Issue No: 65/66

March/June 2014

(Established 1997)

NORTHERN TERRITORY RETIRED POLICE NEWSLETTER

Patron – Mr John McRoberts APM, Commissioner of Police

Vice Patron – Mr Vince Kelly APM, President NTPA

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS COMMITTEE MEMBERS & RESPONSIBILITIES PRESIDENT FUNCTIONS & FUNDRAISING GRAHAM REES JOHN WOLTHERS/DENNIS SCRUTTON Mobile 0400 915 499

Email rpa.nt@bigpond.com

VICE PRESIDENT WELFARE

William MATCHETT Garry CASEY Mobile 0429 321 954 Mobile 040 884 1023

SALES & MARKETING ACTING SECRETARY John BELL

John BELL Email rpa.nt@bigpond.com PUBLIC OFFICER TREASURER Dennis SCRUTTON 0438 088 362 Brian JEFFERY

Mobile 0429 321 954 Email bredery@netspace.net.au

BANK DETAILS FEES

BANK NAB – BSB: 085.928 $25.00 Ordinary Members ACCT.NBR: – 49-347-2793 $15.00 Social Members PLEASE IDENTIFY PAYMENT BY YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OR NAME

Due 1st July. Fees may be paid in advance for up to 5 years.

VICTORIAN BRANCH : PRESIDENT David POLLOCK Email : pollockd@bigpond.net.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA BRANCH : PRESIDENT Bruce WYATT Email : rpantsa@internode.on.net

OFFICE: TUES & THUR – 9.00am to 1.00pm All Correspondence and payments Phone/Fax (08) 8922 3374 to Secretary at Web: www.rpant.asn.au PO Box 2777 E-Mail rpa.nt@bigpond.com PALMERSTON NT 0831

Editor: Graham Rees Printed at: Blain Electorate Office – Nathan Barrett MLA

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Things are a bit upside down at the present time, our secretary Debbie Horrocks resigned due to personal matters which have to be sorted out before she commits to the position. We hope that she will be back soon. National Police Service Medal Due to the persistence of Retired Police Associations and in particular members from NSW i.e. Paul Biscoe, Peter Rankin and Phil Sutton from West Australia and our own Peter Thomas, also much vital assistance was provided by Mark Burgess CEO of the Police Federation. of Australia, the following press release has been issued.

'NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE MEDAL'

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MP, PRIME MINISTER

THE HON. MICHAEL KEENAN MP, MINISTER FOR JUSTICE

EXTENDING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE MEDAL

I am delighted to announce Her Majesty The Queen has agreed to my recommendation to extend the eligibility for the National Police Service Medal to recognise service on or after 14 February 1975, the date on which the Australian Honours system was established.

This will extend eligibility for the National Police Service Medal to an estimated 20,000 former police officers.

The National Police Service Medal recognises the special status that sworn police officers have because of their role protecting the community.

The National Police Service Medal was established in 2010 to recognise 15 years’ ethical and diligent service by Australian sworn police officers in active service on or after 30 October 2008.

Unfortunately, police officers whose services concluded between 14 February 1975 and 30 October

2008 were ineligible for this distinguished medal.

The Australian Government believes that these dedicated police officers who have served our local communities should have their service recognised.

12 April 2014

Members who have 15 years diligent service on or after 14TH February 1975 will be eligible for the medal.

Further particulars will be advised as they come to hand. I am in touch with Medals and Awards and they will be releasing a paper on the matter in due course.

Graham Rees President

MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE DUE ON THE 1ST JULY 2014

BANK DETAILS FEES

BANK NAB – BSB: 085.928 $25.00 Ordinary Members ACCT.NBR: – 49-347-2793 $15.00 Social Members PLEASE IDENTIFY PAYMENT BY YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OR NAME . MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS NEW MEMBERS Neil Galloway James Metcalfe R/N 592 Tony Pedersen Garth Macpherson R/N 957 MEMBERS AROUND AND ABOUT

David Pollock

David has left to go to Amsterdam and have a relaxing river cruise. He will be travelling around Europe for about a month and will be in Darwin in November. Bruce Wyatt

Has been navigating the Murray River with a ‘Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum’ crew. Roger Textor R/N53 (D/Commissioner in the 1980s) was, I believe the ‘Lookout’ to ensure that Bruce did not go off course. I am not quite sure if Roger and his friend danced the Hornpipe or not. Apparently a ‘Rollicking’ good time was had by all. Bruce did not sing any Sea Shanties to the relief of all concerned.

