WWI pilot barracks

[Dave Homewood]

I think this could be the most historic aviation architecture left in New Zealand, thankfully preserved at Wigram. It is the original WWI barracks built by Henry Wigram for his pupil pilots attenting the Canterbury Aviation Company school. many a WWI pilot would have passed through these rooms.



One room is still kitted out as it was in the day.

[corsair67]

You can almost imagine how cold they would have been in winter too!

Dave, do you happen to know where were those barracks were located on the base before Wigram closed? I recall there were a lot of old wooden barracks located behind Hangar 7, but I think they were all WW2 ones?

[Dave Homewood]

When i was based there in 1991-93 this barrack was inside Hangar 7. The hangar was split in two, the east end being Camp Pack Up (where tents etc were stored for the base) and the west end the museum restoration workshops. This building was at the back of the workshop, bisecting the hangars.

The H-blocks that were dotted around that area were all WWII ones as you say, and most are gone now, though one or two still remain.

[camtech]

Just saw this thread - when I was first posted to Wigram in Jan 1966, this block was behind Tech Wing and I lived in the third room from this end for three months until I started my mechs course.

[Dave Homewood]

It has moved about a bit then. Was it a grim place to live? Or quite cosy?

[camtech]

Very basic as I remember. I doubt if there was any insulation, so quite happy to move on. The ablutions were very primitive. The worst thing was the walk to the mess for meals, but it was only a minute to walk to the Instrument section where I was working at the time.

[tbf25o4]

These barracks (Block 7) was located behind tech wing and immediately adjacent
to block six and the mess block
I lived in the second room from the end for a period in 1966. You had to enter, close the door before you could open the wardrobe door. Ablutions were in block six. Blxxdy cold in the winter dashing between the blocks.
The significance of the block was realised in the mid 1980s and they were moved into No.7 hangar for preservation.

Paul

[Dave Homewood]

I think the RNZAF Museum should set up a replica of one of the WWII huts that was one of the most commonly used RNZAF accommodations. They were based on a PWD design and had wooden floors, wooden walls to about three foot high, and then timber framework above that which was covered with canvas like a tent. The walls could be rolled up in summer to let the breeze through. These huts were usually for four men (two bunks) but often slept just two in single beds. There must ahve been a slightly larger version as I have heard of six man huts too. Most of the smaller stations had these huts. Levin, Onerahi, Gisborne, Waipapakauri, Masterton, etc. rather than H-block barracks. They could be moved around from station to station too I believe. I'd love to see one recreated in a display, all kitted out with beds, bedpack, etc. It wouldn't take up a lot of space but would demonstrate living conditions on a small NZ station really well.

[Bruce]

The Ashburton Aviation museum has a standard 4 man hut, I'm not sure whether its fully kitted out yet though.

[Dave Homewood]

That's good to hear. Is it a genuine one?

[jurisnz]

Jul 16, 2006 20:03:07 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

When i was based there in 1991-93 this barrack was inside Hangar 7. The hangar was split in two, the east end being Camp Pack Up (where tents etc were stored for the base) and the west end the museum restoration workshops. This building was at the back of the workshop, bisecting the hangars.

The H-blocks that were dotted around that area were all WWII ones as you say, and most are gone now, though one or two still remain.

Just came across this old thread and simply had to answer
When we moved the building from its original site a crawl way was discovered under the building together with neat trapdoors cut into the floor under the beds of two rooms which were not adjacent. I will it to the imaganation the reason for a secret passage under the building.
In the end we took over the entire area used by Camp Pack-up and was used as museum storage area. I had my office (and small it was too!!) in this barrack block when it was in 7 Hangar, as did Barry Dorr.

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for this fascinating bit of history.

[xbaggy]

In 1972 these rooms were transit barracks. I started a trip to Singapore with a trip in a NZR road services coach from Blenheim to Christchurch. Because we were heading for the tropics,we were wearing summer KD uniform in mid winter. Spent a very cold night in one of those rooms, rising at 3 am for an early breakfast and a Bedford van trip to ChCh international to catch the Hercules. The Army was doing a part battalion change over, so two Herks and 160 grunts. Not a nice trip at the best of times, but packed in like sardines and the grunts with their SLR rifles between their knees!
Made up for it on the way home on the flightdeck of the Herk, and Queens Dakota from Whenuapai to Woodbourne.

[oj]

In 1965 those barracks were in full use by permanent fire-crew (Phil 82 could confirm).
I remember two of the fire-crew who resided there at the time were John Beswarick and Len Neho.

[sailorsid]

When 3 Sqadron Iroquios were first detatched to Wigram these were the barracks provided. Main reason was the ground crew had to be near a phone so the nearest phone was in the Cpls. Club. It was an interesting time. I was the Air Radio fitter for the first three detatchments and a few years later I did the second to last detachment. Memory is a bit hazy but it was all right to sleep in the rooms but very small. Maybe a suitable quantity of anasetic from the club helped.
    I think there were three sets of these blocks there.

[Dave Homewood]

What year was that first detachment Sid? Were the helicopters only temporarily detached to begin with?

[sailorsid]

Due to the hazy memories could have been 69 or 70. It was 3 weeks at a time right through untill 74 I think. The accomodation had  moved to the blocks behind the airmens mess, the old transit flats. I used to do 3 detatchments in a row, took my motorbike down as Ashburton was my home town and we did get some time off. I was also going out with an army nurse who was at Burnham so it was worth the longer trips. Probably saved 3 sqdn. finding volunteers as well

[Dave Homewood]

So was it the personnel that rotated in and out every three weeks with the aircraft remaining there permanently?

[davidd]

Something not mentioned previously was that at early Wigram, the only people who actually had accommodation allocated to them were the CO and the groundsman/caretaker (Bill Park), both of whom had a house each, with former having the least pretentious. Everybody else travelled to and from work as they all had to find their own accommodation outside the service. Wigram in the 1920s only had about 4 to six officers, and perhaps a slightly larger number of NCOs, and less then 20 other airmen. However the "Block 7" huts were used in the summer by the Territorials (and probably at other times of the year too should special flying courses be scheduled out of the warm season). However many of the wealthier Territorials (all were officers) preferred to stay at the Bush Inn in Upper Riccarton so as to avoid the privations of those huts. I believe also that part-time mess waiters were employed for the duration of the refresher courses in the 1920s and 30s, and they possibly were housed in these huts should any be available. They only started providing proper officer and NCO accommodation seriously in the late 1930s after the Cochrane report stimulated the government to build up a proper air force worthy of the name, which also resulted in "modern" but very spartan airmen barracks (the H-blocks), plus a start was also made on providing some of the first proper MQ's at this time. However there was considerable building from about 1935 onwards, just prior to Cochrane's arrival, including the first airmen's barracks. Quite a bit of this history can be found in Bee Dawson's Wigram book, although much information can also be found in the Air Department annual reports (H-37) for the period in question.
David D

[sailorsid]

Jan 24, 2016 0:14:35 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

So was it the personnel that rotated in and out every three weeks with the aircraft remaining there permanently?

Yes I think that is correct except they had to go back to 3 Sqdn. for servicing which was normally tied into the changeover