Joyriding at East Hanney: a history of Berkshire Aviation Company

THE interwar years of 1919 – 1939 were a popular time for taking a joyriding flight in an aircraft, usually a biplane like an AVRO 504K. Between May 1919 and March 1920 66,785 passengers went up in a succession of two- or three-seater aircraft. One of the companies formed at this time to satisfy the public's longing to experience flight was Berkshire Aviation Company Ltd based at East Hanney. The firm was started by two brothers from the village, John and Fred Holmes, along with Alan (later Sir Alan ) Cobham.

Fred and John (usually known as Jack) were born in East Hanney in 1896 and 1898, the sons of John Robins Holmes. Both served during the First World War in the RNAS and RAF respectively. Jack had been a prisoner of war during WWI having been forced down while flying behind enemy lines.

In April 1919, he and his brother Fred pooled their gratuities to buy an AVRO 504k from the Aircraft Disposal Board for £600.00 and converted it to a three-seater. Alan Cobham joined forces with the brothers and Berkshire Aviation Company was born, with its HQ at East Hanney. The field to the south of the Steventon road from East Hanney was used as an airstrip, and a barn at Yew Tree Farm was used for repairs and overhauls of the aircraft. Additional aircraft and pilots were added as time went on as joyriding increased in popularity during the 1920s.

By the end of 1919, the company had visited Newbury, Wantage, Thame, Abingdon, Reading, Oxford, Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard. The flying was done from grass fields which were rented from various farmers by the day. As well as joyriding, the air displays included looping the loop and wing walking. At first passengers were charged as much as a guinea but later trips costed up to ten shillings (120 pence). After three years in business, Berkshire Aviation Ltd had carried nearly 34,000 passengers.

The chief fear of people wishing to fly was airsickness, but once the first few clients had flown their comments would be 'it's wonderful you must try it'. Mishaps were inevitable: one related by Alan Cobham was when a dear old lady, having enjoyed her flight enormously, leapt unthinkingly from the cockpit whilst saying what fun it had been and how wonderful flying was. The trouble was that she put her feet on the wing which promptly went right through the fabric. There she was stuck with one leg (unclothed) on either side of the rear spar, and with her skirts up around her waist. It took much embracing and heaving before Fred managed to get her free.

There were various pilots with the company during its existence JC Taylor, AL Robinson, A N Kingwill, FGM Sparks, Lionel Leleu, GR Beck, and OP Jones amongst others. Oscar Philip Jones who is pictured here with schoolchildren at East Hanney, later became a distinguished pilot with Imperial Airways and BOAC.