The History of Flying in the Isles of Scilly by Maurice Wickstead
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Bound for Lyonesse The history of flying in the Isles of Scilly by Maurice Wickstead ome of you may have sampled the 184s and Felixstowe F.5 flying- Smagical and mystical delights of the Isles boats. A number of other of Scilly, not least during the Devon Strut’s significant actions followed, annual fly-outs. Romanticised in the poems notably the thwarting of U-boat of Tennyson and Thomas Hardy as the attacks on the White Star liner ancient sunken land of Lyonesse, the islands Persic and later, a hospital ship. were first settled in the Stone Age, and today The last patrol was made on 10th derive some 85% of their income from November 1918, by which time all tourism, with many visitors and day-trippers four Flights had been incorporated arriving by air. into the RAF as No. 234 Squadron, It was early in 1917 that the aeroplane first before being disbanded in May appeared in Scilly, with the stationing of a 1919. A reminder of RNAS handful of Short 184 seaplanes at Porth Tresco can be found today in Mellon on St Mary’s, in response to the the Flying Boat Club, a small resurgence of Germany’s submarines holiday accommodation menacing the Western Approaches. They complex overlooking New were shortly followed by several Curtiss Grimsby Harbour. H.12 flying-boats from Plymouth’s RNAS Although various barnstormers Cattewater, but it was soon discovered that and aerial circuses toured the tidal surge was too great for these Cornwall’s mainland, it would be relatively fragile machines. Towards the end another decade before a civilian of February, the detachment moved across to aircraft first touched down on the neighbouring island of Tresco, there to Scilly. Mid-way through August form RNAS Tresco based at New Grimsby. 1929, a Gipsy Moth, flown by pre- The new unit’s first patrol was undertaken war aviation personality Colonel on 26th February 1917 and engagement with the Master of Semphill, alighted on enemy submarines followed two months the golf course near Hugh Town later, during which Curtiss ‘8654’ sustained after a short hop from the Lizard. gunfire damage. Conditions for the airmen Seven months later, another Moth were a best spartan, but perhaps somewhat (G-AALG), owned by the Prince of enlivened when a vessel stuffed to the Wales, brought the Secretary to the gunwales with port wine was wrecked Duchy of Cornwall for a brief visit. nearby! The first conclusive action took place In October 1930, there was on 17th May 1917, when an unidentified U- considerable excitement when an boat was sunk by an H.12, whose crew were later decorated. By the summer, full facilities Wrecked Felixstowe seaplane had been established and from August, the at Tresco. Curtiss boats had been augmented by Short Photograph: Pete White 28 ■ Light Aviation ■ April 2008 Maurice Wickstead ■ BOUND FOR LYONESSE American aircraft ‘dropped in’ on Tresco’s Bellanca, unfortunately destroyed in a secured landing rights from the Duchy of Pentle Beach. This was none other than the factory hangar fire in 1934, became the Cornwall. Another airline, Provincial Bellanca WB-2 Maple Leaf (NR237), flown progenitor of a long line of innovative and Airways, whose DH Fox Moths and Dragons by Lieutenants Errol Boyd and Harry successful designs that historically link linked Croydon with Penzance via the south Connor. Their direct flight from through to the modern-day Citabria, Viking coast, had already expressed an interest in Newfoundland to Croydon was interrupted and Skyrocket recreational aircraft. extending their West Country Air Service by a malfunctioning reserve fuel tank, Semphill made another sortie late in 1930 during summer months, but folded in the forcing an unplanned landing in the islands. during a tour around the British coastline, autumn of 1935 before the idea could be After a night in the governor’s castle, and this time flying a DH Puss Moth floatplane developed. with assistance from locals in preparing a (G-AAVB), and using St Mary’s Town Beach Cobham planned to commence flying in take-off run, the pair continued to Croydon as its base; he reappeared in March 1932, to September 1935, but was forestalled by the loss the next day to be greeted by Giuseppe carry fresh flowers back to London for of his company’s Westland Wessex, which Bellanca’s business partner, Charles Levine, Buckingham Palace. The Royal connection ditched in the Channel in July 1935, the who with pilot Clarence Chamberlain had was again in evidence in May of the same adverse publicity from which eventually already flown the same aircraft (as Columbia) year, when the Prince of Wales arrived by air forcing him out of business. Another well- non-stop between New York and Berlin in for a reception on St Mary’s with a