Jersey Airways
Encyclopedia
Jersey Airways was an airline that operated air services to and from the Channel Islands
from 1933 until 1947, when it became part of British European Airways.
to Portsmouth
. In the absence of a proper airport, the aircraft used St. Aubin's beach at West Park, St. Helier
, and the airline had its maintenance base at Portsmouth Airport
, (moving to Southampton Airport
in 1935).
The first flights from Heston
(with a special bus connection from London) to Jersey began on Sunday, 28 January 1934, flights from Southampton began in March, and a service to Paris operated during Summer 1934. In its first full year, Jersey Airways carried 20,000 passengers, using a fleet of eight DH.84 Dragon
s, each capable of carrying eight passengers.
On 1 December 1934, Channel Islands Airways was registered as a holding company for Jersey Airways Ltd. and its subsidiary Guernsey Airways Ltd. which had been formed a week earlier.
Shares were bought by the Great Western Railway
and the Southern Railway
. This allowed expansion, and six four-engined DH.86s
and two DH.89 Dragon Rapides
were introduced in 1935 to replace the Dragons. A service to Rennes
, in France, began on 8 January 1935, though ceasing on 29 March. A Plymouth
-Jersey service began in April 1936, and to Exeter
, Dinard
and Shoreham
in 1938.
Jersey Airport
opened on 10 March 1937, and Jersey Airways was able to operate a fixed timetable that no longer depended on the state of the tides. This also meant the company obtained the mail-carrying contract, freight traffic increased, and night flights could begin.
Meanwhile, in Guernsey
, things were at a less advanced stage, and most air services were those by flying boats and amphibians. Guernsey Airways was very much smaller than its sister company in Jersey. Two Saro flying boats were used: Windhover
G-ABJP and Saro Cloud
G-ABXW, named "Cloud of Iona". Guernsey's new airport
was opened in May 1939, and Guernsey Airways began a service to Southampton on 8 May. DH.86A G-ADVK and DH.86B G-AENR were used, later joined by DH.95 Flamingo
G-AFUF. The prototype Flamingo, G-AFUE had earlier been evaluated by Jersey Airways, but further orders for the type were frustrated by world events.
At the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939, flights to the Channel Islands ceased. In November 1939, services resumed from Shoreham, under the direction of National Air Communications
. Finally, on 13 June 1940, all scheduled air services between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands were suspended. The following day, Jersey Airways began flying its staff and equipment to the United Kingdom mainland, and on 18–19 June 1940, the DH.86 fleet was used to evacuate 320 islanders to the mainland, before German forces occupied the islands
on 1 July. One DH.86 (G-ADVK) was on overhaul at Jersey at the time, and was lost to the enemy; the rest of the fleet was impressed into RAF service.
Following the liberation of the islands in 1945, Channel Islands Airways resumed scheduled services in June using ex-RAF Dragon Rapides. Jersey Airways and Guernsey Airways flights then terminated at Southampton and at Croydon
. Bristol 170 Wayfarer
G-AGVB was loaned to Channel Islands Airways in May 1946.
In 1947, the Labour government nationalised the UK airlines, including Jersey Airways, to form British European Airways
(BEA). The Channel Islands authorities resisted this move, feeling that it was unacceptable to be dictated to by the British Government, who had no legal jurisdiction over the islands. However it was made plain that flights from the Channel Islands would not otherwise be allowed to land in England, so they bowed to the inevitable, and the airline staff, the eight Dragon Rapides and their routes all became a part of BEA on 1 April 1947.
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
from 1933 until 1947, when it became part of British European Airways.
History
Jersey Airways Limited was formed by W L Thurgood on 9 December 1933. The first commercial service took place on 18 December, with a passenger service from JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. In the absence of a proper airport, the aircraft used St. Aubin's beach at West Park, St. Helier
Saint Helier
Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...
