• Western Airways

Norman Edgar, an enthusiastic private pilot, was aviation manager for Bristol-based motor dealers, Merlyn Motors until he bought out the business in 1931 and set up under his own name. He acquired the local sales agencies for de Havilland and Parnall Aircraft and, in September 1932, began operating an air-taxi business. The first charter took place on 13 September, flying to Heston in DH Puss Moth G-ABWZ on behalf of the well-known chocolate manufacturer, J S Fry and Co. The aircraft bore the Fry’s logo. On 26 September Edgar opened a twice-daily Bristol-Cardiff (Splott/Pengam Moor) service, flown by DH Fox Moth G-ABYO with fares set at 12s 6d and 22s 6d return. The initiative was well-supported and continued through the winter with an extension to Bath (Lansdowne Park). Encouraged by the public support, on 7 September 1933 Norman Edgar (Western Airways) was registered with a capital of £7,500 under the chairmanship of Sir Derwent Hall-Caine. On 15 September 1933 Edgar’s new DH Dragon made its first commercial flight between Bristol and Cardiff. In late 1933 the company absorbed the local firm of Bristol Air Taxis, hitherto run by Phillips and Powis with a Desoutter monoplane, and alongside the regular schedule charter work continued taking the Fox Moth to Birmingham and Manchester with chocolate products and the Dragon to Stoke-on-Trent carrying a consignment of wireless sets.

The England-Wales Rugby Match at Cardiff in January 1934 prompted Western to put on an hourly shuttle. With the addition of two more Dragons, on 13 May the ‘Sunshine Express’ was inaugurated linking Cardiff and Bristol with Bournemouth (Christchurch) with connections to Birmingham, the West Country, the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands. By the middle of 1936 the Bournemouth service had become sporadic and it was taken over by Crilly Airways, at least until September 1936 when Crilly went bankrupt, still owing Western for the purchase of two Dragons. In March 1935 the company was refinanced and amongst the new backers were Lord Apsley, president of the local aero club, who became chairman, Major E Cadbury of the Cadbury and J S Fry confectionery business and Capt. Douglas Wills of the family linked to Imperial Tobacco Co. In May 1935 Western went international with the opening of a weekend on-demand service to Le Touquet and Paris.

As early as January 1933 Norman Edgar had been looking at Weston-super-Mare as a base for his airline operations and finally in February 1936 work began at Hutton Moor on the outskirts of the town. Western began flying from the new location at the end of May 1936 and by the time of its official opening on 25 June 1936 some 1,700 passengers had already been carried. Weston had always been a popular recreation destination with people from South Wales and as an alternative to the three-hour road journey or even 60-minute steamer crossing, at a return fare of 9s 6d the ten-minute air journey proved an instant success, prompting an hourly service during summer months. Such was the public response that in the first three months of operation, the Bristol Channel shuttle had carried 18,738 passengers.

The Straight Corporation, with its varied aviation interests around the UK, took a financial interest in Western during 1937 and, on 18 October 1938, this was converted into a full takeover, on which date the company formally changed its name to Western Airways. By this time the fleet comprised four Dragons and two Dragon Rapides, maintenance for which had hitherto been undertaken by Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation, but after the change of ownership, Straight brought in its own dedicated chief engineer and all such work was thereafter conducted at Weston. Norman Edgar remained at Weston as traffic and commercial manager although in 1939, he also took an interest in the Foster, Wikner Aircraft Co at Southampton/Eastleigh.

After satisfying the concerns of the Air Ministry on 2 October 1938, Western was able to begin night flying from Weston-super-Mare, the first service being flown by Dragon Rapide, G-ADDD, and covered by a BBC broadcast. Over the next two years a number of new aircraft joined the fleet, including a couple of DH Dragonflys, a DH.86B and a two Percival Q6s, the latter used to initially open a fast three times daily service Weston, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester from 17 June 1939. A second holiday route was also initiated in 1939 between Swansea (Jersey Marine), Barnstaple (Chivenor), Newquay (St Mawgan) and Penzance (St Just). Demand for Western’s services was such that during the five days surrounding the 1939 spring bank holiday, a total of 2,555 passengers were uplifted on routes along the Bristol Channel to Penzance.

Under Straight management flying training played a significant part in Western’s activities maintaining and operating the Weston Aero Club’s aircraft and offering airline operational experience to pilots working towards a ‘B’ commercial licence. They also operated as part of the government’s Civil Air Guard scheme running an Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School facility and providing navigation training under contract. In the closing days of 1939, Western suffered a particularly tragic accident when a Dragon crashed on take-off at Weston, claiming the life of pilot Leslie Arnott, one of the airline’s original directors.

After an initial shutdown limited services were resumed under wartime conditions from November 1939 until March 1940, when all Western’s aircraft were impressed into the RAF, at which time Norman Edgar began flying for the Air Transport Auxiliary’s ‘B’ Flight, stationed at Weston. Throughout the war the airline’s considerable engineering facilities at Weston were turned over to government repair work under the Civil Repair Organisation scheme. Civilian operations resumed in 1946 with a large fleet of surplus Avro Anson aircraft employed for navigation, flying training and general charter work. Unusually two Walrus amphibians appeared on Western’s inventory in 1948 at the behest of director Owen Roberts, who planned to use them for passenger work in the Caribbean. In the event only one was ever made airworthy and was soon wrecked while undertaking film work in Scotland.

Scheduled services were resumed on 25 May 1948 with the conclusion of a BEA associate agreement for flights between Weston and Cardiff, flown in association with Cambrian Airways, which had long desired a share in this profitable route, but hitherto overtures to Western had been continually rebuffed. By July up to 13 daily return flights were in operation with extra services added according to demand. This continued until the summer of 1949, when Cambrian Airways took over the route completely, after it became uneconomic from Western’s point of view following the switch to Rhoose airport at Cardiff.

Western Airways continued handling Cambrian flights at Weston and operating charters with the Ansons until 1952. Thereafter, the company reverted to engineering sub-contract work for Westland’s and Bristol, latterly on the Bristol Britannia airliner, the last contract being for Rolls-Royce RB211 jet engine components in 1980. Having operated Imperial Tobacco’s fleet of executive aircraft for several years, Western’s flying activities ceased in 1978 when the airport licences lapsed. The company continued for a few more years, manufacturing industrial equipment and vending machines, before it was taken over and its activities switched to other facilities in the new owner’s group.