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Christ’s College
- 2014 In Memoriam
Winstone
Harris
4661
Aged 93
Winstone was in Julius House in 1937 and 1938
having moved from Cathedral Grammar when the
senior school closed to all but those in the choir.
Winstone started in the fifth form as a new boy
and was required to ‘fag’ for the senior prefects,
which he found quite humiliating, although the
education and discipline was good and enabled
him to achieved his matriculation. During the
following year he settled in, made friends, was
involved in rowing and worked towards and
completed University Entrance.
He was the middle of seven children (five sisters
and one brother) and enjoyed a secure childhood
playing mostly with his younger female siblings,
and living at Mount Pleasant and Park Terrace.
Holidays were spent at Selwyn Huts and Hanmer,
from where he went horse trekking through
nearby St James and St Helens Stations.
Winstone attended Canterbury University
changing from arts subjects after a year to a
more science-focussed course when World War
II broke out in 1939. This influenced his selection
for a special training course in ‘RDF’ (radar
as it is called now), which was a new weapon,
meaning he was sworn to secrecy. In late 1941
he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in
the navy and was then ‘lent’ to Britain’s Royal
Navy and travelled by ship through a series
of transfers from Australia to England by way
of Ceylon, India, Kenya and South Africa, and
long land journeys through India suffering
from malaria on the way. Attacks by Japanese
submarines and planes were witnessed in
Colombo. Towards the end of the war he joined
a landing party that was to capture the German
submarine control base. His task was to examine
German naval radar equipment and pass on any
developments unknown in Britain and destroy
the gear. A memorable moment was taking the
surrender of a German battle ship the Prince
Eugen near Hamburg.
At war’s end he returned home late in 1945 with
plans to go farming but instead he joined his
father’s business, A. R. Harris Co Ltd, starting
as a clerk and later buying out other family
members shares. He travelled extensively,
expanding and changing the focus of the
business to suit the economic climate: starting
with manufacturing agitator washing machines
then infra- red heaters and then moving to
mainly importing electrical goods from UK,
US and Canada. He had been a leading rower
at Christ’s College and won University Blues
in eights and fours with wins over Otago and
Victoria. He was later active in administration,
and was made a life member of the Canterbury
Rowing club.
After retirement, Winstone played golf and tennis
regularly and enjoyed tramping and skiing well
into his eighties. He also visited his children and
their families in various parts of New Zealand,
helping out with gardening and household
chores. His expertise with electrical problems
and the toolbox he carried around was much
appreciated. He could fix anything.
Winstone Harris, born Christchurch, 29 May 1921;
died Christchurch 2 October 2014. Predeceased
by wife Mary; survived by Jacky, Jenny, Pippy,
Penny and Andrew (9043), 16 grandchildren and
six great-grandchildren.