Guernsey Airways

Guernsey Airways was a fellow subsidiary of Jersey AIrways under the Islands Airways Holding. It was registered on 24th November 1934 and began flying to Jersey on June 9th 1935. With a number of accidents, it was closed after the end of 1936 when an accident claimed ten lives. It did not open again until Guernsey Airport opened on May 8th 1939. With the new airport opened it resumed flights to Jersey and also flew to Southampton, Shoreham and Exeter. The planned expansion with three new Aircraft was halted by the advent of WW2. With the Channel Islands about to be invaded all aircraft concentrated on evacuation. It resumed services in 1945 but was nationalised in 1947. Initially I put Jersey and Guernsey Airlines together, but the owner ran them as two seperate companies to try and get two subsidies. There was no Guernsey Airlines livery it flew as Jersey and Guernsey Airlines. After the opening of the new Guernsey Airport La Viilaize, Guernsey Airways started a service on opening day on the 5th May 1939 between Southampton and London and between Jersey and Guernsey. The carrying of mail followed slowly and in a remarkably erratic fashion. The first mail was sent from Southampton to Guernsey three days after the service was started. The service from Guernsey was not started until a fortnight later when mail was sent to Southampton. Important to understanding the carrying of mail is that the boat service only ran 6 days a week, there was no service on Mondays. Thus, any mail received on a Monday had to be flown. Therefore backstamps are of the utmost importance, they show that an item was flown. The mail from Guernsey to Southampton did not happen until the 22nd May, when mail was also flown from Jersey to Guernsey only. It was a very early flight at 06.00 a.m. and most of the souvenir mail missed the flight. It can only be considered flown if it has the Guernsey backstamp of the 22nd. Once the plane landed at Guernsey it continued to Southampton leaving the airport at 6.28 am and landing in Southampton at 7.25 am. Mail did not go from Guernsey to Jersey for another six weeks until Monday 10th July. Once again, a backstamp is all important. Covers on this date without a backstamp are common, with a backstamp they are quite rare. What is unclear is the status of the afternoon flight? Was there a Jersey to Guernsey mail flight?

Guernsey Airways. First Flight from Southampton 8th May 1939

There was an official commemorative cover, which was a large envelope with just a typewritten commemoration and signed by the Pilot Capt. B. Walker, but I do not have an image. The Guernsey and Jersey logo was on the rear.

First flight Southampton to London Pilot signed

First flight Southampton to London Guernsey cachet.

The first envelope shown above has a purple cachet of the Southampton Office and was organised by the Aerofield magazine. On the rear is the Guernsey backstamp in black as described by Redgrove. On the left envelope, the envelope has left Southampton at exact the same time but has a green receiver cachet applied to the front. I am unsure what determines which cachet is used, but maybe being addressed to the Guernsey Offices is significant. It is important that the postmark is 11.45 on the 7th May. Any earlier and it would have gone by boat and any later it would have missed the plane.

The Flights of the 22nd May.

The plane which flew mail exclusively on Mondays left Jersey at 06.00 am and arrived at Jersey at 6.15. This was the first Jersey to Guernsey mail flight. When the plane flew onto Southampton that was also a first flight. The mail was only flown on Mondays when the boat did not run. The mail contract was for Mondays only so if it missed the early flight it would be sent by boat.

Two examples of mail flown from Jersey to Guernsey on the 22nd May. The example above has been sent ‘Poste Restante’ so has a backstamp of the 22nd showing that it was flown. The example to the left has no backstamp and although the cancel of 5 am. means that though it could have been flown, there is no guarantee.

Flight of the 10th July.

Possible first flight cover Jersey to Guernsey.

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Martin cover to Guernsey in Colour 8th May 1939

Martin cover to Guernsey in Black and White 8th May

British Internal Airmails of the 1930’s

Martin cover to Guernsey in Colour 8th May 1939

Martin cover to Guernsey in Black and White 8th May

8th May

It was not until the 10th July that mail was flown in the opposite direction. The Philatelic envelope covers were prepared by a Jersey Philatelist A. E. Le Gentil who also flew the same covers on the 22nd May from Jersey to Guernsey (See above). The cover has ‘VIA JERSEY, GUERNSEY/AIRWAYS’. Sometimes the cover will have ‘VIA JERSEY AIRWAY’ instead. The postmark is unclear. Although the 10th July is faint it is clearly visible, but the timestamp has been obscured by ‘Via Jersey, Guernsey Airways’ which for some unknown resaon has been added after the flight.