Ron Cummings passed away in Kent a few years ago. Here is a tribute to him.

From Malcolm M
Edwin Walter Gordon (Ron) Cummings was part of the Services Equipment Division, RAF Orby intake in the early 1950s. He was the Field Services Project Controller for the NATO Sites in the 1960s. During his career he probably went to most of the NATO countries. In 1966 he was running the APOLLO Ascension Island installation. In 1973 he was the Technical Manager of SAGEU, where I first met him. He was Project Manager for Martello S723 Denmark (LAGER) project, and took over the UK (LIME) Project as well, until the final handover in 1989, when he retired.
Ron was a steady hand on the helm whilst the major engineering disasters were mounting around us. We called him Rocket Ron; not because of the speed of action, but the smoke emanating from his pipe, and his unperturbed manner as he steamed along creating order. I understand that he had an illustrious war service; but he never spoke about that. He was a real man-manager; the type that went out of fashion in the new era of Project Management. Where everything and everyone became a commodity of the work package, to be bought or sold; and which ultimately was heading for the oblivion of going out of business.
I still remember the occasion when Ron bought me a half pint of beer at the Liverpool Station bar, as we waited for the train back to Chelmsford. This was an understated celebration, that after a meeting with MOD at Turnstile House, High Holborn, we had finally been able to handover a very small part of S723. His words at the time are still true today for any job. 'If you sort out the small parts, the big parts fall into place.' Perhaps a statement of the obvious, but when you are up to your neck in alligators, draining the swamp is not your highest priority, even though it was your original intention.
I worked for him for three years on S723, and at the end, it felt like an honour to have done so.

Owen H

I can only remember Ron from the few visits I made to Church Green, but my wife, then Jackie Clarke was in Ron's office which was then in a constant fug (her words) with Ron smoking Balkan Sobranie, Sam O'Kell, Norman Pavey and another all smoking pipes.

Robert M

I remember Ron from when I moved into the Marconi Villa in Riyadh in 1977 when I worked for International Division. He helped me in settling in to the villa and life among the MRSL & MCSL folk. As you all say, you saw him through clouds of smoke. Great guy. Later I moved into my own pad, didn’t have a lot to move.

Barry F

I joined Field Services in 1962 and my first day at Church Green was spent with Ron who shared an office with Val (Kitty) Bluette at the time. I also remember the office filled with dense tobacco smoke from his pipe which never seemed to stop. Working on the NATO sites I spent several years between Greece and Turkey and always took him a carton of Turkish Yeni Harman or Turkish pipe tobacco on my return to the U.K. After he moved south, John Lawrence kept me updated on his movements and state of health at the Marconi Vets lunch each April. Unfortunately, John stopped attending the Vets lunch about 3-4 years ago so this is the first I heard of Ron’s passing. He was a great guy and supported me throughout my time in FS.

John M B

I fully concur with Malcolm's gracious tribute to the memory of Ron Cummings;  he got it spot on.

I was the systems engineer for the two CRC's in Norway, and for the NATO Early Warning Chain.

In 1960, we all moved from New Street in to the new Church Green.  It was the ideal arrangement, where the Systems Group (headed by Peter Max and which included the extensive Installation Planning and Drawing Office), collocated with the Installation Group under Maurice Burrage.

My projects had now reached the installation stage, which brought me into daily contact with Ron Cummings.  A better installation coordinator it would be hard to find.  Most mornings, at just after 08:30, I would be with Ron going through the over-night telexes which had come in (at that time they were the Norwegian sites) to assess where the problems were (logistics, supply, technical, priorities, etc).  Cooperation between us was 100%.  When I started visiting the prototype sites to assist where I felt I could, Ron was invariably my point of contact back at Church Green to 

disseminate the actions I required where it would be appropriate. That the promised hand-over dates were achieved was down to the great teamwork which occurred right across the board.  This arrangement continued with the Marconi/ CSF prototype sites that I went on to check-out at Bornholm and Germany (Burglengenfeld).

Ron occupied the left-hand of the twin desks in the recessed window area, in the ground floor office, which he shared with Norman Pavey and the ever-cheerful Sam O'Kell.  Although I was never a smoker (I was very much in the minority at that time), Ron's chimney never bothered me.  Thank you Ron, for your friendship, the laughs we had, and the great cooperation I always received,  throughout that exiting and extremely productive period in the life of Radar Division.

Malcolm M commentary: To the bottom right is Ted Overy. Behind Ron and slightly to the left is Dick Cave who was S723 Contracts Manager; behind Ted Overy, slightly to the left, is Alan Cushing. At the back on the left, glowering and towering over all of them is Eric Gildersleves, with Owen Hawkes next to him on right, and, just in front of them, a small face is trying to peep through over the shoulders of the non participants, and that is me.