Received this very nice 1930’s poster for my 21st a couple of weeks back – apparently it’s from 1933, so pre-dates Railway Air Services by a year – does anyone have more information about Great Western Railway Air Services? Did the other three main railway companies have previous airlines before RAS was formed in March 1934?
The only information i’ve found so far is that the GWR Air Services were in association with Imperial Airways
I presume the aircraft is a Westland Wessex, but being a high-wing monoplane trimotor in the mid-war era doesn’t narrow it down
By: Rlangham - 12th July 2009 at 15:55
Thanks wieesso, much appreciated. I like that poster too
By: wieesso - 12th July 2009 at 12:18
‘Between April 11th and September 30th 1933, the Great Western Railway provided the air service from Plymouth’s Roborough Airport.’
http://www.plymouthdata.info/Air%20Services-GWR.htm
‘Commercial aviation arrived in April 1933 with the opening of an experimental air service between
Cardiff, Haldon (for Torbay) and Plymouth initiated by the Great Western Railway Company. The
service, flown with Westland Wessex aircraft (including G-AAGW) provided by Imperial Airways, was
opened to the public on April 12 and later extended to Birmingham. Although the service only operated
for a single summer season, it served to encourage other operators to use the aerodrome.’
http://www.devonstrut.co.uk/pages/newarticles/NL0506.pdf
‘On 12 April 1933 the GWR Air Service started a twice daily (weekday) service between Cardiff and Plymouth via Haldon. They chartered a Westland Wessex G-AAGW from Imperial Airways, painted cream and brown.’
http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/airport.php
http://aviationancestry.com/Aircraft/Westland/Westland-Wessex-1933-1.html
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July 11, 2009 at 9:08 pm