| Administrative History | Recorded as part of the 'Lives in the Oil Industry' oral history project |
| Description | Tape 1 Side A: LESLIE GORDON 'WILBUR' WRIGHT. Born 21 March 1920 Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Background to nickname. Elder of 2 sons. Brought up in Coventry. Father an engine driver made redundant, went to work in car industry. Grew up in working class neighbourhood, lived in old munition cottage. Describes. Later lived in council house. Mother had general shop. Details. Recalls Slump, father queuing for work. Father a boiler engineer with Courtalds. Mentions bombing of Coventry. Details re neighbourhood, car brands in Coventry. Worked as office boy at Humber Hillman Talbot. Recalls visiting grandmother by bicycle. Maternal grandfather a sailor. Details re mother, a voluntary worker for Conservative Party. Father an avid Labour man. Parents later took over a pub. Mentions Sunday School. Went to school in Coventry. Recalls teachers including Mr Jex, brother of ex-mayor of Norwich. Recalls early interest in aviation, winning flight with Captain Black. Details. Liked maths, music, rugby. Details. Left at 15. Religion important then, now. Recalls mother's attitude. Took part in Young Britons, Conservative organisation. Father's attitude to politics. Own attitude. Still in touch with school friends. Describes attitude to people. Wanted to be a draughtsman. Spent 2 years as office boy with Humber Hillman 1935-7. Took exams at time. Details re pay. Learned office routines. Took tea to Rootes Brothers. Details re their history. Worked in Reception for period. Details. Mentions sporting activities. Joined Air Force 1937, did apprenticeship. Details re aircraft fabric rigging work, evolution of monoplane. Recalls quality of instruction in Air Force, standards of discipline. Became Corporal Apprentice. One of the 'Trenchard Rats'. Explains. Describes daily routine including 'gunfire'.
Tape 1 Side B: Air Force (cont'd). Passed out in 1939, entered man-service of Royal Air Force. Feelings about war. Sent to North West Frontier in India, later went to Burma. Reason for having Air Force there. Worked as rigger doing maintenance, part-time air gunner. Explains wages. Returned to UK 1944. Reference to Coventry bombing. Details re sea voyage to India via Suez. Reached rank of sergeant. Left Air Force 1950 when in Bomber Command. Mentions Air Marshall Sir Ivor Broom. Recalls joining, then taking over, Anglian Airways with one aeroplane. Reference to founder, [?] Jeffreys. Used local disused aerodromes. Flew from field at Bradwell, licensed for summer, charters. Partnership with Morris Luca, developed North Deans Aerodrome, Yarmouth. Had learnt to fly. Ran East Anglian Airways with late wife. Changed to Anglian Air Charter. Married Joyce Massey 1946, 2 daughters. Details re homes, move to Great Yarmouth. Took people on joy rides in Auster aircraft. Employed other pilots. Did work at Skegness. Recalls other odd jobs done to support business. Started filling station on site. Recalls helpful attitude of Shellmex BP. Explains liking for flying. Did banner-towing from disused aerodromes and own airfield at Yarmouth. Feelings about de-legalisation of banner-towing. Initially shared airfield with cattle. Mentions financial difficulties. First awareness of oil/gas industry - Texans from Brown & Root. Got contract to fly BP people. Details. On standby basis. Mentions Jim Crampton's air operation for Norwich Union, formed Rig-Air with him. Details re aircraft. Recalls own first contact with BP. Ran their teleprinter service on contract in Aberdeen, Great Yarmouth. Details re work with oil industry. Flew Sea Gem personnel.
Tape 2 Side A: 1965 had contract with BP. Recalls Sea Gem disaster. Bristows established helicopter business at North Deans. Rented them an area. Details re aircraft. Little competition. Explains. Had no capital, banks not helpful when developing company. Evolution of company was piecemeal. Negative, irrational attitude of bank manager, councillors; people's expectation of short life for industry, attitude to Americans. Compares with Aberdeen where people saw potential, eg Edwin Reid, NESDA (North East Scotland Development Authority). Mentions disappearance of fishing industry from Great Yarmouth, boats used as safety boats for oil industry. Company grew after development of West Sole field. Details. Recalls aircraft landings on beaches. Looked after helicopter personnel. Details re company aircraft, route to Aberdeen, difficulties carrying oil personnel. Recalls first DC3 aircraft 1969, cost etc. Comments on DC3. Difficulty getting license to fly and traffic rights to Holland. Bank became more supportive as traffic grew. Granted scheduled service to Aberdeen - oil related. Benefits, requirements of scheduled service. Mentions extension of Dyce Airport, Aberdeen. Details re clients, routes. Backed by Norwich Union, became Air Anglia. Details. Impact of work on family. Recalls involvement with charity activities. Family helped at airport. Kept joyrides going. Further details re routes, increase in market. Staff numbers grew to 750 in 1980. Describes airline colours. Recalls Red Adair. Americans easier than British to get on with, wanted everything yesterday. Flew first flight into Sunburgh, Shetland, for Shell. Details. Tried to establish scheduled service, opposed by British Airways which stifled airline from start. Details. Recalls financial difficulties. Backed by Norwich Union Insurance Company. Explains their attitude.
Tape 2 Side B: Background to nicknames Wilbur etc. Mentions Wright Brothers. Company came into profit, got 4 DC3s, Fokker F27 turboprops 1972. Details. Reference to Edwin Reid. Details re financial arrangements, risks. Eventually had 8 F27 jets. Problems with these, e.g. noise. Ran scheduled services, holiday business - Anglia Holidays. Growth in work, competition. Oil companies devils to deal with. Grew to 16-18 aircraft, over 300 maintenance staff. Mentions senior staff, partner Jim Crampton. Visit by Lord Boyd Carpenter. Effect oil price drops, changes in technology, improvements to machinery. Mentions own current state of health. Steady growth of company. Describes own routine in company, open-door policy. Decision of Norwich Union to reduce involvement. Air Anglia bought by BIA (British Island Airways) 1980. Company name changed to Air UK. Details. Retired at time of sale. Sold Yarmouth airfield to Bonds (now Scotia) c1982. Stopped flying when lung removed 1981. Recalls lifeline from Norwich Union 1970, changing pattern of business. Only crash was with Anglia Air Charter, pilot killed. No other accidents. Details re quality control. Reference to Air Registration Board. Recalls competition. Details re manager in Sunburgh, Jack Leask; Shetland work. Comments on use of Chinook helicopters. Feelings about career - possibly overdid it. Reference to television programme about airline using DC3s. Help with DC3s in early days from Jersey firm Intra. Recalls outside work, payment in kind. Recalls cargo work using Argosy aircraft - premature. Need to be ahead always. Comments on computerisation. Recalls meeting Wilbur Wright's rigger. Comments on oil industry going to Aberdeen. Possibilities for Yarmouth of outer harbour. Details re Dyce airport history, Black Isle Air Services.
Tape 3 Side A: Most exciting time was when oil/gas found in North Sea. Explains. Recalls short life-span anticipated for industry. Comments on technology. Current lifestyle, state of health. Feelings now about being out of aviation industry.
Tape 3 Side B: Blank |