Photos from Wigram Officers' Mess

[baronbeeza]

?, Geoff Hubbard, Colin Rudd, Graham Goldsmith,  David Hill, Gordon Wood, ?,
?, Air Commodore Theodore MacLean de Lange, Johnny Checketts, Dave Crooks.

And the occasion ?

Could they have all been Commanding Officers of the Base ?


















If you want to see them in clearer quality it will cost you $11 for the jug..

[Dave Homewood]

The man in the white dinner jacket is Gp Capt Gordon Wood, Wigram's last Base Commander.

I think this is a gathering of all the living Station/Base Comamnders, isn't it?

[baronbeeza]

Thanks Dave, I am guessing that pic was taken sometime in the early 90's. I recognise others in the pic but couldn't be certain with the names.
The Dak is in the 3rd pic, centre left.

I went to the Officers' Mess for a beer. John Shivas from Ashburton is the new owner. The place is now called the Harvard Bar.
It has been renovated but in many ways is still unchanged, it has basically had a modernisation update to the bar decor.
I did a tour and the male toilets are unchanged from the 80's. The kitchen is a little different but the bar coolroom was completely unrecognisable with about five 50 litre kegs all plumbed in.

I didn't get the tour up into the attic space but did get a chance to see a few pics. One showed the rimu framing for the pitched roof addition that must have been added sometime post war.
I have been up into the clocktower area previously and it brought back a few memories. The new roof was literally just plonked on top of the pre-existing flat roof.
I saw another group pic that must have been taken in the early 1990's.
I will see if I get a copy and post here.
Colin Rudd
Geoff Hubbard
Johhny Checkets
Graham Goldsmith
Dave Hill
and about 6 others that I am sure were Station identities. All in Mess kit and posed in the entrance foyer.

Another pic showed a Dak parked in the 2 TTS complex, obviously wingless but it did look very prominent sitting there.

There was another pic looking over the top of the mess complex with the Base beyond, I think taken during the early 90's.
These were all good quality large pics and I may be allowed to copy if I ask nicely.

EDIT..

I just saw your note regards them all having been Station Commanders. I agree and again must have done an edit at about the same time as yours.
Would that have been taken as part of the Base closure formalities then ?

[Dave Homewood]

I think the man seated second from left Air Commodore Theodore MacLean de Lange, who was Co of Wigram 1957-1960 I believe.

[phil82]

Did you know.......That the Officer's Messes at Wigram, Ohakea and Whenuapai are virtually identical and this was no coincidence as they were built to UK Air Ministry Works Directorate plans which were used for no less than 84 similar messes built in the UK between 1935-39. The facade is Georgian, apparently!

[baronbeeza]

Buller High School was built by using British plans and presumably of a 'sister' school in the UK.
Indeed the replication was so complete that the Compass rose and orientation were retained.
At least the Officers' Messes all face North correctly..

The school had nice warm corridors, as for the classrooms.... well at least the coast has mild weather !

The Wigram attic photos were on the phone of the caretaker/maintenance chappy. I didn't see him this afternoon but I will see if I can get a copy also. It is a very cavernous space and I can remember we were looking into some way of trying to utilise it when Bill Sommer was PMC.

[phil82]

Ahh...wee Willy Sommer...was on my Staff Course, now works in Civil Aviation Headshed.