Photos contributed by Jim Strong

Jupiter Hotel

The Jupiter shot was likely taken during WW2 and confirms (for me at least) that the photo of "Jupiter and Saturn" in the old Gander shots on the web site is titled incorrectly. I believe that the photo should read Jupiter and Mars. Mars was an apartment building in between Jupiter and Saturn and it is where my family lived first when the settled in Gander-1941/2.

 

 

Front Row    Bill Lahey ( Owner the Globe and Star and later the Crescent movie theatres)
                   Vince Myrick,   Charlie Blackie (Peter)

 

Middle Row    Jim Strong (Jim, Pearl, Elizabeth, Lee, Percy ) Abbie Knee (Jeanette, Marilyn, Barbara)

Back Row    Pat Fleming,   Jack Robertson (Dave)

                    Bill Heath (Fel-first female radio announcer in Gander-her school days predated 1948)
                    Jim Dempsey ( Pat, Helen, Jane)
                    Gordon Stanley (Winston)

 

Many of the men pictured in it were the pioneers of Gander Aeradio ( they were moved to the base in 1938 to the white Admin building) and most of them played a big part in the building of the Amalgamated School system. Many of them had children who went to our school.

 

 

TCA started its service to NL circa 1942 and the Admin Bldg was the first "terminal". This shows some of our "Canadian" relatives shortly after they arrived on one of the early years flights of TCA. My guess that this is circa 1946.
 

 

There were very few single dwelling homes on the Gander base. This is one of them and it was the home of S/L H.A.L. Patterson who was the top man for the communications operation of RAF Transport command during WWII. I have heard it referred to as "the barn" because of the roof line- not the condition of the home! The Lenahan family also lived in this home before moving to Chestnut Road. The photo is circa 1946. ( area later known as "the old Navy site" near Beaverwood)
 

 

 

This shows the Garage building that was near Chestnut Road. It is listed as Building 32 on the map

 

 

This shows one side of the "Shell House" which was the home  of the Manager of Shell Oil in Gander. Jim & Lee Simmons  lived there. It was 31 Chestnut

 

This shows Bldg 45 - the DOT store that was across Chestnut from where I lived. Pete Blackie and I used to get run out of there on a regular basis by Walter and Ivan Mesh's father who ran the place.
 

This is probably the first RR station in Gander. The place was known as The Newfoundland Airport at the time or Mile 213- its location on the Nfld RR.

 


Here is the RCAF Chapel that all denominations used. The shot was taken at the funeral for the RCAF commander Radcliff ( I am not sure of his rank but I thought it was Squadron Leader) and a Mr. Gilmore - head of the maintenance. They were killed on PEI on a military aircraft either going to Montreal or returning to Gander from Montreal in the late years of the war. Other GAS alumni may be able to fill in more of the story.
 

This shot was taken looking down Chestnut Road (some call it Street or Avenue) looking towards the RR tracks. The old school is over the girl's shoulder and the electrical maintenance building is on the opposite side of the road.
 


The girl is the 1950's Gander version of Haley Wickenhiser who is now a retired MUN prof.  I have heard that Leafs are looking for her phone number- they need all the help they can find!.She still owns the jersey so fitting her out will not be a problem

 

Receiver Station