, and the airline had its maintenance base at Portsmouth Airport
Portsmouth Airport (UK)
Portsmouth Airport was situated at the northeast corner of Portsea Island on the south coast of England and was one of the last remaining commercial grass runway airports in the United Kingdom.-Location:...
, (moving to Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport
Southampton Airport is the 20th largest airport in the UK, located north north-east of Southampton, in the Borough of Eastleigh within Hampshire, England....
in 1935).
The first flights from Heston
Heston Aerodrome
Heston Aerodrome was a 1930s airfield located to the west of London, UK, operational between 1929 and 1947. It was situated on the border of the Heston and Cranford areas of Hounslow, Middlesex...
(with a special bus connection from London) to Jersey began on Sunday, 28 January 1934, flights from Southampton began in March, and a service to Paris operated during Summer 1934. In its first full year, Jersey Airways carried 20,000 passengers, using a fleet of eight DH.84 Dragon
De Havilland Dragon
|-See also:-References:Bibliography ISBN 0-85177-813-5...
s, each capable of carrying eight passengers.
On 1 December 1934, Channel Islands Airways was registered as a holding company for Jersey Airways Ltd. and its subsidiary Guernsey Airways Ltd. which had been formed a week earlier.
Shares were bought by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
. This allowed expansion, and six four-engined DH.86s
De Havilland Express
The de Havilland Express was a four-engined passenger aircraft from the 1930s manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.-Development:...
and two DH.89 Dragon Rapides
De Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
were introduced in 1935 to replace the Dragons. A service to Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, in France, began on 8 January 1935, though ceasing on 29 March. A Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
-Jersey service began in April 1936, and to Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Dinard
Dinard
Dinard is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a popular holiday destination, and this has resulted in the town having a variety of famous visitors and residents...
and Shoreham
Shoreham Airport
- Sussex Police Air Operations Unit :The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police...
in 1938.
Jersey Airport
Jersey Airport
-Busiest routes:Some airlines offer services between Jersey and other destinations with an intermediate stop at Guernsey. There are also periodic charter flights to European holiday destinations, Madeira and ski destinations operated by airlines such as Aurigny Air Services, Europe Airpost, Palmair...
opened on 10 March 1937, and Jersey Airways was able to operate a fixed timetable that no longer depended on the state of the tides. This also meant the company obtained the mail-carrying contract, freight traffic increased, and night flights could begin.
Meanwhile, in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, things were at a less advanced stage, and most air services were those by flying boats and amphibians. Guernsey Airways was very much smaller than its sister company in Jersey. Two Saro flying boats were used: Windhover
Saro Windhover
|-See also:-References:*Lewis, Peter. 1970. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. Putnam ISBN 0370000676*London, Peter. 1988. Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917, Putnam ISBN 0-85177-814-3...
G-ABJP and Saro Cloud
Saro Cloud
|-See also:-References:*Doyle, Neville. 1991. From Sea-Eagle to Albatross: Channel Island Airlines 1923-1939. ISBN 185421103X*Doyle, Neville. 2002. The Triple Alliance: The Predecessors of the first British Airways. Air-Britain. ISBN 0851302866...
G-ABXW, named "Cloud of Iona". Guernsey's new airport
Guernsey Airport
Guernsey Airport is the largest airport in the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is the only airport on the island of Guernsey. It is located in the Forest, a parish in Guernsey, west southwest of St. Peter Port.-History:...
was opened in May 1939, and Guernsey Airways began a service to Southampton on 8 May. DH.86A G-ADVK and DH.86B G-AENR were used, later joined by DH.95 Flamingo
De Havilland Flamingo
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bain, Gordon. De Havilland: A Pictorial Tribute. London: AirLife, 1992. ISBN 1-85648-243-X.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "De Havilland's War Orphan." Air Enthusiast. Number 30, March-June 1996, pp. 1—10. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press.*...
G-AFUF. The prototype Flamingo, G-AFUE had earlier been evaluated by Jersey Airways, but further orders for the type were frustrated by world events.
