unveiled at Edinburgh Airport by HRH Prince Andrew on 2nd July 2018.
The picture below shows Councillor Frank Ross, The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, with Dr Hamish MacLeod the Chair of Edinburgh UAS Association, the life-size Winkle statue and HRH Prince Andrew.
De Havilland Chipmunks of the Air Squadrons of Edinburgh, St Andrews and
Glasgow fly over the opening of the Forth Road Bridge, 2nd Sep 1964
The statue is the first phase of the Winkle memorial project and funds are now being collected and are being used to enable some of today's youngsters to experience the life-enhancing effects of being at the controls of a light aircraft. As you can see below it really does boost their confidence and lifts their ambition. From fearful apprehension to sheer elation in one quick flight is just what Winkle would have wanted..