In Memoriam

• National Medal – 19 December 1977
• National Medal 1st Clasp – 21 August 1989

4 January 2021 – Kenneth Bruce CANTLE – Retired AFP7904
Mr Cantle was born 28 November 1932 and passed away aged 88 years. Mr Cantle joined the Australian Federal Police on 18 August 1980. During his career Mr Cantle worked in various administrative roles within Personnel Operations, Finance and Accounts and Information Technology Services. Mr Cantle retired from the AFP on 27 November 1997. For his service, Mr Cantle was awarded the AFP Service Medal.

5 January 2019 – George Richard FORSHAW – Retired Chief Inspector – AFP107
Mr FORSHAW born on 25 November 1928 and passed away aged 90 years. After a career in the British Constabulary including the Liverpool Police and Merseyside Mounted Police, Mr FORSHAW joined the Commonwealth Police in February 1960. Mr FORSHAW performed various roles at Sydney Airport, Brisbane Airport, Diplomatic Securities Branch and was deployed to Saigon, Vietnam for two years. Mr FORSHAW transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on Foundation Day and worked in Canberra in the General Duties Inspectorate and Traffic Branch. He also performed duties in Southern Region and Information & Scientific Services Support at Weston ACT. He retired from the AFP in November 1986 at the rank of Chief Inspector. For his extensive policing career, Mr FORSHAW was awarded:

• Palestine Police Force Defence Medal, General Service Medal 1945-1948
• Vietnam Logistics & Support Medal
• Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (UK)
• National Police Service Medal
• National Medal

6 January 2019 – Robert Arie VAN DER HEIDEN – AFP9975
Mr VAN DER HEIDEN was born on 29 November 1954 and passed away aged 64 years. Mr VAN DER HEIDEN joined the AFP on 26 April 1988 and was employed as Computer Operator and Technician with Computer Facilities Services Branch and Information Technology Services Division. Mr VAN DER HEIDEN accepted a invalidity redundancy from the Australian Federal Police on 10 November 1999. For his service, Mr VAN DER HEIDEN was awarded the AFP Services Medal.

7 January 1990 – Kenneth (Ken) William THOMPSON – Superintendent APM – AFP59
Ken was born at Waverley, NSW on 15 January 1927 and died at Woden Valley Hospital, Canberra aged 63 years. Mr THOMPSON served in the RAAF and later in his working career he joined the Commonwealth Police Force, transitioning to the Australian Federal Police on Foundation Day, 19 October 1979. He was the OIC of Crime Intelligence, stationed in Canberra. For his service Mr THOMPSON was awarded the Australian Police Medal (APM) in the The Queen’s Birthday Honours List on 9 June 1986.

7 January 2012 – Brian Robert NEVILLE – Retired Station Sergeant – AFP1274
Mr NEVILLE was born on 3 January 1936. He joined the Commonwealth Police and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on 19 October 1979. Brian was stationed in Eastern Region and he died aged 76. For his service, he was awarded the National Medal.

8 January 2014 – John (Chewy) William GUM – Retired Sergeant – AFP608
Mr GUM was born on 4 March 1947.   He joined the ACT Police and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on 19 October 1979.  He served in the ACT (Criminal History Branch) and died in Canberra aged 66 years. For his service, Mr GUM was awarded:

• National Medal – 25th of March, 1999
• National Medal – 1st Clasp – 25th of March, 1999

10 January 1989 – Colin Stanley Winchester APM – Assistant Commissioner – AFP28
Mr “Col” WINCHESTER was born on 18 October 1933.  Mr WINCHESTER joined the ACT Police and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on 19 October 1979.  He was killed in the line of duty aged 56 years. Mr WINCHESTER commanded ACT Police, the community policing component of the AFP Australian Federal Police responsible for the Australian Capital Territory. On 10 January 1989, at about 9:15 pm, he was shot twice in the head with a Ruger 10/22 .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle fitted with a silencer and killed as he parked his police vehicle in the driveway of his house in Deakin, ACT. Col WINCHESTER is Australia’s most senior police officer to have been murdered.   For his services he was awarded:

