Vintage SIVEWRIGHT AIRWAYS AIRLINE Photographs x 3, Manchester
All printed on A.M. Reserved photographic crown paper (Air Ministry)
Original, authentic and very rare!
Dated between 1946 - 1950
3 x black & white photos, 2 aircraft types: de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapide / Avro Anson 19, one 'Mancunia' to the nose - Avro Anson 19.
19cm x 12cm approx
Good used condition for age, with some wear, marks and discolouration.
The Bacon brothers, owners of the Sivewright Bacon and Company shipping agency, registered an air transport subsidiary, Sivewright Airways, as an airline charter company on July 23, 1946. Based in Manchester, the company purchased a new Avro 19 on August 13, christening it the 'Salfordia'. For the remainder of the summer, the aircraft flew passengers on a non-scheduled basis between Manchester, the Isle of Man, and Jersey. At the end of the season, the aircraft was leased for winter work in South Africa.
Channel Island charters resumed in January 1947 and in March, a second Avro 19, G-AXIE, named 'Mancunia', was added to the fleet. As the popularity of company services improved, a Miles M.57 Aerovan 4 G-AJOI was purchased in July and christened 'Oldhamia'. It was followed on August 30 by the acquisition of a Douglas DC-3 named 'Ecclesia' from Scottish Aviation, Ltd. Within weeks, it was sent to India to participate for two months in Operation India, the transfer of Hindu refugees from newly formed Pakistan into India. A Miles M.65 Gemini was obtained in October and was called 'Palatinia'. On December 29, another DC-3 was purchased from Scottish Aviation, Ltd. and christened, but is not delivered.
The Avro 19 'Mancunia' (G-AXIE) was destroyed in a January 7, 1948 forced landing near Knutsford. It was replaced by a new machine (G-AHXK), also named 'Mancunia', in March, along with two de Havilland DH 89A Dragon Rapides. Spring charters out of Manchester commenced in March. The DC-3 'Bartonia' (G-AKSM) was received on April 27.
Between October 19 and November 15, the 'Ecclesia' participated in the Berlin Airlift, flying three-ton loads into the former German capital from Hamburg. The Douglas C-47 completed 32 sorties and 87 hours of flying time on the airlift, carrying over 116 tons of supplies. A variety of long-range DC-3 flights were made during the year with destinations including Australia, Saudi Arabia, and East Africa.
The long-range charters continued in 1949, beginning with DC-3 flights to Egypt and Germany. Summer work from Manchester to Jersey and the Isle of Man resumed in April. Another Dragon Rapide was added in June and on July 4 another DC-3 was purchased, from British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and named 'Lancastria'. A wide number of long-range charters were also flown to such destinations as Nairobi, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Accra, Paris, Copenhagen, and Edinburgh.
Isle of Man and Jersey services were again flown in 1950, together with long-range charters similar to those mounted in 1949. Following the summer season, both the 'Oldhamia' and 'Palatinia' were sold in October 1949. British European Airways Corporation (BEA) then served notice that it would fly the Channel Island routes on a scheduled basis in future years; however, both BEA and BOAC employ Sivewright DC-3s to fly certain of its freight contracts.
Having lost its main source of aerial income, Sivewright Airways ceased flying in March 1951, selling off its DC-3s, and reverting to a ground transport organization.
Box 6, ephemera