Ray Rumble

During the years between the pigeon handlers of the First World War and the introduction in the 1960s of computers, video editing screens and the ability granted to journalists in London to prepare and transmit their own copy to line, there was a period when Reuters (and others) employed telegraphists who operated Reuters point-to-point radio and cable circuits round the clock. Ray was a telegraphist.

I met Ray at Cable & Wireless, the telecommunications training ground for many of us in those days. Ray was a friendly sort of person and it was easy to like him.

Within a very short time both of us were called up for National Service - Ray a little ahead of me and, astonishingly, I bumped into him again at Catterick. Eventually Ray was posted to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and I finished up underground at the War Office operating classified circuits.

After National Service I went to Canada for a few years but eventually returned to London and joined Reuters as a Press Telegraphist. Ray was already in “the punch pool” (literally a typing pool of sorts where several telegraphists prepared (or punched) copy in the form of Murray code tapes for subsequent transmission on the point-to-point circuits.

Later, Ray was appointed an Assistant Communications Supervisor (ACS), the shift liaison between Editorial, Technical, Telegraphists and everyone else, under Editorial Communications Supervisor Sid Rice.

Ray and I never met socially (except in the Punch or the Albion) during shift breaks because our interests differed somewhat. I think I only ever met his wife, Elsie, twice. They both loved ballroom dancing but I had two left feet.

Ray moved to the management-end of “Special Services”, the brainchild, I believe, of Commander Meadows and David Chipp and I didn’t see much of him but we would always stop for a chat when our paths crossed at 85.

Ray was a good friend for many years and always had a welcoming smile. I shall miss him. ■