Ray Gustard. My Maritime friend

My friend Ray,

 Like London buses it seems, as part of my Panama hobby I have acquired two good friends, over the last 3-4 years, both called Ray. This blog is dedicated to one of them. Ray Gustard.

 We met by chance. After I had a letter on my Panama hobby published in the May 2022 edition of Ships Monthly, Ray tracked me down.  Not in the usual route I would add. Ray is not an internet kind of guy. From memory he contacted our local mayor, and after a series of calls, he got through to me.

Ray is a former Merchant Seaman, of many years. He is a Geordie by birth and now retired, resides in Houghton Le Spring with his good lady wife June.

Where my thing is postcards, Ray is a matchbook cover collector with a maritime specialty. He has been a collector I believe since going to sea. His collection is enormous and varied.  It's also catalogued and presented immaculately. You will find out why further into this blog.

 Rays job at sea was the engine room storeman. A humble job some might think, however, think about it. In a world without the internet, if you needed to repair a ship at sea, far from home the storeman was the guy that can find you every part from an O ring to a crankshaft bearing. He also has a good idea of the Ships Builders and Naval HQ, where more trickier replacement parts can be had. A good storeman on a big ship was worth his weight in gold, and Ray was that guy. Understanding the contents/catalogue of the ship's parts inventory was key to the job. In his younger days he had a stint on the great Cunard liner Queen Mary. Ray later went onto work on Royal Naval Fleet Replenishment vessels such as RFA Tidespring and many others. He has travelled the world and has many tales to tell.

 We meet up regularly to chat about ships, maritime history, Panama Canal and general help on research, Ray kindly assists with a friendly trawl through his vast book collection on Naval and Merchant shipping, (and makes a cracking cup of Tea !).

The great thing about Ray is his vast knowledge of not only his hobby, but maritime history. While we chat about a card I’m creating, a shipping line or a Naval vessel, Ray will recite stories and anecdotes about maritime matters, that only a man with decades at sea is capable of. From how a ships boiler works, to the history of a long-lost shipping company, Ray is a fountain of knowledge and an excellent host.

As I said earlier, his collection of books and albums of matchbook covers are organized in a precise way that reflects his past.

Ray has helped me innumerable times. Here are just a few of Rays collection of matchbook covers that cover topics I've researched. Every one a time capsule of a bygone age.

Thank you, Ray