At the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939, flights to the Channel Islands ceased. In November 1939, services resumed from Shoreham, under the direction of National Air Communications
National Air Communications
National Air Communications was a British government organisation that directed civilian flying operations from the outbreak of World War II until April 1940.-Pre-war preparations:...
. Finally, on 13 June 1940, all scheduled air services between the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands were suspended. The following day, Jersey Airways began flying its staff and equipment to the United Kingdom mainland, and on 18–19 June 1940, the DH.86 fleet was used to evacuate 320 islanders to the mainland, before German forces occupied the islands
Occupation of the Channel Islands
The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi Germany for much of World War II, from 30 June 1940 until the liberation on 9 May 1945. The Channel Islands are two British Crown dependencies and include the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey as well as the smaller islands of Alderney and Sark...
on 1 July. One DH.86 (G-ADVK) was on overhaul at Jersey at the time, and was lost to the enemy; the rest of the fleet was impressed into RAF service.
Following the liberation of the islands in 1945, Channel Islands Airways resumed scheduled services in June using ex-RAF Dragon Rapides. Jersey Airways and Guernsey Airways flights then terminated at Southampton and at Croydon
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
. Bristol 170 Wayfarer
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
G-AGVB was loaned to Channel Islands Airways in May 1946.
In 1947, the Labour government nationalised the UK airlines, including Jersey Airways, to form British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
(BEA). The Channel Islands authorities resisted this move, feeling that it was unacceptable to be dictated to by the British Government, who had no legal jurisdiction over the islands. However it was made plain that flights from the Channel Islands would not otherwise be allowed to land in England, so they bowed to the inevitable, and the airline staff, the eight Dragon Rapides and their routes all became a part of BEA on 1 April 1947.
Jersey Airways fleet 1933-1940
| Type | Registration | Name |
|---|---|---|
| DH.84 | G-ACMC | St. Brelade's Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACMJ | St. Aubin's Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACMO | St. Ouen's Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACMP | St. Clement's Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACNG | Portelet Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACNH | Bouley Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACNI | Bonne Nuit Bay |
| DH.84 | G-ACNJ | Rozel Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACYF | Giffard Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACYG | Grouville Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACZN | St. Catherine's Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACZO | Ouainé Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACZP | Belcroute Bay |
| DH.86 | G-ACZR | La Saline Bay |
| DH.89 | G-ADBV | St. Ouen's Bay II |
| DH.89 | G-ADBW | (unnamed) |
Accidents
- 29 June 1936: de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Rozel Bay overshot Alderney AirportAlderney AirportAlderney Airport is the only airport on the island of Alderney. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in the Channel Islands. Located on the Blaye , it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast of England and the coast of France. Its facilities include a hangar, the...
. It was landing with six passengers on board and the pilot, Mr Martin, a pilot new to the airline, ran out of runway breaking the starboard propellor and damaging the undercarriage as he hit a bank. He had to choice of hitting 6 cows or the bank, so he chose the later. There were no fatalities and the aircraft flew soon after.
- 31 July 1936: Saro A.19 Cloud amphibian G-ABXW "Cloud of Iona" went missing on a flight from Guernsey to Jersey on a stormy evening. All eight occupants died. The investigation concluded that the aircraft was forced to land in the sea due to loss of engine power, and was then swamped by the waves.
- 4 November 1938: DH.86 G-ACZN "St. Catherine's Bay"1938 Jersey Airport disasterThe 1938 Jersey Airport disaster occurred at 10:50am on Friday 4 November 1938 when the Jersey Airways de Havilland D.H.86 airliner St Catherine's Bay crashed in the parish of Saint Brélade, 500 yards east of Jersey Airport, killing the pilot and all twelve passengers on board as well as farm hand...
crashed at St. Peter's shortly after take-off from Jersey airport, en route to Southampton. All 13 occupants were killed in addition to one person on the ground.