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In Dececmber 1933 when Bill
Thurgood, a coachbuilder from Hertfordshire, established Jersey
Airways and ran scheduled flights from Jersey to Portsmouth.
His fleet of de Havilland Dragons, and later DH86 Express airliners,
operated from the beach at West Park and his success prompted
the States of Jersey - the local parliament - to build a proper
airport in the parish of St Peter. It opened in March 1937 and
was right at the cutting edge: its architects later designed
the futuristic terminal at Birmingham. The Channel Islands fell
under German occupation on the 1st of July 1940 and islanders
had to watch as the Allies re-took Normandy and made their way
to Berlin before being liberated on the 9th of May 1945, one
day after Victory in Europe Day. Jersey Airlines was an early
post-World War II private, independent British airline formed
in 1948. In 1952, the airline operated its first scheduled service.
Jersey Airways resumed flying on the 26th of May using ex-RAF
Rapides and, later, the new Bristol Wayfarer. The Labour government
nationalised the airlines to create British European Airways
(BEA) and Jersey Airways was required to surrender its aircraft
and routes by the 1st of April 1947. There was talk of resistance
by those who felt that the British Government could not dictate
terms to the Channel Islands but, with a threat that its aircraft
would be prevented from landing in England, Jersey Airways fell
in line with the other ten independent airlines which, together,
made up the new corporation. |
