GILBERT "GO" TERRY

Gilbert Henry Terry was born on 19th February 1909 in Reservoir Cottages, Goede Gitt. Terry was one of ten siblings which included four brothers and six sisters. Terry's connection to the Navy begins with his grandfather who was originally a Krooman from Nigeria. He was the gardener at Admiralty House and lived in the gardener's cottage on the premises. In an interview with Albert Thomas, Terry described his father's occupation in the Navy: "My father was a stone mason and bricklayer...... He built that huge Chimney in the Simon's Town Dockyard. He was in the Navy when they built the docks at the turn of the (20th) century." (Thomas Interviews, Simon's Town Museum). The chimney became an icon in the town.

 

Terry followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father and joined the Navy in 1939 as a team leader for fencing and felling in the Works Department. He was paid £1.8.0 per week.

 

In 1939 at the outset of World War Two, Terry enlisted in the army and travelled as far as Egypt to fight in the North African Campaign. In an interview with Albert Thomas, Terry describes his experience serving in the army as 'enjoyable'. He wanted to continue to serve in the Italian Campaign, however, he had been living in Egypt for three years and was subsequently sent back home. It was in the three years working and living in close proximity to the Egyptians that he became fluent in Arabic.

 

Upon his return, Terry went back to the Dockyard and continued his fencing, felling and painting work. Terry retired from the Navy in 1973 at R150.00 per month.

 

Terry was married to Mary Magdalene Padua from Kalk Bay.

 

In 1967 Simon's Town was declared a whites-only Group Area. In the documentation that the Museum received from the old Simon's Town Municipality, Terry fought this declaration in a series of back and forth communication. In the end, he was physically removed from the Reservoir Cottages and forced to live at No.1 Sonia Hof, Castro Road, Ocean View. It was this incident, that earned him the nickname "Go" Terry's service to his country, like so many other men of the Cape Corps from Simon's Town, meant nothing to the Nationalist Government.

 

Terry passed away on the 13'h September 1995.