MEMBERS ON SICK LIST

John Woodcock No.244 has gone down to Adelaide to have some work done on his lower back. We wish him all the best and hope to see him back in Darwin with no more back problems

Ruth Whitford No.1651 was in the R.D.H. Palliative Care Hospice for a while. She has now returned home. Ruth has been advised that her throat cancer is progressing very rapidly and that her time is limited. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.

CAPS & HATS NOW IN STOCK $15.00 EACH PLUS POSTAGE. COLOURS AS SHOWN.

Happy Birthday

MARCH PISCES & ARIES

John ‘Jack’ Abbott, Peter Akers, David Barrett, Brian Bates, Stan Bishop, Glen Blacker, Peter Budden, Ian Castillon, Robin Chalker, Michael Clarke, Graham Daly, Harold Darwen, Gerry Foster, Barry Frew, Jim Green, Gary Gregor, Peter Hanlon, Marie Hartwig, Garry Holden, Peter Hood, Brian Jeffery, Peter Leacy, Glen Lynch, Lindsay McDowell, Lee McNab, Pam McRae, Denis Meehan, Frank Morris, Helen Murphy. Ken Phillips, Stephen Sims, Gillian Smith, Thomas Svikart, Peter Thomas, Paul Vanderhaar, John Woodcock,

APRIL ARIES & TAURUS.

John Ascoli, Thomas N Baker, Robert Bruce, David Carroll, Wally Cook, David Duffield, Paul Farnan, Errol Finn, Paul Gleeson, Reg Henshaw, Carol Hession, Ian Holland, Ray Jones, Graham Jones, Gerry Lonergan, Paul Mackellar, Stephen McGeorge, Denny McIver, John McMaster, Iain Morrison, Helen Murphy, Lance Newton, Jack Nichol, Peter Quill, Wayne Roddom, Patrick Salter, John Valentin, Tony Wallbank. MAY TAURUS. & GEMINI

Darryl Alexander, John Daulby, Tom Davern, John Drinkwater, Peter Elliott, Chris Fagg, Allan Gray, William Hawker, Penny Jackson, Laurie Kennedy, Bob Kirby, Mel Lomax, Denzil McManus, James Metcalfe, Allan Mitchell, Barney Noonan, Ken Robison, Frank Saunders, Barry R Smith, Jack Stevens, Rodney Van Houten, Peter Woods, Bruce Wyatt.

JUNE GEMINI & CANCER

Lyn Balchin APM, Ian Ball, Trevor Bell, Phillip Clapin, Michael Davis, Graham Evans, John Faithfull, James Forster Richard Fuz, Steve Gilbert, Lance Goodger, Peter Groves, Peter Hamon APM, Les Hamori, Skip Howard, Mark Jeffs, Tim Jennings, Alan Jones, Bill Matchett, Malcolm Matthews, Helen McGregor, David Moore APM, Peter Nunn, Geoff Shervill, Russell Smith, Bob Thorning, Julie Thorning, Steve Wallace, Rita Young, Tom Zydenbos. SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS 60 YEARS: Garry Holden, Rod Van Houten, William Hawker 70 YEARS: Jim Metcalfe 80 YEARS: Stan Bishop Congratulations to all our members.

