Retires

Honour For P-Ng

Police Officer

Supt. Hicks

Retires

From a Lae Correspondent Nearly all Lae residents at tended a ceremony at Lae in August, when Police Superin tendent Ron Hicks was pre sented with the Queen’s Medal.

THE big roll-up probably also had something to do with the fact that popular Superintendent Hicks is due to retire in September, after 26 years service.

The announcement of the Medal award was made in Port Moresby about 12 months ago—together with that of the Police Commissioner and two other senior officers. But as the medal is made at the Royal Mint in England, it takes months before ic can be presented. . The Queen’s Police Medal, which is awarded for exemplary police service, is silver, with the Queen’s head on one side, and a figure of justice and laurel wreath and police baton on the other side. • Superintendent Hicks first arrived i?oTT? e r. T^ rritor y in 1929 the NSW Pohce Force, which he had joined in 1922. His stay then was short, as he resigned after about eight months and went to the Far East to “have a look around”

He went back to Rabaul in 1932 and re-joined the force, and in 1933 was transferred to Edie Creek, where he remained until 1937, when he went on leave. His next appoint ment was to Lorengau, where he remained until November, 1941.

He then went to Salamaua. He was there when the Japanese in vaded the area.

He walked from Salamaua to Wau, and joined ANGAU, rising to the rank of major and serving in Wau, Morobe, Port Moresby, Aitape and Rabaul, until 1947, when he re linquished his commission. During his service period he took a party of Japanese war criminals to Tora kina, on Bougainville, to dispose of some 5,000 tons of unused bombs.

Mrs. Hicks and Mrs. McMullen,

wife of the District Officer in Rabaul at the time, were the first two women to go back after the war. They arrived in Rabaul in June, 1946, when the Army was still in occupation, and thousands of Japanese Army and war criminals were still on the mainland of New Britain.

Superintendent Hicks rejoined the provisional Administration as a sub-inspector of Police in Rabaul.

He served terms in Port Moresby and Wau, and was transferred to Lae in 1951 as superintendent, where he has remained ever since.

Both Superintendent and Mrs Hicks will be missed from the Terri tory. But they say that in the Gos ford district of NSW the “welcome” mat will always be out for Terri-