Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

This is a sequel to the article in NetLetter nr 1359 re the mail service in western Canada.

Lee-Anna Sigmund has sent some memories from Donald T. Renshaw Sr. who had collected photos and media reports.

Trans-Canada Air Lines Memorabilia in the 1930’s and 1940’s. We take pleasure in enclosing some memorabilia for your enjoyable reading, particularly the pictures of Art Rankin, Jack Bradley and Dave Moir. I have played a lot of golf with Art Rankin and his partner Ed Stull and Dave Moir. I received this memorabilia from First Officer Jack Bradley’s sister who I worked with at TCA Reservations Dept. Sales for many years.

I was engaged to T.C.A.’s First Wings Over the Nation Show held in Los Angeles in the early 1950’s, her name was Corrine La Roche. Those were the days, for all the Airport Traffic Agents and crew knew one another from Coast to Coast. I remember flying over the mountains putting on an oxygen mask and landing in Lethbridge, the first stop on the Continental Route to Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Regina, Brandon, Winnipeg, Kap, Timmins, North Bay, Toronto, Montreal, and finally ended in Moncton.

My first employee was Con. G. A. Pass. In those days passes were open ended, no restrictions and we could travel from Montreal back and forth two times on the same pass then on to Moncton back to Vancouver. In the following year's passes, the company corrected this flaw. T.C.A. in those days was the number one company in Canada to work for.

Donald T. Renshaw Sr. Age 90 T. C. A. 1946 - 1956

After many months of preparations, transcontinental air passenger service to start this weekend. Large Lockheed airliners will fly through Canadian skies carrying passengers when the first official flight goes forward tonight and goes westward tomorrow. Several Calgary people will be included who share the distinction of being the first passengers. (source the Calgary Herald April 1st, 1939.)

Following photos from the collection of Donald T. Renshaw Sr.

Inauguration of passenger service Lethbridge-Calgary-Edmonton – April 1st, 1939.

The picture of passengers and crew was taken Sunday morning April 1st, 1939 at the Calgary airport when Trans-Canada Air Lines inaugurated their passenger service between Lethbridge, Calgary and Edmonton.

From the left are: Norman Walker, Calgary; Mrs. H. A. Kerr, Calgary; First Officer J. Bradley, Winnipeg; Captain J. G. Haslett, Edmonton; Stewardess Evelyn V. Allan, Calgary; commuting skier Wilfred Johnson, Winnipeg.

(Unfortunately, the photo is of poor quality - eds)

The Lockheed 10A's crew photographed at Edmonton in 1939.

From the left: First Officer Jack Bradley, TCA's first stewardess Lucile Garner (Grant), Captain Gordon Haslett, stewardess Ev Allen and Station Manager James Meakin.

(Previous reports named Ev Allen as Evelyn V. Allan - eds)