Review by Michael Traynor
Queen’s University Air Squadron by Guy Warner, 184 pages , Colourpoint Books £16, ISBN 9781780734064
Queen’s University Air Squadron (QUAS) was a lesser known squadron of the Royal Air Force attached to Queen’s University in Belfast. It was formed on 8th January 1941 not long after the Battle of Britain had ended the previous autumn. Its purpose was begin the process of recruiting and training aircrew for operational service with the RAFVR, providing basic military training, ground school and air experience. The squadron operated from the RAF airfield at Sydenham, the current location of the George Best Belfast City airport. Post-war the purpose changed to teaching university students to fly in a reasonably relaxed military environment and prepare them for life either in the RAF or elsewhere.
The principal aircraft used were sequentially – the DH Tiger Moth, DHC Chipmunk and SA Bulldog. The Squadron was stood down on 11th April 1996 after 55 years in existence.
Many of the cadets qualified as pilots and went on to serve with RAF squadrons or in civil aviation (or both). During the Second World War 155 members of Queen’s University lost their lives during that conflict. One of the favourite activities for the cadets was Summer Camp. They attended the camps at many different RAF bases throughout the United Kingdom. Frequently the young student pilots were treated to flights in some of the RAF’s more modern fast jets and helicopters.
The author has lavishly adorned the book with an abundance of photographs making the story of the QUAS an easy to follow chronicle of the life and times of this exciting squadron from its inception at the early days of the Second World War. Guy Warner has gone to great lengths to make contact with numerous former members of the squadron including County Limerick resident Gerry Humphreys. These former members contributed their memoirs and numerous photographs from their personal collections of their time with this squadron.
This book is an easy to follow story in the relaxed writing style of this prolific aviation author and I commend it to you. It was recently launched and is available from www.colourpointbooks.com.
