I don’t recall the above building before its demolition c 2002, but it sat prominently at the corner of Coplaw Street and Victoria Road, and was tied up with Glasgow’s military history.

The famous 602 Squadron

602 AuxAF Squadron was founded on 12 September 1925, the first unit of the newly created Auxiliary Air Force. The unit was based at Renfrew airstrip, where the runway nows forms part of the M8 beyond Hillington. Initially intended as a light bomber squadron, its pilots initially achieved fame with the first flight over Mount Everest in 1933. Squadron leader the Marquis of Clydesdale (later 13th Duke of Hamilton) and Flt Lt David McIntyre flew two Westland biplanes with observers and film cameras, passing 100 feet over the summit. They were forbidden to repeat the flight due to difficulties with their oxygen supplies, but on finding the photographs spoiled by dust, they did it again anyway, producing the first detailed aerial mapping of Everest . The documentary Wings over Everest (1934) won an Oscar. You can watch it online.

602 Squadron flyers approaching the summit of Everest.

While the flying took place at Renfrew, the squadron also needed a headquarters, and so the site was selected adjacent to the home of the 7th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), the old Third Lanark Drill Hall on Coplaw Street, where Strathbungo merges into Govanhill.

The headquarters building was opened by King George V on 12 July 1927.
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