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....
2nd from right standing at the back looks strangely like a young Dennis Symes .. could be mistaken ...
Spot On Sandy, Dawn did mention that her dad and Mr Symes were in the pic... now for the rest of 'em
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?
3rd from right kneeling at the back with his hand between one of his colleagues is Eddie Johnson .. seems so to me ...
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
Nobody spot Peter Bennet or what looks to me like Eddie Jones
First on the left standing could have been Eddie Jones ...
Far right squattting could have been Peter Bennett ,,, similar looks to Ailen ,,,
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.
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.
Bob .... he does look like Pointy ...
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
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.
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.
Talking to Jock, my dad, about the Berets some of the guys wore back in the day, he reckons in 75 up at uubvley, there was a Herero chap who worked on a grinder that wore his everyday.... Up on the wall behind the chap was a photo of him taken back in the war in full uniform, he displayed that pic with pride..... one tends to forget that we had "natives" fighting for us back in WW2
Will have to Scan in some of the older pics I have just located, certainly gets the grey cells working trying to recall who's who
Clive
@Clive.... and I will keep reminding you..... hehehehe!
How's this for a guilty consience
Hehehe! Service with a smile, one wonders if you would have been able to sleep 2nite?
sorriso2
Must admit I am finding it difficult to sleep at night, after spending the past few days dozing off with my leg elevated.
Any how here are two more.
Nice pics Clive ...
Wow, very nice pics indeed. Even though I dont know anybody on them, it's great to see some real photo's of life back then. Even the shape of the hammers, lunch-boxes and clothes... amazing part of Oranjemund history and the people who made the place what it is... and they were all Oranjemunders, like us...
Your last photo Clive! that looks like and old Sherman tank that the arm is assembled on, which we have mentioned in recent posts....................good pics though!
And many people think the O&K Sh 400 was the first BWE on the mine.
My Dad used to tell us how when they didn't have vehicles to service all the plants, they used donkeys and woe betide anyone that had to work after the end of shift siren went. If your donkey was not hitched fast it was on its way back to the hostel without you.
They certainly used the Sherman Tank chassis to good effect, stacker conveyors amongst other things
:emot112_2: Great STuff CLive, I Hope that we can expect a few more then?
You Pushing me !!!
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Photos from the past