HAMMOND Raymond
1106, Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand
LEGION AWARDSGold Pioneer Axe [awarded 2006]Silver Pioneer Axe [awarded 1984]Legion Distinguished Service Cross [awarded 1997]Legion Meritorious Service Medal [awarded 1990]Frontiersmen Long Service & Efficiency Medal [awarded 1970]Silver Fern [awarded 1977]Legion Star of Merit [awarded 1995]Legion 90th Anniversary Medal [awarded 1994]New Zealand Command Centennial Medal [awarded 2011]Australian Medal of Merit [awarded 1984] Canada Command Honour Badge [awarded 2016]Frontiersmen of the Year [awarded 1998]NOTES
Born 27 September 1926, New Zealand
Died 11 February 2018, Hastings, New Zealand
Buried Hastings Cemetery [Plot KK62]
OBITUARY
1106 HAMMOND Raymond, GPnr, LDSC, LMSM, SF, AMM
That’s our Ray!! Ray spent many years as Records Officer on New Zealand Headquarters and held many positions & ranks, both in Auckland and here in the Hawkes Bay. Ray spent many hours, days, nights, & weekends on duties assisting the community in many areas. Sometimes just watching cars in the car park at a Youth Social, through to assisting with crowd and traffic control for A & P Show’s right up to crowd control for Royal Functions, and often travelled far to help out other units. We once travelled from Auckland to Whangarei to assist with parking at the launching of the “Bounty” replica. In the paddock next to our cars was only one public car all day, the public all came by boat. However, we did enjoy the social activity that followed at the RSA. Ray was always available to help people have a better day by giving them directions. Ray was the Officer Commanding the Auckland unit when I joined 43years ago and we were immediately welcomed as part of his wider family. Our family spent many afternoons at Ray’s place with his family, including helping them shift on more than one occasion. Ray’s old Datsun 1200 covered many miles to go to Legion Meetings and Duties. Early on I learned of the Quartermasters Bag that had to travel to social events and to Conferences, but there were no spare parts for our uniforms in it. It contained glasses and a bottle of liquid for “Medicinal Purposes Only” of course. I recall Ray always hooked up with an earphone for his little pocket transistor radio to listen to the cricket, the footy and the races. On one occasion out beyond Waiuku, in the hills, at a Horse Riding event there was Ray, all set up with his sandwiches, his thermos flask and his radio, organising the car parking. You could always rely on Ray – he even lent me a pair of black trousers at one conference!!! During his work travels he managed to catch up with Frontiersmen throughout the North Island on his way. Ray was a most respected member of the Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand Command. And above all to us he was a great mate. God Guard Thee Ray. Pnr Barry COKER