• National Medal
• National Medal – 1st Clasp
• Australian Police Medal

10 January 2019 – Warrick Ross ARBLASTER – AFP12108
Mr ARBLASTER was born on 5 May 1957 and passed away aged 61 years. Mr ARBLASTER joined the AFP on 12 May 2003. Mr ARBLASTER was employed as Psychologist and worked with the International Deployment Group (IDG) and its overseas missions, and the Employee Assistance & Psychological Group. Whilst with IDG, Mr ARBLASTER worked in Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Solomon Islands and provided psychological support on Operation Alliance and Operation Carlisle. Mr ARBLASTER accepted a voluntary redundancy from the Australian Federal Police on 15 June 2012. For his service, Mr ARBLASTER was awarded the Police Overseas Medal.

11 January 2016 – Alison Viney HOUGHTON – AFP20844
Alison was born at Perth, WA on 10 October 1959 and died suddenly at Melbourne, VIC aged 56 years. During her service with the AFP, Alison worked behinds the scenes as an unsworn member supporting the day to day functions of the AFP.

12 January 2000 – Peter Jude CURTIS – Retired Chief Inspector – AFP42
Mr CURTIS was born on 13 January 1933. He joined the ACT Police and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on 19 October 1979. Peter worked in Canberra (Traffic) and died aged 67. For service Peter was awarded:

• National Medal – 8th of June, 1988
• National Medal – 1st Clasp – 8th of June, 1988

13 January 2019 – Thomas Ernest WAIBEL – Retired Constable – AFP5755
Mr “Tom” WAIBEL was born in Italy on 2 September 1960, he migrated to New Zealand and was naturalised in 1976. He migrated to Australia and passed away after a long illness aged 59 years. Mr WAIBEL left NSWPF and commenced with the AFP on 1 February 1999. Mr WAIBEL worked in General Duties and Intelligence with ACT Policing at City Station. Mr WAIBEL received a commendation for implementing a new system combating stolen goods being sold to Pawnbrokers stores within the ACT. Mr WAIBEL retired from AFP and returned to NSWPF on 24 June 2000.

16 January 2021 – Hector “Hec” Alfred Veitch – Retired Detective Senior Sergeant AFP255

Mr Veitch was born 18 September 1932 and passed away aged 88 years. Mr Veitch joined the Commonwealth Police Force on 31 January 1961 and became a member of the Australian Federal Police on Foundation Day in 1979. During his AFP career, Mr Veitch worked in the Southern Region, in Port Watch at Melbourne Airport of Criminal Intelligence and the General Uniform Branch. Mr Veitch retired from the AFP on 14 July 1989 as the Officer in Charge at Melbourne Airport. For his service, Mr Veitch was awarded:   National Medal Australia Day Medallion

18 January 1994 – Andrew Harry MEADOWCROFT – Constable – AFP4007
Andrew was born on 16 July 1965 and died at Canberra, ACT aged 28 years. Andrew worked in Canberra and was a member of the ACT Bomb Squad. He is survived by his wife Dianne and daughter Clair. Andrew’s epitaph gives us an insight of his character and courage:
“You suffered so long and told so few, it wasn’t fair what you went through. God saw that you were weary, the hill too steep to climb, he gently closed your tired eyes, and whispered peace be thine”.

19 January 1981 – Malcolm Peter MARSH – P.S. Constable – AFP2152
Mr MARSH was born on 10 March 1954. In the final weeks of his life P.S. Constable Malcolm MARSH radiated an all-too-rarely seen degree of dignity and fortitude. He lived with his illness for more than a year fully aware of the imminent outcome, but he never wavered in his zest and enthusiasm for life. He passed away aged 26. He gave his best in the performance of his duties showing none of the strain he must often have felt. In his off-duty time at Woomera, Malcolm entered fully into the Woomera social and sporting scene. Malcolm did much to enhance the image of both himself and the Australian Federal Police.