flight of known commercial aviator, Gordon Olley, June 1927. Ironically, the Bellanca had been four RAF Supermarine Southampton flying- former senior Imperial Airways pilot and head Lindbergh’s chosen vehicle for his record- boats from Falmouth. of their charter department, soon took up the breaking NYC-Paris flight, but a dispute Other than these occasional visitors, there reins. Olley was already familiar with the West with the feisty Levine steered him towards was little sustained activity until the mid- Country, having operated the Great Western Ryan Aircraft. In fact, the aircraft had itself 1930s, when (Sir) Alan Cobham began Railway’s experimental Cardiff-Plymouth air also been prepared for the Orteig Prize prospecting the possibilities of opening a service two years earlier. After acquiring the transatlantic attempt, but an intervening regular air service to the islands. His assets of Cobham Air Routes in May 1936, he lawsuit against the company prevented its company, Cobham Air Routes, was already formed Channel Air Ferries as a subsidiary of participation, leaving the field clear for running a service between Croydon and his successful charter company, Olley Air ▲ Lindbergh and his Ryan monoplane. The Guernsey and by late August 1935, he had Service. Readers familiar with the post-war Light Aviation ■ April 2008 ■ 29 BOUND FOR LYONESSE ■ Maurice Wickstead RNAS station Tresco around the WW1 period. Photograph: Pete White ▲ Croydon Airport, will no doubt nostalgically a small booking office, a hangar, transported March 1939 took over CAF and RAS West recall the comings and goings of Olley’s fleet from Blackpool, was erected; the field at St Country services. This made it possible to fly of Doves and Herons, busily plying routes to Just gave a landing distance of 680m. The from St Mary’s to Bristol via Plymouth and the Channel Islands. Operating from initial service was once daily at a return fare make onward connections to the North, Shoreham, CAF initially concerned itself of £1.15s (£1.75), interchangeable with the Scotland and across the Irish Sea to Belfast with links to the Isle of Wight, but on 15th IOS Steamship services, and connections and Dublin. Another route, flown by September 1937, DH Dragon G-ADCR made could be made to the GWR Cornish Riviera Western Airways linked Lands End along the first scheduled run from the mainland to Express via a bus service to nearby Penzance. Cornwall’s north coast to Swansea. St Mary’s in just 20 minutes, returning with Additionally, a Fox Moth (G-ACFF) was For the summer of 1939, up to eight daily five passengers including the island’s oldest positioned to offer pleasure flights and return trips were being flown with periodic resident, octogenarian John Mumford, who charters. A second Dragon (G-ACPY) was in assistance from Dragon Rapide G-ACPP, declared that as a boy it had sometimes taken operation from early 1938, allowing while association with the railways allowed him 15 hours by sea to get to the mainland frequencies to be increased, at least until the the interchange of tickets and the advance and now it took just 15 minutes! original machine was written-off after carriage of excess baggage by surface The landing area chosen at St Mary’s crashing in fog at St Just towards the end of transport. The increased number of flights covered part of the golf course, where a small June 1938, killing its pilot, New Zealander was taking its toll on the golf course, leading booking hut was sited on the second green, Capt D L Dustin, who had flown the very the Duchy to allocate land for a dedicated and part adjoining land at an annual rent of first service. A replacement arrived in the airfield at High Cross on St Mary’s, £100 (c. £3,750 today). Two runways were shape of G-ADDI, but in December it too overlooking the Old Town and providing laid out NE/SW (393m) & NW/SE (416m) was badly damaged, failing to get airborne at three strips, the longest of which was 610m. and a bell was rung to warn golfers of an Lands End and colliding with the boundary This was first used on 25th July 1939, and by impending arrival. Indeed, players were hedge. During the same month, Olley’s the time that services were terminated at the often called upon to help manhandle the aviation interests joined with those of the outbreak of war a total of 10,000 passengers aircraft in high winds. railway companies controlling Railway Air and 10.5 tonnes of freight and newspapers On the mainland, land was obtained at St Services, resulting in the formation of Great had been carried between the mainland and Just near Kelynack Downs, where along with Western & Southern Airlines, which from the islands. 30 ■ Light Aviation ■ April 2008 Maurice Wickstead ■ BOUND FOR LYONESSE with later marques before returning in enough to enjoy a ‘spin’ in an IAS Rapide, a mid-June.