Ron Wingrave 1920-2006

Ron Wingrave passed away on 27th December after a short illness. Ron was well known for the work he carried out at the Thameside Aviation Museum.

Ron was born in Romford Essex 3rd May 1920 and grew up in South Weald, Essex. his father was a Blacksmith but as that trade was dying out Ron went into Carpenter/Joiner.
Ron was very keen on Aviation from an early age and spent many days watching the aircraft take off from Maylands Airfield which was only a few hundred yards behind his house.
Ron joind the RAF in 1940 and took on the roll as Aicraft Fitter and was with 53OTU Llandow, South Wales. in 1941 he married Ivy Curtis of Mountnessing, Essex. at Mountnessing Church in uniform of course.

He was once offered a lift home in a whitley from Llandow to Maylands when going on leave but turned it down after being told he would have to fly as a gunner! dad went along with “only birds and folls fly”

1941 Ron was transfered to Vickers Armstrong (still on RAF service)Weybridge, Surrey. and worked on various types where his carpentry skills were brought into good use, when he fabricated the first gunpack to be put under the belly of the Blenhiem, Ivy joined him to work at Vickers as a Aluminium Welder so they could be together and Ivy became Vickers Darts Champion a skill she still has today. Ron worked on the release gear for the UPKEEP mine and he told me they did not have a clue what it was for but thought it was to do with shipping. durring the many air raids ron would not go in the shelters he became part of the firewatch and would stay uptop and on one occasion the doors to one hangar were blown off and they had the job to re hang the doors which i think was quite a task.

After WWII he as demobbed. and went back into his carpenter/joiner trade untill the late 50s when he joined Rentokill to retirement in 1985. Ron liked to attend mamy airshows and one of his favorites was the RAF North Weald at home shows during the 60s where he would drag his son ( thats where I come in) along and stared my facination with aviation, thanks dad.

During the early 1970s Ron was involved along with myself in forming The Essex Historical Aircraft Society which in turn became the Thameside Aviation museum in 1984 and during the late 70s Ron spent a lot of time at RAF Museum Hendon working to get Hurricane P3175 ready for display in the then new BoB museum.
http://members.madasafish.com/~d_hodgkinson/PicHur-P3175-Hendon.jpg CREDIT © David John Hodgkinson

Ron and Ivy celebrated their 65th wedding annivesary on 20th of December 2006, Ron fell ill on 22nd.

As a Dad you could not of wanted for more always there when you needed him. as a good mate, if he liked you, you were lucky if he did not he made it plain to see but that was Ron.
Dad left behind his widow Ivy, two daughters, Angela and Sandra and one son Colin.

Dad will be cremated at Chelmsford Crematorium on 12th January 2006 at 12.30hrs. flowers from close family only but donations can be made to The RAF Benevolent Fund.

Colin
PS sory for the spelling.