20 January 2018 – Colin ROWLEY – Retired Detective Superintendent – AFP754
Mr ROWLEY was born on 4 February 1944, in Dawdon, Durham, England and migrated to Australia. He enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 25 November 1963, and was allotted to the Royal Australian Infantry. Staff Sergeant ROWLEY did two tours of duty in South Vietnam and during his 2nd tour, 10FEB1970 to 04MAR1971, for ‘acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire’ he was awarded the Military Medal. Mr ROWLEY joined the ACT Police on 5 January 1973 and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on 19 October 1979. He retired from the AFP on 3 January 1996 and died from cancer aged 74, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. For his services he was awarded

• Military Medal (Imperial)
• National Medal
• National Medal – 1st Clasp

22 January 2017 – Barry Allan BOYCE – Retired Senior Sergeant
Mr BOYCE passed away at the age of 87. Mr BOYCE joined the Peace Officer Guard in 1958, transferred to the Commonwealth Police in 1960 and then to the AFP on its formation in 1979. During his career he worked a variety of roles in Canberra and deployed to Cyprus as part of the 5th Australian Contingent to UNFICYP (United Nations Forces in Cyprus) in 1968. Mr BOYCE also deployed to Darwin as part of the Commonwealth Police response to Cyclone Tracy in 1974. In 1977 he joined the Commonwealth Police Training College at Barton (later to be the AFP College) where he remained until his retirement in 1983. For his service Mr BOYCE was awarded

• Police Overseas Service Medal
• National Medal
• United Nations Cyprus Medal

23 January 1995 – William (Bill) Carr HUMPHRIS – Retired Detective Senior Sergeant – AFP195
Bill as he was more commonly known, was born at Toowoomba, QLD on 11 April 1930, and died at Brisbane, QLD, late of The Gap aged 64 years. Bill made a name for himself as a State Champion Boxer and he was a fairly accomplished Rugby League player with the Toowoomba Whites alongside his lifelong friend Ian “Ripper” DOYLE. He served a number of years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, mostly in undercover drug operations. Upon his return to Australia he joined the Commonwealth Police on 4 January 1965 in Canberra and became a plain clothes Constable on 29 March 1965. He transferred to Brisbane where he served most of his policing career. On 26 February 1973, he received information from an informant “that the Whisky Au Go Go could be the next target for bombing in Brisbane, a fortnight before it happened”. This information was passed on the following day to the Queensland Police. The fire at the Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane occurred at 2.08 am on Thursday 8 March 1973, and killed 15 people. Full details of Bill’s roll in the Whisky Au Go Go investigation are provided in the following books:

• The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre: Murder, Arson and the Crime of the Century, by Geoff PLUNKETT;
• Three Crooked Kings, by Matthew Steven CONDON; and
• The Night Dragon, by Matthew Steven CONDON.

In 1979 he was appointed as a liaison officer in the COMPOL/AFP Washington DC office. Bill transitioned to the AFP on Foundation Day, 19 October 1979 and at the completion of his overseas posting he returned to Brisbane. Bill retired from the AFP in 1989, and for his service he was awarded the National Medal on 11 December 1980.

The following Tribute to Bill has been prepared by his friend and former colleague Max GABRIEL:
“Bill was a larger than life individual who enthralled thousands of people who came into contact with him, through his joke telling and magical acts. In 1979 he was appointed as liaison officer in our Washington DC office where he enthralled the US staff and Embassy staff with his Magical Acts and professionalism in his police duties. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after he retired and eventually he succumbed to the disease. He was a keen golfer and spent many hours chasing the little white ball, mostly with me”.

More details on Bill’s life and policing career can be discovered by clicking here.

23 January 1999 – John Donnelly DAVIES QPM – Retired Assistant Commissioner – AFP3
‘Don’ as he was affectionally known was born on 12 October 1920 and died aged 79. His policing career is outlined in the attached newspaper article. At the time of the formation of the AFP, he was the longest serving member. For his services Mr DAVIES was awarded

• National Medal
• Queens Police Medal
• Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

More info: Click here.

