Hong Kong & Airstocks Limited
 |
|
Simeon (Sim) Baldwin, Jim & Sally, Sally Barr (guest) & Airstocks administrative assistant Hope Donald aboard Sim's sailboat - SV Morasum - out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
|
Hong Kong & Airstocks Limited
|
|
|
Simeon (Sim) Baldwin, Jim & Sally, Sally Barr (guest) & Airstocks administrative assistant Hope Donald aboard Sim's sailboat - SV Morasum - out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
|
The departure from Long Beach to return to the Far East was not only about the exit from a financially challenged Douglas Aircraft. After Jim lost his mother (Jim's parents had retired to Long Beach) Sally remembers Jim saying that there wasn't anything to keep them in Long Beach any longer.
Jim and Sim Baldwin knew one another from earlier days. Certainly from the Bangkok period prior to the Indonesian Air Force stint. Probably from earlier times. Sim was another of those American pilots that seemed to retain an affinity for the Far East. During the war Sim apparently was attached to the China-based American Volunteer Group of Claire Chennault - otherwise known as the Flying Tigers. He had a mind for business and Sim was a serious blue water sailor. He became a local legend of the Hong Kong sailing community.
From the newsletter of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club -
|
HISTORY OF THE China Sea Race
The first China Sea Race took place in Easter 1962, and had evolved from a cruise to Manila by RHKYC member Sim Baldwin in his yacht Morasum in December 1959. The 40-foot yawl, a Sparkman and Stephens design based on Carlton Mitchell¹s famous yacht Finisterre, was considered state-of-the-art when she was launched in 1959 and Sim Baldwin was keen to test her capabilities at sea. After 8 days Morasum reached Manila and sailed into the Manila Yacht Club where a boat from the Club came out to guide the yacht the rest of the way in. The weekend after Morasum's return to Hong Kong, there was talk about her adventure and it was suggested that they should do it again but make it a race next time. Two years later, on 7 April 1962, three yachts from RHKYC, one from Manila and one from Japan crossed the line at 1300hrs at the start of the first China Sea Race. The finish was off Corregidor Island crossing a line formed by vessels of the Philippines Navy, to be met by members of the Manila Yacht Club who had co-operated most generously with the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in all the arrangements. Due to no radios being on board the yachts, Hector Ross on Reverie crossed the finish line six days later to find out that they were in first place.
SV Morasum - 1967 |
The race pioneered by Sim and the Morasum is still run to this day. This was the nature of Jim's business associate.
__________________________________
Airstocks Limited was a Hong Kong registered company founded in 1959 and had offices at Hong Kong's famous (infamous?) Kai Tak airport.
1960s Kai Tak |
The only known image of Jim at his Airstocks Kai Tak office |
Airstocks was (and is still) an aircraft parts supplier and was the Far East representative for the Sikorsky Company, Pratt & Whitney and United Aircraft. Airstocks is now Boeing-owned Aviall Airstocks. A brief e-mail exchange with the Hong Kong manager of Aviall Airstocks confirms this -
| To: twong@aviall.com From: Dennis Bidney <dlb@netins.net> Date: 12/19/2007 10:03AM Subject: Airstocks Ltd. Mr. Wong, I'm trying to find information about an aviation supply company in Hong Kong that operated during the 1960's called Airstocks Ltd. The principles were a Mr. Sim Baldwin and James Harper. Their office was on the Kai Tak airport grounds. They represented Sikorsky and United Aircraft. I'm wondering if Aviall Airstocks might have anything to do with this company to which I refer. Thanks very much, Dennis Bidney Des Moines, IA USA Dear Dennis |
Sim had resided in Hong Kong since 1953 and while there continued an aviation parts firm in the form of Airstocks Limited. Jim joined Sim at Airstocks in 1961 as sales manager. The Harper family established itself at the Grand Court apartment complex, Kadoorie Ave. in Kowloon. This would be home for the next seven years. The daughters attended St. Judes's Preparatory School to become acquainted with the British way of things before enrolling in King George the 5th (KGV) School, Ho Ma Tin.
The Airstocks operation required a fair amount of business travel and entertainment with clients visiting Hong Kong. What follows are some good descriptions of the Airstocks business activities and some brief corporate founding information.
 |
 |
 |
|
Let Us Entertain You The photo collections have a large number of pictures of what most probably would be business and entertainment dinners. The favorite spot was the floating restaurant Tai Pak.
The evening would go like this - Everyone would gather at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club where Sim berthed Morasum - A group photo would be taken (sometimes they would take the motor cruiser "Spray").
They would then motor over to Tai Pak and have a shot taken of the selection of the lobster for the main course.
And then a group shot while dinning.
One of the tougher aspects of the job. This version of an evening's activities was repeated over and over again and commemorative photos abound. |
A few other dinner party photos of gatherings probably sponsored by Airstocks
 |
 |
 |
 |
Life for the Harpers proceeded normally through these years with business and school and everything that goes along with growing children. Family visits to the Philippines and Iowa would occur - Vacation trips to Hawaii - Sailing with Pat McFadden on the Gitana (possibly out of Shelter Cove Y.C.) and motoring the islands of Hong Kong on the SPRAY were common outings. During this time, Joanne graduated from KGV and moved on to L'Ecole Benedict School in Geneva, Switzerland.
The trips to Iowa were to spend time with Jim's aunt, Ethel Harper. Ethel had been a constant in Jim's life and she was also the keeper of the family homestead. She was an Iowa-solid, independent country woman who married later in life. In 1953 Ethel and her husband B. Chris Holme had built a home on the high place of the remnants of the Ankeny family farm.
It was on the 1968 journey from Hong Kong - a trip that was another ocean adventure for Jim & family to visit Ethel and Chris - that the vacation became something else. Jim received word, in route, that another important presence of the Harper clan had left the scene. Jim's Aunt Ethel had died. Once in Iowa, Jim discovered that his aunt had willed the home and property to him. Chris, with some hesitation, asked Sally and then Jim if they would consider returning to Iowa for good to not only take possession of the property but to also provide care for Chris for as long as he might need it.
Jim and Sally agreed and as they returned home to Hong Kong (by freighter) they did so knowing that the global moving about was nearly at an end. They began to bring their Hong Kong affairs into order in preparation for their last move and for the beginning of the retirement phase of life for Jim.
