HEAVENLY ADVENTURER : Sefton Brancker and the Dawn of British Aviation

CHAPTER

ONE

Towards the end of the year when Edward VII drank his  last pint of champagne and Louis Paulhan won £10,000 by flying from London to Manchester, an indomitable business - man from Bristol stepped on to the quayside at Calcutta. His name was Farnall Thurstan. He came in the halcyon days of an Indian winter to preach tidings of the splendid future that awaited converts to the newest of transport.

Whether customers were to be expected among native potentates or in government circles was not clear even to himself. Armed only with vague instructions from his firm and knowing nothing of India, he lacked everything needed for his task except resourcefulness, three box - kite aeroplanes packed in crates, and the services of two mechanics and an able young pilot named Henri Jullerot.

The arrival of this odd party aroused more curiosity than enthousiasm among officials chiefly concerned with their Christmas mail. As visionaries tainted with commercialism the newcomers were doubly suspect in quarters where new - fangled notions were no more welcome than  reminders that trade was the source that enabled the more fortunate members of the garrison to play polo.

Nevertheless the coming of the first aeroplanes to India was an event. ( ... ) 

Excerpt from page No. 9.