24 replies to this topic

[gtsmunro]

Just read that Des West has passed after a battle with cancer. A great driver and very approachable and likeable individual. Condolences to his wife Ruth and his family. He will be sadly missed.

[Ray Bell]

I saw a lot of Des back in '96 when I went along on the Camp Quality Caper to help out with media liaison. He was road director or something similar, with Max Stahl running the show and Bruce McPhee helping out. Ruth was along, too, we all had a great time.

 

 

He was initially most famous for driving an early Holden, of course...
 

 

I don't know which hillclimb that is, but he raced, rallied and hillclimbed, he sold Holdens at Wingham and he used to rev the brains out of the old sideplate engines (8000rpm... why not?) with his record at one stage being something like six crankshafts in eight racing miles or something.

 

Harry Firth picked him to steady the second-string GTS 350 at Bathurst and ensure that Peter Brock had good guidance, Des had done pretty well with the 327 a year earlier before scrutineers took Bruce Burr to task about the heads in their car.

 

A very competent competitor, a nice bloke, when he went into hospital a few days ago for his final days he had a lot of visitors and was sitting up talking to them and really enjoying himself. A very sad loss...

[Ellis French]

 

Info courtesy G Poole

[plannerpower]

One of my heroes; seen here leading Bruce McPhee at Catalina Park 1962;

 

 

[Dale Harvey]

Nice shot Kegs. I assume you know that the ex Des West car is based at Wallsend.
Dale.

[Ray Bell]

His other sparring partner, Max Stahl, will be at the funeral...

 

I think that only Bo Seton, Spencer Martin, Norm Beechey and Max would be left of that first rank of early Holden pedallers of the last of the Appendix J era now.

[plannerpower]

Found another photo;

 

Edited by plannerpower, 29 August 2013 - 00:52.

[Ray Bell]

That would be '63...

 

In '64 Spencer was in the BT4.

[Ray Bell]

And I've got an e-mail to say that the red No 27 will be at the funeral too...

 

A nice touch.

[ReWind]

Can someone please provide us with Des West’s life dates (DoB, PoB, DoD, PoD)?

And even his full name (assuming “Des” is a nickname resp. abbreviation)?

Thanks.

[Ray Bell]

I guess this might have to wait until after the funeral...

 

I note, though, that Des was the first motor sporting person inducted into the Manning Hall of Fame, this took place three years ago. The Manning River rises in the mountains around Barrington Tops, it flows through Wingham and Taree and is a very pretty location. Des and his wife, Ruth, lived there... mostly in Wingham where he had his Holden dealership, before retiring to Tuncurry.

Edited by Ray Bell, 29 August 2013 - 01:40.

[wagons46]

I think you'll find that the photo was taken in 1964 and that it is Bo Seton in the Boomerang Car, not Spencer Martin.

As usual with this forum a man who played a promenant part in early Holden racing in Australia, gets a poor response and by very few members to the news of his passing. It is similar to that of Warren Weldons and one can only wonder what sort of people contribute to this forum where a trivial item may be discussed for multiple posts for days and weeks, yet something relevant and important receives very little.

RIP Des and thanks for the memories I shall hold for ever.

[Ray Bell]

I forgot to mention...

 

Bob Collinson (2Bob) has advised that the photo of Des I thought was at a hillclimb is actually at Bathurst, in a race and not a hillclimb, I guess on the climb from the Cutting to Griffin's Mount. It's one of his shots, but was sent to me by Max Stahl.

 

And it was Dave Wilson who advised that the red 48/215 will be at the funeral. It will follow Des...

[Dick Willis]

wagons 46, lots of people read this forum but don't post, don't think they are disinterested. Condolences to Des' family, he was a great competitor for so many years. I have just finished re-reading the story Ruth wrote in the mid 1990s on Des 'motor racing life.

[Ray Bell]

Can someone please provide us with Des West’s life dates (DoB, PoB, DoD, PoD)?

And even his full name (assuming “Des” is a nickname resp. abbreviation)?

Thanks.

 

Desmond Lindsay West (Lindsay after his father)...

 

Born 18th September 1928 at Grafton NSW.

