Scottish Airways

United Airways was formed in 1934 with the powerful backing of Whitehall securities which already owned Spartan Airlines. In 1935 United took over both Scottish and Northern Airlines based in Glasgow and Highland Airways based in Inverness. The founders of those two airlines – George Nicholson and Ted Fresson carried on running their airlines under their original names. In 1935 United merged with Spartan and Hillmans to form the original British Airways. In 1937 talks took place with the principals over how to combine the Southern and Northern Scottish Airlines. To this end Scottish Airways was formed on 1st August 1937. It was 40% owned by the train company LMS, 50% by British Airways and 10% by David MacBrayne. For the first time since they founded their companies Ted Fresson and George Nicholson were not in charge, having to report to former RAS man Wing Commander Measures. From 1941 they carried airmail for the Air Ministry for troops stationed on Isle of Lewis. In 1945 the airline was authorized to operate an airway letter service one way between Stornoway and Glasgow until they were taken over by British European Airways in 1947. A 4d cachet was used for receipt of the airway letter fee. After Scottish Airways had been formed the constituent airlines carried on with their former identities. It wasn’t until 2nd May 1938, that they finally lost their independence and from 3rd May 1938 they started flying as Scottish Airways.

Scottish Airways. First Flight of Mail Contract. 3rd May 1938

18 Jul 1938. Scottish Airways. An Orcadian envelope (marked as No 10) posted at Clachan post Office at the Empire Exhibition Glasgow (Exhibition postmark and sticker) to Kirkwall and flown to Kirkwall. Back stamped 19th July.

04 Aug 1938. Orcadian envelope type 3c sent to Lundy. 1 and 1/2d stamps cancelled with Kirkwall cds. The cover would have been flown by Scottish Airways to Inverness, then taken by train to Barnstaple where it would have been flown by Atlantic Coast Airlines to Lundy. Atlantic Coast ½ d stamp cancelled with undated air cancel. Red Lundy puffin stamp cancelled with the Lundy cancel. An interesting combination cover. There is another sent to the same address in the same handwriting, but 1939 in the Lundy cancels and covers page.

First flight to North Ronaldsay. 31st July 1939

According to Redford “On Saturday 28th, a plebiscite was held for all inhabitants of North Ronaldsay between the ages of 14 and 80 to determine whether they were satisfied with the existing postal service (boat) or would prefer a regular air mail. The result was an overwhelming majority (127 for, 24 against) for the air mail proposition, and it was confidently hoped that the Post Office would accede to the Islanders desire in this matter. The Islanders were not disappointed and commencing on Monday 31st July 1939, a thrice-weekly air mail service was instituted to operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between Wideford Airport, Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay, the company receiving the contract being Scottish Airways Ltd” Captain E. E. Fresson piloting the De Havilland “Dragon” G-ACIT left Kirkwall at Noon and arrived at North Ronaldsay at 12.40. Nearly the whole Island turned out to greet the flight and Fresson gave a speech of acknowledgement. Fresson left North Ronaldsay at 12.50 pm and arrived at Kirkwall at 13.30. The company produced an extremely colourful souvenir envelope for both directions, of which a hundred were printed. Unfortunately, they were not printed in time for general sale. An extremely small number of these covers were flown on the first flight as company envelopes (possibly 5) in both directions. They all had the commemorative sticker tied by the North Ronaldsay or Kirkwall CDS or in the case of the Fresson envelopes the Inverness CDS. They also had receivers which proved the date of the flight, either being North Ronaldsay or Kirkwall or in the case of the Fresson envelope, Inverness. There is at least one round trip envelope, which is shown below.

31 Jul 1939. Scottish Airways. First regular flight from Kirkwall to North Ronaldsay sent from Inverness. Note the 10.30 am Inverness cancellation, the 31st July North Ronaldsay receiver, the 3.30pm time and the Inverness reciever. These are essential for maybe important for determining a genuine first flight. Addressed to Capt. E E. Fresson, founder of Highland Airways, Executive of Scottish Airways and pilot of the flight. Only 5 recorded. Redgrove stated that 100 of these were issued but they are very scarce in any form, regardless of the reciever and it is likely that 5 were sent each way but after that the rest were not used.

Scottish Airways. Souvenir Envelopes, First flight to Ronaldshay. 31 July 1939.

Like the Allied Airways first flight to the Shetlands as well as the company covers, several souvenir envelopes were produced by individuals and companies. The covers produced by the Orkney Herald are particularly interesting due to the variations produced by printers’ errors.

The Orcadian

These resemble the Orcadian envelopes printed for the first flight of Highland Airways to and from Wick. 100 were printed of which 50 were ‘To North Ronaldshay’ and 50 were ‘From North Ronaldshay’. Of these only 38 were flown, while 12 in each direction were kept mint for collectors.

