Gemsbok Engineering Workshops ~ 1955

[Michael Alexander]

Thanks to Dawn for this historical snap. Can any of you put names to the faces of these ex Oranjemund residents who worked at the Gemsbok Engineering Workshops in 1955?

I know one of the chaps is Dawn's father....

[SandyB]

2nd from  right  standing at the back  looks  strangely like a young Dennis  Symes .. could be mistaken ...

[Michael Alexander]

Spot On Sandy, Dawn did mention that her dad and Mr Symes were in the pic... now for the rest of 'em

[Alfred Boehme]

In 1984/85 I was a apprentice at what we or they called Gemsbok workshop the place was situated east of 50G sampling plant and west of the tar road (east cliff road) I would guess almost in the middle, at the time I was there it was mining electrical W79 base workshops it looked to me like a small hostel building that was no longer used and the electrical guys used it. I also remember a large dump to the south of the area the tank farm beacon was on top of this dump. Today the whole area has been mined out there is very little evidence of the hostel / workshop.

Would these guys perhaps at the same place?

[SandyB]

3rd from right kneeling  at the back   with his hand  between one of  his colleagues  is  Eddie  Johnson ..  seems  so to me ...

[Alfred Boehme]

After studding the photo further I noticed a wooden pole structure in the back right looks like a pole near South Works plant in the G11 area, explaining that the pole I always wondered about was used around 1950's era

How we get gather info to our findings

[Clive Symes]

Nobody spot Peter Bennet or what looks to me like Eddie Jones

[SandyB]

First on the left standing could have been Eddie  Jones ...

[SandyB]

Far  right  squattting could have been Peter Bennett  ,,, similar looks  to Ailen ,,,

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

oh man check the lunch boxes and those army type caps. My dad had one and always wore it when he worked on our cars right up untill he died 3years ago. Why on earth did they work in them?
Great photo good memories of my dad looking at it even though he isn't in it.

[Bob Molloy]

I worked at Gemsbok worshop in '55. All of the faces are familiar but can recall only a couple of names. Certainly an Eddie Jones lookalike standing left but not possible as Eddie didn't arrive in Oranjemund until much later. Definitely Denis Symes with lunchbox under his arm. Squatting right front is most likely Freddie Zietsman. Standing with arms around shoulders and peering through is most likely "Pointy" Poingdestre. Will rake through the old grey cells and see if I can come up with a few more names.

[SandyB]

Bob  .... he  does look like Pointy ...

[John Creedy]

Second from left at back could be Aubrey Baker who got to CDM same time my folks 1954 or a tad earlier.  Bottom right could very well be Gordon Jackson who also fits time wise.  His son Karl is in Aussie.  John and Lei

[Bob Molloy]

Hi John,
            Yes, Aubrey Baker was a pipe smoker but at time this pic was taken he would have been 27 years old. Unlikely to be the middle-aged character in the pic. The bloke squatting with his arm around someone's leg and - if you look closely - making an obscene sign with his fist is Ronnie, an electrician whose second name escapes me. An expat from the UK. His wife's name was Hilda. they had two small daughters at the time.   

[toonfandangl]

Yes!.... recognised Dennis Symes  I worked with him for a short time in the late sixties, 1955 the photo that's thirteen years before I arrived there.......... It was rough in those days.