399:, sometimes erroneously called Aircraft Travel & Transport, which he registered on 5 October 1916. He was concerned that aviation had not been sufficiently seriously regarded before 1914 and the same should not be allowed to happen to civil aviation which would develop once peace was achieved. He painted word pictures of trunk routes through Britain and Ireland with links throughout Europe even to the United States and New Zealand through India and Australia.
484:"His kindness, charming and restrained manner, and quiet enthusiasm will always be remembered. No one who met him in those early days can visualize him as a business man but as an aviation enthusiast, keen on our progress from a national point of view... This pioneer was a great Englishman and his loss will be regretted by many."
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By
November 1918 and the armistice Holt Thomas was able to advertise that his was the largest aircraft company in the world. His companies built aeroplanes and their engines and propellers in large numbers and also airships and flying boats. He had the latest metal-working machinery, a laboratory for
421:
Limited in
February 1920. Finding the Airco group's financial circumstances much worse than they had understood BSA immediately placed most of Holt Thomas's business in the hands of a liquidator and BSA's holding company suffered very serious losses being obliged to pay no dividend for the four
850:
Founder of an aviation empire with King
Emperor, 1917. George Holt Thomas talks with HRH King George V at Aircraft Manufacturing Company's Hendon factory. HRH Queen Mary and Hugh Burroughes stand beyond them. From left are Capt. Geoffrey de Havilland, Lt S. W. Hiscocks and Guy
377:
in
Farnborough, might be available, he invited de Havilland to join Airco as designer. His Airco designs, pre-fixed with his initials D.H., made up around 30% of all trainers, fighters and bombers used by Britain and the United States during the First World War.
387:
materials testing and a wind tunnel. Between 7,000 and 8,000 people were employed at Hendon. His companies turned out a new aircraft every 45 minutes. Hendon became a 'white elephant' which he endeavoured to sell to car manufacturers.
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offered in 1906 for a successful flight from London to
Manchester, a distance far greater than anyone had then flown. In April 1910 Paulhan won the prize.
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226:(31 March 1869 – 1 January 1929) was an aviation industry pioneer and newspaper proprietor. In 1911, Holt Thomas founded the business which became
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171:
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After Thomas left university in 1890 he joined his father's newspaper business as a director then became its general manager and later founded
413:
Holt Thomas's hopes for civil aviation were not at once realised. His Airco group of companies seemed near failure when he sold them into the
422:
subsequent years. Holt Thomas was on the BSA board only a matter of days. Holt Thomas remained a tireless advocate of civil aviation.
309:
During 1906 he turned his attention to aviation, recognising its extraordinary potential. He became associated with the Farman brothers
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When the armistice came Holt Thomas turned his considerable abilities to keeping his aviation business together and brought in
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whose inventions had been used during the war awarded him in 1925 a sum far more than any other industrialist received.
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Aircraft
Manufacturing Company (Limited). The Progress of the Undertaking., The Proposed Borrowing Powers Approved.
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At his country home North Dean House, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire he took up the breeding of
Friesian dairy cattle.
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and obtained licences to build French Gnome and Le Rhone engines. The Farman biplanes were used as trainers by the
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eight-passenger aircraft introduced in April 1920 until
November 1920 before it too was placed in liquidation.
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born in Paris of
English parents involved with newspapers. Through the Farmans he engaged a French pilot,
279:, in 1890 after two years and without taking a degree. In 1894 he married Gertrude, daughter of architect
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410:. Aircraft Transport & Travel began the world's first scheduled air service on 25 August 1919.
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A Year's
Commercial Flying. I.-The Paris Mail., Air Speed And Delays On Land. By G. Holt Thomas
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Holt Thomas was able to assist Geoffrey de Havilland to purchase those assets he needed to form
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Future Of Airco At Stake. Resignation Of Mr. Holt Thomas., Necessity Of State Support. (News)
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near Nice, France on 1 January 1929 in his 60th year following surgery in the hospital there.
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A Year's Commercial Flying. II.-Finance., Aeroplane Travel By Night. (By G. Holt Thomas.).
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Air Transport Combine. Aircraft And B.S.A. Firms Unite., Future Of Commercial Flying.
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of Daimler Hire Limited within the BSA group. A T&T (Air Express) used the newest
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Air Transport & Travel continued another eight months under the management of
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Air Posts And Telegrams. 700 Words A Penny To Paris., Mr. Holt-Thomas's Forecast
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Aviation A Business Proposition. Sir S. Brancker's Plea For A Guarantee. (News)
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Business Flying. Outlook For Air Mails After The War., London To Paris Service.
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newspaper business in 1890, later making his own name and fortune by founding
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Son and grandson of successful artists, he initially followed his father into
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Flying in Peace Time. Gen. Sykes's Forecast., "Blazing The Trail" To India.
271:. Born at Hampton House, Stockwell, south London, educated privately and at
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magazines. Something of a shrewd visionary. he turned to aircraft in 1906.
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The Aeroplane Race. Another £10,000 Prize., Presentation To M. Paulhan.
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Aircraft Transport & Travel, Ltd. London-Paris Express Air Service
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Business Flying. Air Rights, Speed, And Load., Forecast Of Report.
353:. (Note: AIRCO Group included: The Gnome & Le Rhone Engine Co—
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of Newcastle upon Tyne; there were no children of the marriage.
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The King's Interest in Flying. Factory And Aerodrome Visited.
836:, Saturday, 17 April 1920; pg. 11; Issue 42387 News in Brief
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R. P. T. Davenport-Hines 1984 Cambridge University Press
638:"Aerograms" To France. Provincial Towns To Be Included.