23 January 2020 – Boris Robert OPIC – AFP8671
Boris was born on 22 September 1943 in Italy and he died due to natural causes aged 76. Mr OPIC joined the Commonwealth Police on 9 January 1975 and transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on Foundation Day. During his AFP career, Mr OPIC worked in Canberra in support roles. Boris was recruited from another agency in the 1960s as a staff member to assist in translations of material related to terrorist activities under investigation by the then Commonwealth Police Australian Crime Intelligence Centre in Canberra. He later transitioned to the AFP and worked at AFP headquarters in Canberra until the early 2000s. Boris never married and has no known relations or next of kin. For his service, Mr OPIC was awarded the

• Australia Day Achievement Medallion (ADAM) in 1993
• AFP Service Medal and 20 Year clasp in 2010

24 January 2009 – Christopher (Chris) Anthony PIKE – Retired Federal Agent – AFP3036
Mr PIKE was born on 25 September 1955. He worked in Eastern Region in the Drug and Fraud Squads during the 1980s and 1990c. He resigned from the AFP in 1995 and was admitted to the NSW Bar as a Barrister. Chris committed suicide aged 53.

26 January 2014 – Leeanne Therese BROWN – Unsworn Member – AFP21312
Leeanne was born on 1 October 1970 and died at Canberra, ACT aged 43 years. During her service with the AFP, Leeanne worked as a member of the Commercial Support Team who published the following Obituary in the Canberra Times in her memory:
“Much loved member of the Commercial Support team, who will be dearly missed and never forgotten. A silent rock for us all with a witty sense of humour which kept us on our toes”.

26 January 2017 – Peter GRKINIC – Retired Senior Protective Service Officer – AFP13127
Mr GRKINIC was born on 4 October 1957 and passed away at the age of 59. Mr GRGINIC served with the Australian Army from 1982 to 1990 with his career including Field Engineering, Fire Service and Military Policing. He joined the Australian Protective Service (APS) on 29 November 1990 and then transitioned to the AFP in 2002. He served at various Sydney locations and deployed to RAMSI on two occasions. He retired from the AFP on 21 March 2014. For his service Mr GRKINIC was awarded the

• Police Overseas Service Medal (RAMSI)
• National Medal
• AFP Service Medal

27 January 2001 – Sir Colin Philip Joseph WOODS KCVO CBE QPM – Retired Commissioner – AFP1
Sir Colin WOODS was born on 20 April 1920, in London. He was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police, who was also the first Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, from 1979 to 1982. He was the son of a Metropolitan Police Sub-Divisional Inspector and was educated at Finchley Grammar School. He served in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the Royal Ulster Rifles (into which he was commissioned in February 1944) throughout the Second World War, from 1939 to 1946, and then joined the Metropolitan Police as a Constable, rising through the ranks to Deputy Commander. In 1966, he was promoted Commander (Traffic) and in 1968 Deputy Assistant Commissioner (Management Services). The following year he was appointed Commandant of Bramshill Police College, and in 1970 returned to the Met as Assistant Commissioner “B” (Traffic). On 31 March 1972 he was moved to be Assistant Commissioner “C” (Crime). This caused a certain amount of controversy, since he had never previously served in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which he was now taking over. Robert Mark, the new Commissioner, had already stated that he believed uniformed and CID officers should be interchangeable in senior posts, and WOOD’S appointment was the first example of this policy. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1973 Birthday Honours. In 1975, Mark appointed WOODS Deputy Commissioner. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 1977 Birthday Honours. On 1 August 1977, WOODS was appointed HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary. He held this post for two years until he was asked to establish the new Australian Federal Police in 1979. He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) in the 1980 New Year Honours.