 

Ded 24th August 2013 at Forster NSW.

 

A bit more colour... I just spoke to Ruth, she has five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren among the fourteen staying at her place tonight... the Hunter Valley Torana Club is not the only club coming, another one from Newcastle will be well-represented as well as the Forster-based Great Lakes Historic Auto Club. The red Holden will be parked in front of the crematorium, but won't be driven there... and...

 

As the curtain closes and the coffin disappears, the 'music' will be exhaust sounds from a range of cars, presumably racing cars.

Edited by Ray Bell, 29 August 2013 - 21:27.

[Ray Bell]

I think you'll find that the photo was taken in 1964 and that it is Bo Seton in the Boomerang Car, not Spencer Martin.

As usual with this forum a man who played a prominent part in early Holden racing in Australia, gets a poor response and by very few members to the news of his passing. It is similar to that of Warren Weldon's and one can only wonder what sort of people contribute to this forum where a trivial item may be discussed for multiple posts for days and weeks, yet something relevant and important receives very little.

RIP Des and thanks for the memories I shall hold for ever.

 

You probably are right about it being '64... the numbers are a bit indistinguishable on the Boomerang and McPhee cars which makes it harder.

 

As for your other comment, like Dick I will suggest that many are reading and don't have something to say. But I'll back that up with the fact that I've received two e-mails from people as a direct result of this thread about Des, both people not responding on the thread.

[cooper997]

Although Des is certainly best known as a Holden man, it should be noted that he had a go with one of those new fangled Morris 850's at the September 1961 Lowood ATCC meeting. The Mini had only been out in Australia for just under 6 months when the meeting took place.

Given that neither of the Geoghegan brothers were keen at pedaling their Mini (Ian was running the Jaguar anyhow) there was probably no hesitation in throwing Des the keys to the already quite modified black 850. So he could run it at Lowood as one of three 850's debuting in what was only the second running of the ATCC. History tells us Des dropped out after 13 of the intended 18 laps, to record a DNF.

My condolences to Des' family and friends.

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 29 August 2013 - 02:32.

[cooper997]

wagons 46, lots of people read this forum but don't post, don't think they are disinterested. Condolences to Des' family, he was a great competitor for so many years. I have just finished re-reading the story Ruth wrote in the mid 1990s on Des 'motor racing life.

Dick, is there a way in which we can read Ruth's story on Des please?

Stephen

[Ray Bell]

It's a book...

 

Written about ten years ago, IIRC. Max has been re-reading it this week too.

 

I guess much in the same way as the Geoghegans put him into a Mini, Des had a go with Valiants too. He led the Hardie Ferodo, as I recall, for some laps with a 4-barrel Pacer.

Edited by Ray Bell, 29 August 2013 - 03:39.

[seldo]

As for your other comment, like Dick I will suggest that many are reading and don't have something to say. But I'll back that up with the fact that I've received two e-mails from people as a direct result of this thread about Des, both people not responding on the thread.

The referred comment was, I feel, uncalled for.
Last time I saw Des was at Speed on Tweed about 3 years ago and Max Stahl had brought Des along and was acting as his "minder" since Des's Altzheimers was advanced. I chatted to him for half an hour while Max attended to something and he seemed reasonably lucid at that stage, although fairly frail.
I hadn't seen the need to post about it, but if it makes someone feel better....
I don't pretend to have known Des at all well other than being familiar with his achievements, and unfortunately have never met Ruth.
RIP Des

[cooper997]

Thanks for the info on Ruth's book.

I've actually found it shown and reviewed in issue 31 Motor Racing Australia from early 98.

Stephen

[Dick Willis]

Stephen, let me know if you can't find a copy of the Des West book and I will lend you mine.

[ReWind]

Desmond Lindsay West (Lindsay after his father)...
 
Born 18th September 1928 at Grafton NSW.
 
Djed 24th August 2013 at Forester NSW.

Thanks, Ray.

[Ray Bell]

Whoops!

 

I must have been having a bad day, that was 'Forster', not 'Forester'... that's what I drive to get there!

[Lee Nicolle]

RIP Des West. I am like so many, knew something of his exploits but not a great deal about the man.