THE COMEUPPANCE OF TREVOR McKEW Barry Dethridge 233

In about 1968 I think it was, 1/C Trevor McKew was on Midnight Shift with a new recruit. His name has escaped me due to all the anaesthetics I’ve inhaled over the last twenty years, but I’m sure he’ll recognise the yarn… New recruits were put through our own “special” course which was designed , without input from experts , to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Those who passed were pretty good stock…. they had to be ! Anyway….back to the Midnight Shift with Trevor running the show…..for all the modern Force, you have to understand what the old Alice Police Station was like…..The Station was OLD , very OLD, 12 foot ceilings, shadows, long walk across the yard to the cells from the back door when moving prisoners, always the chance of a break-away when doing those little walks, and the antique cells to hold those prisoners were dark and full of menace….. Well, to a new chum at least………and Trevor knew just how to try out this particular new chum…did he ever ! Change of Shift at Midnight and the Evening Shift man was very pleased to be passing over his smelly charges to those two blokes who would be fingerprinting and bailing when he was nicely tucked up in his cosy cot. So here is the new man, his official torch a joke, stumbling over drunken bodies in an attempt to reconcile those bodies with the official tally. Of course all but two of the 40 watt globes the Government allowed us were blown, and patches of shadows darker than black were everywhere… Trevor had carefully primed the pot by telling this poor guy highly embellished stories of horrific attacks by prisoners on innocent Police Constables as they carried out their duties, all about swift and deadly attacks from out of the dark shadows ( “just like these here ! “ ), so by the time he had reached the back cell he was more than a little tense……As he turned to leave one particularly loathsome cell , a huge form leapt at him from out of the dark ….. “ HOOORARGHHH!!!” screamed the leaper, waving claw-tipped hands in the air ( at least , that’s what the poor guy thought he saw ) and the said poor guy was frozen in absolute horror as the terror of the old cavemen swept through his icy veins….. That is, until a proper torch switched on and Trevor, nearly in convulsions of mirth , was pointing speechlessly at the recruits white and terrified face and nearly rolling on the floor with the success of his sophisticated humour……. All settled down, duties were resumed and the tasks of a Midnight Shift enfolded the new guy, and peace came to the Station. What Trevor hadn’t bargained for was a much steelier and determined new guy than he thought had been delivered…… “Ho,ho, great joke, very funny boss….” might have been what he said at their first ‘smoke-oh’ but what he was thinking was something like “We’ve got a few nights to go yet, chum!”

I don’t know who had introduced the new guy to the arsenal kept in the old safe on the verandah, but whoever it was had passed on the huge joke about the old ‘doctored cartridge’ trick …( please do NOT attempt this at home …you can’t anyway , because it relied heavily on the ammunition which had been issued for the weapons we had ,NOT for modern , high powered stuff ) The pistols were genuine antiques…Still stamped in full “ Smith and Wesson, .38 calibre Naval Model, 1917 .United States of America “…they even had their own special holsters, looking like the ones the Mounties wear in their full-dress mode, big bags of leather with a mighty flap held with a hard to open press stud. The clever trick was to tease out the big slug of lead, pour out most of the powder and replace the lead with a wad of paper towel. When fired the cap gave off an impressive “Bang” and lots of white smoke. It had been known to elicit confessions from reluctant “tough guys’ ( but only in extreme cases, of course ) ……. SO…..the plot thickens.. Here’s a senior member still cackling about the look on the new guy’s face when he scared the dickens out of him, and here’s the new guy still smouldering about the said shock and his own reaction…..something had to give. A time honored part of the Midnight Shift was for the junior rank to do the “footies’ ( foot patrols) ,usually when the senior man needed time to catch up on the ever-growing paperwork.) This Shift was no different. There was Trevor, lord of all he surveyed, sitting at a desk on the front verandah ( the building was peculiar in that it had an enclosed and glassed verandah running across the right frontage and this returned down the right side (where the driveway came in ) and included another smaller enclosure with the back door as its entrance. Inside this enclosure was a cramped area where we had a frig, jug and the makings of tea and coffee. At the end of that passageway was the darkroom, the domain of Ari Pyle our photographer. Coming in the back door therefore, you faced left to go into the Charge Room through an open doorway. This led you into the verandah mentioned and its wall of lockers with the glassed-in section in front of you. To get into the actual Charge Room , you turned sharply right, through another archway (lot’s of fun was had by all when the prisoners where a bit unruly when going through here ) . Just to make this whole thing really messy, there was another archway opening from the Charge Room onto the front verandah ( where we left Trevor sitting typing a while ago ). O.K. …..back we go to Trevor typing his reports, looking out into the night, the footpath outside the Police Station and the old White Cedars that stood along that path. Our cunning new man is out “on patrol” , checking doors and windows all on his lonesome. Actually he is huddling in the bushes over the road, outside the C.I.B headquarters. He can see Trevor clearly, and had a mad idea of running madly across the road , diving out from behind one of the big trees and blazing away at Trevor at the desk……. Common sense prevails.. Revenge is sweet but NOT if your target has a real automatic pistol in the desk drawer and is very likely to return your blank fire with very real slugs…..dying wouldn’t be worth the joke….. No.. he slides across the road further