27 January 2017 – Warren John CARLOFF – Senior Constable – AFP18412
Mr CARLOFF was born on 25 January 1979 and  passed away at the age of 38, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Senior Constable CaARLOFF joined the AFP in August 2007 after service with the NSW Corrective Services. After completing recruit training he was posted to Traffic Operations and then Belconnen Station. In 2009 he joined the Specialist Response and Security Team later transitioning to the Specialist Response Group. In 2014 he deployed as part of the International Deployment Group to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands working in Auki on Malaita. On his return to Canberra in 2015 he moved to the role of an Operational Safety Instructor. For his service Senior Constable CARLOFF was awarded

• Police Overseas Service Medal
• National Medal

27 January 2020 – John Forbes GREENAWAY – Retired Sergeant AFP1904
John was born in Sydney on 17.8.49 and passed away in Nowra aged 70, from cancer. He transitioned to the Australian Federal Police on foundation day 19 October 1979, and served in various roles within ACT Policing, Woden station for a short time in the late 90’s, the Bomb Squad and IDG.

28 January 2018 – Stephen JACKSON – Retired Commander – AFP3818
Mr “Steve” JACKSON was born on 6 December 1960 in England, and passed away aged 57 years. Mr JACKSON joined the Australian Federal Police in January 1984. He spent a number of years in community policing in the ACT as well as performing a variety of other roles before transferring to the Internal Safety and Security team in Sydney in 1996. Mr JACKSON was promoted to Commander in 1998 before leading the AFP’s involvement in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He then performed the role of General Manager Perth Office from 2001 to 2003 during which time he was the AFP’s field commander for Operation Alliance, the AFP’s investigation into the Bali Bombings. Mr JACKSON transferred to the role of Manager Aviation Security where he remained until his retirement from the Australian Federal Police in June 2004. Mr JACKSON then moved into a position as the Chief Security Officer for the Qantas Group and contributed greatly to Australian aviation security. For his service Mr JACKSON was awarded the

• Order of Australia Medal
• National Police Service Medal
• National Medal
• Australian Federal Police Operations Medal
• Australian Federal Police Service Medal

29 January 2010 – Witold Boleslaw (Vic) SULKOWSKI – Superintendent – AFP5276
Mr SULKOWSKI was born on 1 August 1969 in Perth, Western Australia. He worked 16 years as a sworn police officer with the AFP (Superintendent level) and 2 years before that with WAPOL. He worked with the AFP in Sydney, Canberra, Perth and then as a Police Liaison Officer in Cambodia and Vietnam. He died aged 40, serving his country in Vietnam, where he was working with the Vietnamese National Police, the first foreign police officer ever to be seconded into the VNP. Medals received:

• Group citation for conspicuous conduct
• AFP service medal
• National medal
• Overseas service medal (Solomon Islands peacekeeping mission – RAMSI)

29 January 2011 – Jim MANNO – Retired Federal Agent – AFP2144
James “Jim” MANNO was born on 6 November 1952. He joined the Commonwealth Police on 5 September 1977 at age 25 starting in the ACT and transferring to S.A. He worked in Woomera and did tours at the Maralinga atomic test site. In 1979 in the transition from Commonwealth Police to Australian Federal Police (AFP), Jim transferred to Adelaide as firearms safety and testing officer. Later he was in operational roles in the drug and fraud units, and intelligence and surveillance sections and the regional operations co-ordination centre. Jim was designated detective in 1991. He took on the role of welfare officer, between 1994 and 2000, showing dedication and commitment to the welfare of AFP members. With the establishment of the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody, Jim’s studies became relevant to AFP training needs and Jim was appointed National Co-ordinator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Projects. From 1994 to 1997, he completed a Bachelor of Social Work, then a Master of Social Work in 2000. Jim looked to a sea-change and retired as a federal agent in July 2000 after 23 years of policing, and returned in October 2008 as a member of Well-being Services in Adelaide before retiring in December 2010 because of illness. He died aged 58 years. For his service he was awarded the

• National Medal
• Australian Federal Police Service Medal and 20 year clasp