History of the ATC in Galashiels
On the 5th February 1941 the Air Training Corps was officially established with King George VI as the Air Commodore-in-Chief and there has been a presence in the Borders ever since. The organisation has gone from strength to strength over the last few decades. Girls were able to join from the early 1980s, helping to bring more people together to enjoy everything that Air Cadet Life has to offer and today’s Air Cadets has a lot to offer any 13- 17 year old who is interested in joining.
Originally designed to recruit young men into the wartime RAF where many cadets served with distinction and with one being awarded the Victoria Cross, the modern day Air Cadets is now one of the largest youth organisations in the United Kingdom with 1000 Squadrons located across the UK, Germany and Gibraltar. In the Scottish Borders there are currently four units located in Duns, Kelso, St Boswells and Galashiels but when established the Air Cadets had units in most towns of any size in the Borders including Selkirk, Hawick, Melrose Jedburgh, Hawick and Peebles. At that time Squadrons paraded over 100 cadets at each unit with upwards of 10 staff at each location. Today the numbers are lower with about 25-30 Cadets and 3-4 staff at each Squadron being the norm.
While records dated March 1941 show that only 330 (Peebles) Squadron was registered at the time the Corps was created by 18th March 427 Sq is mentioned in the Borders Telegraph. The photograph below exist which shows the Galashiels Detachment of 427 Sq on parade during Warship Week in November 1941 led by Plt Off W Coutts OC of the Gala Unit.
It is quite clear that the ATC had a presence in Galashiels and Newtown from early in 1941 in fact the Borders Telegraph carries articles which show the inaugural meetings of the Galashiels and Newtown units took place on 26th March 1941 with committee meetings taking place earlier and 72 Cadets recorded from Galashiels and Selkirk on 11th March. Only 330 Squadronn is older than the Galashiels Detachment.
The original Selkirk Squadron is known to have been numbered 427 (Selkirkshire) Squadron and Hawick was established as 1086 (Roxburghshire) Squadron. It would appear from records that individual Squadrons were raised in each of the Borders Counties, the original Borders Squadrons being numbered 330 (Peeblesshire), 427 (Selkirkshire), 1007 (Berwickshire), 1086 (Roxburghshire) with Galashiels a detachment of 427 Sq and the Newtown Unit a detachment of 1086 Squadron. Individual Squadron Numbers were, and still are, a source of much pride among squadron members both current and past.. Squadrons have been in existence in one form or another since the earliest days of the organisation with 1716 being adopted by all units across the borders on at least one occasion when the need for recruits diminished at the end of WWII. Records also show that 2180 Sq was, for a time parent to Detached Flights in Selkirk and Melrose.
The Operations Record Book for Edinburgh & South Scotland Wing ATC for 1949- 1956 is a mine of information relating to the activities of Squadrons across Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders and 2180 Squadrons appears to have been one of the most active and successful Squadrons at that time
During the early 50s 2180 Sq was particularly successful at Wing and Scottish level. In 1950 2180 were runners up in the Scottish Air Cadet Boxing Championships held in the North British Loco Club in Glasgow, in 1951 they were Scottish Swimming Champions, six Cadets from the Squadron were members of the Scottish Swimming team who travelled to compete in the UK competition. In 1953 the Gala Lads won the Scottish Aircraft Recognition Championships and on several occasions were highly successful in Wing Shooting competition and in April 1955 the Squadron were placed 10th in the UK wide Battle of Britain Shooting Competition.