RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Mercury Airways (SA) 1948-1949

Quite probably in South-West Africa. Photo:National Archives of Namibia.

It is believed that the English born entrepreneur and designer/manufacturer of domestic appliances Gordon Thomas Fillery (1914-1991) started his airline at Johannesburg in 1946 with three ex SAAF Avro Ansons. His fleet rapidly expanded with the purchase of DC3s of which nine were eventually registered to his company. We can trace the arrival and departure of Mercury Airways, to and from the British Isles by reading these old Newspaper Clippings. The source of which is The British Newspaper Archive.



5th July 1948. Lincolnshire Echo.


14th June 1948. Evening Telegraph.


4th August 1948. ZS-BWX (Written off near Paris later that year). Photo Associated Press.

Blackbushe not Bovingdon of which a little later.


4th August 1948. Daily Herald.

On the orders of 'The Ministry' fuelling facilities were withdrawn at short notice from Mercury Airways. Fortunately the Captain had sufficient for the return to Paris.

6th August 1948. Coventry Evening Telegraph.



27th August 1948. News Chronicle.


17th September 1948. News Chronicle.


18th September 1948. Yorkshire Observer.



13th October 1948. Yorkshire Post.


5th December 1948. The Sphere.
ZS-BWX crashed November 20th 1948. See continuation for account from the Air Hostess on board.



9th December 1948. Burton Observer.


18th February 1949. News Chronicle.


26th February 1949. Bristol Post.


13th March 1949. Weekly Dispatch.


I've run out of space for downloads so I'll do a follow up with a few snaps and links.