325:, to compete for the £10,000 prize Holt Thomas's friend
608:, Secaucus, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc., 1983,
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With an eye to the end of the war Holt Thomas formed
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Pedigree Cattle Sales. "Record" Prices For Kerries.
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Dudley Docker: The Life and Times of a Trade Warrior
509:Vincent Orange, 'Thomas, George Holt (1870–1929)',
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267:(1830–1890) and his wife Annie, daughter of
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453:The Future of British Industry and Trade Unionism
881:People educated at King's College School, London
742:Peter Hooker, Ltd. Statement by the Liquidator.
720:, Wednesday, 9 October 1918; pg. 12; Issue 41916
810:, Wednesday, 21 April 1920; pg. 21; Issue 42390
746:, Wednesday, 4 August 1920; pg. 16; Issue 42480
707:, Thursday, 21 August 1919; pg. 15; Issue 42184
681:, Wednesday, 8 January 1919; pg. 4; Issue 41992
591:, Saturday, 5 January 1929; pg. 14; Issue 45093
655:, Monday, 25 November 1918; pg. 4; Issue 41956
297:with its comic strip character "Old Bill" and
784:Wednesday, 24 March 1920; pg. 16; Issue 42367
602:The Complete Illustrated History of the World
533:, Friday, 4 January 1929; pg. 14; Issue 45092
8:
668:, Monday, 6 January 1919; pg. 8; Issue 41990
797:, Monday, 19 April 1920; pg. 7; Issue 42388
771:Tuesday, 23 March 1920; pg. 15; Issue 42366
629:, Thursday, 31 May 1917; pg. 3; Issue 41492
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694:, Friday, 27 June 1919; pg. 9; Issue 42137
263:George Holt Thomas was the seventh son of
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89:newspaper publisher, aircraft manufacturer
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823:, Friday, 30 May 1919; pg. 7; Issue 42113
733:Monday, 1 March 1920; pg. 14; Issue 42347
587:Mr. G. Holt Thomas. Colonel G. W. Dawes.
575:, Friday, 1 June 1917; pg. 9; Issue 41493
546:, Monday, 2 May 1910; pg. 10; Issue 39261
41:Hampton House, Stockwell, London, England
642:, Friday, 2 May 1919; pg. 7; Issue 42089
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896:20th-century British newspaper founders
871:19th-century British newspaper founders
511:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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469:Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors
455:1925 and many letters to the Editor of
438:his own aircraft manufacturing business
397:Aircraft Transport & Travel Limited
357:Limited, Integral Propeller Co. &
343:Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited
228:Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited
558:Airco display advertisement, page 3,
487:Colonel G W Dawes, DSO, AFC The Times
391:Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited
337:Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Airco
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301:so making his own name and fortune.
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513:, Oxford University Press, 2004
120:(for a few days in March 1920)
108:Aircraft Manufacturing Company
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118:Birmingham Small Arms Company
78:(left without earning degree)
341:In 1911, Holt Thomas formed
76:The Queen's College, Oxford
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57:Cimiez, near Nice, France
277:Queen's College, Oxford
876:English industrialists
406:, Francis Festing and
375:Royal Aircraft Factory
269:John Wilson Carmichael
886:People from Stockwell
371:Geoffrey de Havilland
359:May, Harden & May
273:King's College School
70:King's College School
600:Mondey, David, ed.,
529:Mr. G. Holt Thomas.
477:Holt Thomas died at
463:Retirement and death
265:William Luson Thomas
144:William Luson Thomas
114:Board member of
105:H.R. Baines and Co.
351:Royal Flying Corps
299:Empire Illustrated
275:, London, he left
253:Empire Illustrated
224:George Holt Thomas
185:Bruce Bairnsfather
22:George Holt Thomas
832:A 10½ Gallon Cow
562:, 3 December 1918
347:Farman aeroplanes
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94:Years active
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102:Organization(s)
97:1890–1920
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63:Alma mater
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369:Learning that
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249:The Bystander
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245:Daily Graphic
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38:31 March 1869
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451:in 1920 and
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444:Publications
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427:Frank Searle
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419:Daimler Hire
412:
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365:De Havilland
355:Peter Hooker
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207:Publisher(s)
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52:(1929-01-01)
15:
891:1929 deaths
866:1869 births
240:The Graphic
191:Launch date
860:Categories
606:s Aircraft
492:References
331:Daily Mail
287:Newspapers
259:Background
152:Carmichael
128:Gertrude,
34:1869-03-31
834:The Times
821:The Times
808:The Times
795:The Times
782:The Times
769:The Times
744:The Times
731:The Times
718:The Times
705:The Times
692:The Times
679:The Times
666:The Times
653:The Times
640:The Times
627:The Times
589:The Times
573:The Times
560:The Times
544:The Times
531:The Times
457:The Times
415:BSA group
181:Author(s)
125:Spouse(s)
616:, p. 15.
305:Aviation
199:End date
175:Old Bill
164:Old Bill
72:, London
329:of the
148:Annie,
137:Parents
612:
479:Cimiez
361:Ltd.)
132:Oliver
851:Peck.
604:'
431:DH.18
315:Henri
232:Airco
610:ISBN
467:The
317:and
311:Dick
251:and
243:and
202:1915
194:1914
47:Died
28:Born
417:'s
230:or
150:née
130:née
862::
580:^
551:^
518:^
500:^
459:.
440:.
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36:)
32:(
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