along where the shadows are deeper and reaches the driveway undetected. Slides the feet over the tell-tale gravel ( if you’re sitting in the Station in the wee small hours, it’s truly amazing how your ears can “hear” the stealthy crunch of footsteps…slip over to the back door….nothing.. Just the 3 a.m horrors ) and reaches the back screen door. Slips inside and stealthily slides past the lockers to the corner where he can actually hear Trevor breathing ten feet away. He is just about to jump the ambush when his boss suddenly slides back the chair, stands up and heads for the kitchenette to make himself a restoring cup of Milo. Does it every night…no tea or coffee, can’t sleep in the daytime with that muck, Milo’s the thing ! Our man does some smart stepping and stays out of Trevor’s sight as he goes around and through the archway and doorway. On goes the jug, clatter bang as the mug is readied , the spoon rattles and the boiling water splashes merrily. All done , and Trevor about turns to return to his work… As he steps out smartly into the Charge Room , his little mate steps out of the opposite arch and lets drive with three rounds ..BANG, BANG, BANG!!!……The Milo mug starts it’s upwards curve quite slowly but reaches escape velocity quite quickly… The next morning, arriving for Day Shift , we are greeted with a newly decorated Charge Room….it now has a quite delicately colored but clearly visible dash effect across almost the entire ceiling.. He must have emptied the whole bloody cup! “What happened here fellers ? What’s going on ? “Oh, we had a little disagreement early on , but it’s all sorted now”….. Going by the quietly satisfied look on the new man we can see that it’s going to be a really quiet Shift from now on……………

Gary Burgdorf’s Safari vehicle – down the Daly - White hunters are Ian Evans(Dec) and Darryl Alexander. Circa 1960s. I would have ‘loved’ to have seen Gary driving this machine. It would have looked like a big grasshopper with his knees sticking up beyond his ears.

The four photos below are from the Ken Robison collection

Ken Robison Darwin Traffic Section 1967/68 Lameroo Beach looking north across Darwin City circa 1960s

‘Hippy’ camps at Lameroo Beach circa 1960s ooooooOOOOOOooooo

40TH YEAR REUNION OF SQUAD 15 OF 1974

ADELAIDE APRIL 2014

T.Potts, R. Thompson, F. Morris, S. O’Donoghue, G. Williams, D. Le Cerf, J. Scott, M. Hill G.Fry, A.Dixon, P. O’Brien, J. Pain, J. Bell, N. Vogelsang

VALE

Members, Former Colleagues and Family Members

________________________________________________________________________________________ Name Number Age Date of Passing Heinz Schindler 324 70 21 February 2014 TAS Vickie Darken Widow 91 03 May 2014 NT Ruth Whitford 1651 51 25 May 2014 NT ooooooOOOOOOooooo

STOP PRESS

Commissioner of Police and CEO of Fire and Emergency Services John McRoberts APM

Contract renewed for next five years. The President, committee and all members of the Retired Police Association congratulate our Patron and wish him all the best on the renewal of his contract for the next five years.