Digger attack on Gisborne army office

[phil82]

I would hate to think that our non-military members on this site could conclude the air force allowed 'nutters' as Dave describes them, into its ranks. There were a few people such as Jock the GSH, but it should be emphasised that, though they wore a uniform, they were not, technically, a member of the air force! Most did a worthwhile job for many years.

There have, of course, as in any organisation that demands individual initiative, been a few 'characters' who caused the occasional brush with officialdom. The general method of dealing with their misdemeanours was one of those "hats-on" interviews with the boss, and the incident was then celebrated in the bar! Today, I don't think there is room for such characters. There were plenty of them, I can tell you; guys who got away with the most outrageous things because they were known to be eccentric, and 'different'. Remember, at war, these very same characters were the ones who always took it to the limit and beyond.

There was one guy at Woodbourne, who worked for Works and Bricks as a cleaner, but who had the disconcerting habit of laying in wait for officers, and would leap out of bushes etc and salute. Mostly he was tolerated and the salute returned, and when he finally retired, the tin-bashers made him a huge medal to hang on his chest.

[Dave Homewood]

For the uninitiated, a GSH is a General Service Hand. They held the equivalent rank of an LAC, ie no power but experience. Usually, in fact in almost all cases, theyd done 20 years + in the military, and the lifestyle suited them so well they stayed on so as to be useful to the RNZAF and to keep in touch with it. Some GSH's continued to work well into their 60's or 70's.

They usually did administrative roles or meneal jobs. In Jock's case he worked in the Airmen's Mess, preparing food and washing dishes. He may have been an alcoholic, and sometimes had a hua ofa hangover next day, but he did his job well. That Mess was the best Airmen's Mess in the RNZAF at the time.

There was a GSH at No. 4TTS who in his career had served in the NZ Army (in Artillery), then the Navy, then the NZ Police, and finally the RNZAF. I knew a few other GSH's well. Laurie Sadler of Camp Pack Up (the Stores Dept where all the tents and camping/bush equipment was kept) had been in the SAS and served in Vietnam. He was a smashing bloke to chat with. And there was a chap Jim, who's last name escapes me for a minute but will come to me who was GSH at NATTS. He had his finger on the enture pulse of that Squadron, and was very approachable indeed. I always found the GSH's had more experience than the Flight Sergeants and could often sort out your worries with more ease.

No doubt in today's culture of 'farm it out to cheaper civvies' I guess the great culture of preserving experience with a GSH has probably gone by the wayside? Or do they still have them?

[tibor]

GSH's are still around Dave. I remember Bert (the GSH at 4TTS) as well - a top bloke.

[Dave Homewood]

Great to hear they're still there. Backbone of the Air Force.

Ah yes, Bert. I'd forgotten his name. I assume your class got his lecture too?

[beagle]

Anyway, the only other alcoholic I recall who no-one did anything about was my F/Sgt who did no work anyway so wasn't a danger. He never even made decisions, he'd um and are till one of the baggies made a suggestion and then that would be 'his' decision. Classic.

I know who you are talking about and I will get his same condition wife to come and get you.
Yes, if he didn't have a pint in his hand he was not alive.
You know he got to W/O at Ohhakea then demoted.

There was this guy at Hobby back in the early 80's but had been there for years, pretty sure he was gsh at GEF or the armourey, he used to box and when he got drunk at the club he would roll his fists up then run around wanting to take us all on.
His best friend was oscar, anybody remember who oscar was.

what about the GSG who was at medical in AK when I left, tallish maori fella.
He used to be security on the gate at Hobby.
After being in town on a Fri or Sat nite, we would come back home in the wee early hours and he would be either sound asleep at the gate or he would have his saxaphone there and soon there wpould be big gate party.

There was a spate of suicides at Whenuapai, there were at least four in a few months and the RNZAF's reaction was to lift the moratorium on spending they had on Base Auckland so they could rennovate and clean up the depressing barrack blocks there. It seemed to me to be an odd reaction, decorate to prevent suicide, but it seemed to do the trick as they stopped.

I was there at the time, a very sad time as i knew 2 of them quite well.
One lived over the back of me in the MQ at Hobby, I wa shome as I was doing nites on 40 Sqn at the time, I heard a gun shot but thought it was something else at the time.
I saw the after effects and it was not a pleasant site. His girlfriend had just left him.
Another one tied something heavy around himself and threw it over board off the back of one of the frigates. Apparantely that was female problems too.

When I wa son ANZAC Exchange at RAAF Pearce WA, a guy in the section I was working at sit his wrists at home, woman again, Then the medical staff there fixed him up, sent him home and expected him to be back at work in a week.
He was working on flying clothing equipment used daily by aircrew so had to stop that.

thats my rant for now, need some lunch.

[tibor]

admin said:

Great to hear they're still there. Backbone of the Air Force. Ah yes, Bert. I'd forgotten his name. I assume your class got his lecture too?

Bert Anscome to be precise! Yes, we got his lecture too - I think it was a prerequisite before starting at the school.

I've known some cracker GSH's over the years (and some who were nothing but oxygen thieves...) what I like about them is they tend to give as good as they get and are not too hung-up on being PC and touchy-feely.

[Dave Homewood]

I knew one of the other suicide victims, he killed himself in front of his mates after his farewell party after the RNZAF had unceremoniously kicked him out for a previous attempt to top himself. That was a disgrace on the admin and hospital's part. Even the nurse looking after him said he didn't get the care he needed.

The other one, I had lived in Vincent Block in 1989, and then was away from Whenuapai for a while. When I arrived back I was given a room in the same corridor but further down. I noted my old room was sealed with police stickers. I asked about it and found a week before a young chap had hung himself in there. It made me feel quite ill finding out he'd done it in 'my' room. Awful, and very sad.

Yes folks, there are a few dark secrets in the RNZAF's closet, but these are minor glitches on an otherwise normally very happy and sane service. And it's nothing new, there were murderers in the RAF in WWII too. I know of one particular famous case if anyone's interested.

[phil]

Bert Anscombe certainly was a character, he too was a recovering alcoholic, and used to give lectures to all the new trainees on basic enge and mechs course about the evils of drink.

There was a suicide when I was at WB, a guy hung himself from a tree on the golf course.

We still have both GSHs and Wheelies. Anyone under 18 is a Wheelie, but we don't see many at Ohakea, mostly they turn 18 on course at WB.

We have a GSH at Ohakea avionics flight who recently got his photo in Airplane magazine I think it was. Except it was about 50 years late!

The mag had an article on Victors, and there was a picture of a group of groundies working on one, from about 1956, and there was Alan in the background! He remembers the photos being taken, as they had to tidy up their uniforms, wear hats etc, but he never saw the photos until last year.

[beagle]

oh the wheel type badges sewn onto the sleeves of the jersey and SD jacket. Yes i had that as i wa sonly 16 1/2 when I joined. If I ever went home in uniform I told them I was a chopper crewman. yeah ok....

That guy you are talking about who killed himself in barracks.
I was working under the (slim) Bill Billings at the time at the WP paintshop. For some reason he wanted some rope, so went down to supply to get some.
this was about 1 hour after everyone at supply had found out this young guy who was in the supply trade had killed himself.
We hadn't heard a thing till Bill got back. He wa s abit upset about going down there to ask, not knowing, we were pissing ourselves.