Found a picture on Flightglobal web site archive of aircraft from the London University Air Squadron in formation during their annual camp (at RAF Duxford) of 1938, comprising of two Tutors and a Hawker Hart.
It describes the prominent fuselage stripe on the Tutors' as purple in colour (being the 'sporting colour' of University of London)
The University of London Air Squadron was formed in September 1935 and took up headquarters in Exhibition Road in South Kensington in March 1936, with its flying headquarters at RAF Northolt. At its inception, the squadron was equipped with Avro 504Ns but was rapidly re-equipped with Avro Tutors and later Hawker Harts for advanced training.
The squadron held its first summer camp at RAF Halton in 1936 and returned in 1937, when the squadron was only allowed to enroll fifty members, and a further two, Duxford in 1938, from which time it was allowed to enroll 75 members and Thorney Island in 1939.
With the outbreak of war in 1939 the squadron was disbanded, but was reformed in April 1941 to provide pilot training to students of the University of London whom had volunteered for aircrew duties.
The first course started in October 1941 and the squadron became, in effect, a Wing for the duration of the war with three squadrons: Number 1 Squadron was based at Kensington, Number 2 at Holloway and Number 3 at Twickenham.
During the war, out of 150 prewar members, 42 members of the squadron were killed in action, 4 received the DSO, 2 an MBE and 19 received the DFC, one with bar. (These figures do not include members of the squadron who passed through between 1941 and 1945.)
It describes the prominent fuselage stripe on the Tutors' as purple in colour (being the 'sporting colour' of University of London)
The University of London Air Squadron was formed in September 1935 and took up headquarters in Exhibition Road in South Kensington in March 1936, with its flying headquarters at RAF Northolt. At its inception, the squadron was equipped with Avro 504Ns but was rapidly re-equipped with Avro Tutors and later Hawker Harts for advanced training.
The squadron held its first summer camp at RAF Halton in 1936 and returned in 1937, when the squadron was only allowed to enroll fifty members, and a further two, Duxford in 1938, from which time it was allowed to enroll 75 members and Thorney Island in 1939.
With the outbreak of war in 1939 the squadron was disbanded, but was reformed in April 1941 to provide pilot training to students of the University of London whom had volunteered for aircrew duties.
The first course started in October 1941 and the squadron became, in effect, a Wing for the duration of the war with three squadrons: Number 1 Squadron was based at Kensington, Number 2 at Holloway and Number 3 at Twickenham.
During the war, out of 150 prewar members, 42 members of the squadron were killed in action, 4 received the DSO, 2 an MBE and 19 received the DFC, one with bar. (These figures do not include members of the squadron who passed through between 1941 and 1945.)