Orcadian first flight envelope from North Ronaldsay

Orcadian first flight envelope to North Ronaldsay

The Orkney Herald

The Orkney Herald decided to celebrate the event and ordered a block of a plane. The block did not arrive promptly and they borrowed a block from the Orcadian and used it to print 100 envelopes at 1d each. At the last moment, the special block arrived and a further 60 were printed. The first printing is known as type 1, and the second as type 2. Type 1 has a number of printer errors. The printing was done in four operations. 1) The aeroplane in red 2) the frame in red 3) The body of the plane in blue 4) The writing in blue. Three errors have been noted 1) Blue of plane and clouds missing (4 recorded), 2) Red of plane and frame doubly printed (3 recorded), inscription doubly printed (1 recorded). The first and second are shown below.

Lockwood Covers

These covers were produced by an enthusiastic collector of such covers in the Shetlands – Miss Lockwood. 30 covers were produced in each direction.

Lockwood cover to North Ronaldsay

FFrancis Field Covers

The dealer Francis Field produced blue and white cover. There are three distinct types. Type 1 - “First Regular Air Mail/plane/From N Ronaldsay.” Top left corner. Type 2 - “Plane/First Regular Air Mail/To N Ronaldsay’ Top left corner. Type 3 - “First Regular Air Mail/plane/From N Ronaldsay.” Bottom left corner.

Scottish Airways first airmail from Finnstown in the Orkneys to Inverness. Three line purple first flight cachet. Although Scottish Airways was formed back on the 1st August 1937 this was the first time that mail was flown as Scottish Airways

Field type 1 cover from North Ronaldsay

Field type 2 cover to North Ronaldsay

Orkney Herald type 1 to North Ronaldsay

Orkney Herald type 1 to Kirkwall

Orkney Herald type 1 error blue and clouds missing

Orkney Herald type 1 error double red on plane and borders

Lockwood cover to Kirkwall

Orkney Herald type 2 to North Ronaldsay

Orkney Herald type 2 to Kirkwall

1st October 1939. First flight. Glasgow to Campbeltown.

All the other covers in this section have been routes flown by the old Highland AIrways. This route was flown by the other Airline in Scottish Airways -Northern and Scottish AIrways. Both the first flight envelopes are addressed to George Nicholson the original founder of Northern and Scottish Airways. There were only 44 of these flown in both directions.

First Flight. Glasgow to Campbelltown First Flight. Campbelltown to Glasgow.

Emergency flight to North Ronaldsay. 17th December 1938

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British Internal Airmails of the 1930’s

Field type 3 cover form North Ronaldsay

Fresson and some of the residents of North Ronaldsay

Field type 3 cover form North Ronaldsay

Fresson and the residents of North Ronaldsay

Field type 1 cover from North Ronaldsay

Field type 2 cover to North Ronaldsay

First Flight. Glasgow to Campbelltown

First Flight. Campbelltown to Glasgow.

Round Trip. Glasgow to Campbelltown

Round Trip. Glasgow and Campbelltown cancels

17th December 1938. Emergency mail. Mail to North Ronaldsay normally went by boat from Sanday, but due to bad weather this had not been possible for a number of days. Scottish Airways were chartered to take the mail. Capt. Hankins flew to Sanday took on more mail and continued to North Ronaldsay. The cachet on the example here was apparently applied by the pilot’s agent. Normal covers are extremely scarce as the inhabitants were collecting postage stamps for charity.

Round flight cover. Official cover flown by Captain E. Fresson on the first round flight to North Ronaldshay. Note that the cover was posted at Inverness at 10.30 a.m. and re-cancelled at North Ronaldshay prior to it being flown back to Inverness.

First round flights Glasgow to Campbeltown and return. The only souvenir envelopes for this flight were provided by the Company. The top envelope is a souvenir cover the one on the right has a red cachet. Flown to Campbeltown where they received the return cancel of Campbeltown. There were only twelve round trip covers.

Lockwood cover to North Ronaldsay

Lockwood cover to Kirkwall

A scarce block of six of the uncommon labels that were printed with this flight.

Insert for the commemorative envelopes.

First flight Renfrew to Kirkwall 15th May 1939

A daily Renfrew-Kirkwall-Renfrew return flight was inaugurated on this date. No mail contract was held, but on the first day of this service an unofficial souvenir mail of twelve covers was carried on the round trip. It is somewhat surprising that the GPO did not give a contract to this flight as it saved considerable time on mail coming up from the South of England. Otherhwise it has to be trained up from Glasgow to Inverness to catch the Scottish Airways flight to Kirkwall. I presently have no covers to show for this flight.