Airliner Classics - July 2018

Douglas C-54A

G-ASEN awaiting

its next afternoon

departure from

Liverpool’s Speke

Airport on July 20,

1967.

P

ost-war civil aviation saw an eruption of small

start-up airlines using surplus RAF aircraft, many

of which soon fell by the wayside. However, there

were several entrepreneurs, like Harold Bamberg

and Freddie Laker, whose companies thrived. Another, often

forgotten protagonist of the period was Hugh Charles Kennard.

Born on June 24, 1918 at Coxheath in Kent, Kennard joined

the RAF in January 1938 flying the Supermarine Spitfire with 66

Sqn. He served with numerous squadrons and flew in support

of the evacuation of Dunkirk as well as the Battle of Britain. He

survived being shot down and wounded during a bomber escort

mission in May 1942 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying

Cross. Kennard later rose through the ranks and retired from

the RAF in 1946 as a Squadron Leader with 74 Sqn. He then

served with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force flying Gloster Meteors

from 1949 until 1952, when he retired as a Wing Commander.

David Hedges looks at the part played by Wing Commander Hugh Kennard
DFC; one of the greatest post war entrepreneurs and the founder of Air
Kruise, Air Ferry and Invicta Airlines.

Britain’s

forgotten

aviation

Hugh entrepreneur

Ken na rd

DFC

70 AIRLINER Classics 2018