Published in Windlesora 10 (1991)
© WLHG
The occupant of 13 Clarence Crescent in 1911 will be unknown to most readers of Windlesora, yet he took part in an historic event that finds little mention in local guide books.
Mr A. A. T. A’Vard was born on 28th August 1848. He was employed by the Post Office at Brighton as a telegraphist, then a clerk at Hastings, later becoming chief clerk before being promoted to Postmaster at Tonbridge. He came to Windsor on 30th July 1897 and remained there as Postmaster until 30th September1912. The first major task for the Postmaster was the handling of the immense amount of mail at the death of Queen Victoria when all the outdoor staff were ordered to wear black armbands.
On Saturday moming, 9th September 1911, when Mr A’Vard left his home for the Post office, he must have been looking forward to the honour that was to befall him that day. He was to accept delivery of the first United Kingdom Air Mail. As he entered his office in the High Street the blustery day must have given the Postmaster some qualms, would the fragile aircraft be able to take off from Hendon? then there were the notable visitors to be received, and a meeting with the Mayor, Sir Frederick Dyson, to make the final arrangements.
On the Saturday afternoon the reception party made its way to the East Terrace of Windsor Castle, as the plane was to land on the adjacent lawn. As 5 p.m. approached eyes were anxiously searching the sky for a view of the plane, none more so than those of Mr A’Vard. At last a sighting was made, the pilot Gustav Hamel was attempting to land his Bleriot No.1 at the designated landing site. To the consternation of the waiting party, the machine disappeared from sight and a report was received that it had landed about a hundred yards from the Frogmore Mausoleum. The plane had left Hendon at 4.58 p.m. arriving at Windsor at 5.13 p.m. carrying 23/2 Ibs of mail.
The Postmaster at once despatched the waiting postmen cyclists to collect the mail; postman Kerswill was to have had the honour of reaching the plane first and accepting the mail from the aviator. Research has shown, however, that it was the nippy fifteen-year-old cycle postman/telegraph boy, Harry Hessey from Eton Wick, who beat the field. The pilot was escorted to the East Terrace where he was received by the Mayor and Postmaster. Owing to the weather, Hamel had been the only pilot able to take off from Hendon.
After the Postmaster had extracted the goodwill messages, the mail was rushed to the Post Office, there it was sorted and despatched on the 6 p.m. train. A telegram was sent to King George at Balmoral informing him of the successful venture.
Though the Post Office accepted responsiblity for receipt and despatch of the mail, the scheme was privately organised and letters could only be posted in red wooden non-standard letter boxes. The publishers of the Windsor Chronicle (Luff’s) were appointed sole selling agents for the special postcards and envelopes for the Windsor to London service at a cost of 6’/2d for a postcard and 1s 1d for a letter. The return service continued from Windsor Great Park until the 18th September.
On the inauguration day it was no doubt a tired Postmaster who returned to No.13 Clarence Road, there to formulate a letter to the Post Office Headquarters in London announcing the details of the successful operation. The letter was despatched on the following Monday as follows:
Windsor, 11th September’ 11
The Secretary,
Aerial PostI beg leave to report that the first Aerial Post reached Windsor at 5.13 p.m. on Saturday the 9th inst. The aeroplane alighted in the Windsor Castle grounds about 100 yards from the Frogmore Mausoleum.
It had been previously arranged that the Aeronaut should land on the Lawn immediately facing the East Terrace, but through some cause the aviator was unable to manage this. When it was seen where the machine had alighted, a cycle postman was despatched from the East Terrace to Frogmore and returned with the mail and the aviator to the East Terrace. The mail was taken over from the aviator and despatched by the cycle postman to the Post Office, reaching there at 5.33 p.m.
The mail was sorted and the contents despatched to London by the train leaving at 6.0 p.m; also a special bag was despatched by the same train to Balmoral, containing aerial letters, cards and newspapers, for HM. The King and members of the Royal Family.
A.A. T.A’Vard
Postmaster
Windsor still has four reminders of this special event: a plaque attached to the entrance to Frogmore in the Long Walk; a posting box, believed to be the only one in existence — this is now in the Royal Borough Collection; a replica blue letter box at the junction of the High Street and St Albans Street, giving details of the historic event (the posting aperture is sealed). The fourth reminder is a magnificent plaque on the wall in Edward Ward, King Edward VII Hospital, which records that a bed was endowed with the £937 profit made from the venture — some 125,000 items of mail had been carried.
Fred Fuzzens
Postscript
Harry Hessey and the Mayor of the Royal Borough received the helicopter which repeated the 1911 flight on 9th September 1961. Gustav Hamel was lost flying the Channel in 1914.
(Web Editor note August 2023: The Windsor & Royal Borough Museum team and others celebrated the 100th anniversary of the event in September 2011)
Windsor Local History Group 