WIGRAM TIGER SKIN REAPPEARS IN MESS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29221, 3 June 1960, Page 10

WIGRAM TIGER SKIN REAPPEARS IN MESS

An old souvenir has been restored to its former place of honour at the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram. The souvenir is the magnificent skin of a full-grown tigress, which used to be the pride of the No. 1 Officers’ Mess on whose entrance foyer wall it was hung. The skin was removed at the order of Group Captain T. J. de Lange when he took command of the station in 1958. Before that he had been quoted as saying: *‘l wouldn’t have the motheaten thing about my place.” Group Captain de Lange left the station last month for an appointment in Wellington.

The “battle of the skin” took place in July, 1954, when Group Captain de Lange was commander at Whenuapai and when some of his officers “souvenired” the skin for themselves during a weekend visit to Wigram. On Monday, July 19, an advertisement appeared in the lost and found column of “The Press” asking anyone who found the skin to communicate with the Wigram mess secretary.

There had been a mess party on the previous Saturday night attended by Whenuapai officers whose return to their • base coincided with the disappearance of the skin.

The Wigram mess secretary disclaimed responsibility for the advertisement, as did his brother officers, and Whenuapai practical jokers were blamed.

It was later learned that the skin had been stuffed in a parachute bag and taken to Whenuapai in a plane piloted by Group Captain de Lange himself. When approached later on Monday by an Auckland newspaper. Group Captain de Lange replied: “It goes back to Christchurch tomorrow. I wouldn’t have the moth-eaten thing about my place.” “The skin has a lot of traditional value, and is highly regarded by the mess. It is one of the old-established things there, and is regarded as almost sacred and inviolate,” was the comment made by Group Captain B. S. Nicholl, then Wigram com-

manding officer, who made formal request for the return 0 the skin by telephone. Asked about the moths. Greui Captain Nicholl rtid: “ThortWS only sour grapes because the; (Whenuapai) have not got 4)M The skin is in perfect condltiot I think it is particularly funq that Group Captain de Langt having spent some time in Indi himself, did not shoot one for hl own mess. That probably make the grapes even sourer.” The skin is of a tigress shot.! Mysore, India, in April, 1920. b a former administrative officer I Wigram. the late Squadra Leader R. A. Anderson, MC formerly of Christchurch.