Sir Derrick Bailey, the founder of Aurigny has died aged ninety at his Bluestone Hill home in Alderney.One of five siblings, Sir Derrick was born at Marylebone, London in 1918 to Sir Abe Bailey, a South African politician, financier, diamond tycoon and first class cricketer, and to Mary Westenra, a prominent aviator who would later become a Dame. The young Derrick, who had a twin sister, Ann, was educated at Winchester College where he played in the cricket first eleven as a right-handed batsman.

He moved to South Africa aged 17, learnt to fly and played polo to a high standard. During the Second World War Sir Derrick served with the South African Irish Regiment and then with the South African Air Force and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for ‘gallantry’. After the war he returned to England and attended Cirencester Agricultural College and became a farmer in the Hereford area. During the annual cricket match between the college and Gloucestershire Sir Derrick caught the eye of legendary spinner, Tom Goddard, by hitting him all over the park. Within a season this seasoned amateur became captain of the county playing his last game in September 1952.

In 1968, Sir Derrick set up Aurigny Air Services after being approached by the States of Alderney. Malcolm Hart says that the cricketer, farmer, war hero and business man has left an extraordinary legacy: “Sir Derrick was a fascinating man from another time. I got to know him quite well and last year while we were planning our 40th anniversary celebrations I learned a lot about his early years and the setting up of the company. I was fascinated to learn that he was once a test-pilot, his brother married one of Winston Churchill’s daughters and Lord Kitchener was one of his godfathers.

The legacy he has left Alderney and the Channel Islands in the shape of Aurigny is quite remarkable. How many other small island communities of Alderney’s size and population could boast its own airline which employs so many people?  Aurigny is one of the oldest commercial airlines in the world and it is down to Sir Derrick’s foresight, and his father’s racing colours, that ‘the little yellow plane’ has played such an important part in Channel Island life for so long.

“On behalf of all of Aurigny’s air crew and ground staff we would like to express our sadness at the news and send our condolences to Sir Derrick’s family.”