The northern territory police magazine $4 c tat

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Page Thirty-Four CITATION — DECEMBER, 1965







Const. John Maley of Tennant Creek.

Following Mrs. Ward's call, he and his Tracker, Clancy Mananin, got out on to the Highway in the Elliott Police vehicle, and soon afterwards spotted the wanted car heading rapidly towards them. Constable Faux tried to wave the driver down but, instead of obliging, the driver swung around and headed back in the direction from which he had come. This manoeuvre caught Constable Faux on the hop, and by the time he, too, had turned around the stolen car had something of a start. It had some " toe ", as well, as the chase developed into a 90 miles-an-hour burn without the Police vehicle being able to gain on the Falcon. At the Powell Creek turn-off, the Falcon turned off the Highway and raced along the bush track, crashed through a fence without stopping and continued its wild dash, with Faux racing behind, until within sight of the old Powell Creek Telegraph Station. Here the heavy going slowed him down and finally the car bogged down in the mud. Faux tearing hopefully up behind him was within sixty yards of the Falcon when the Police vehicle also bogged down!

Pursued and pursuers leapt from their vehicles to carry on their necessary business. Faux unfortunately left his rifle behind in the car, but the Falcon driver took no chances. He was armed with a rifle with a telescopic sight and took up a position behind a clump of rocks. Faux and Clancy had raced up to the Falcon and noted the driver's bare foot tracks leading off to where he had planted himself, but when they attempted to follow the tracks of the driver the latter bobbed up and aimed the rifle at Faux. Faux dodged behind a rock. The driver eased out into the open again, and again aimed at Faux, who again ducked behind a protective rock. The driver was only about forty yards away when he first halted Faux by aiming the rifle at him. He was moving further away all the time, but not taking his attention off the Constable. He gradually moved to such a position that

Faux could not make any further use of his rock, and he again put the rifle to his shoulder and aimed at Faux. Faux then got up and ran in a crouching position, weaving from side to side, for a hundred or a hundred and fifty yards until he found what he thought was a safe position behind a hill, where Clancy joined him. They lay down behind a couple of rocks waiting for the driver to show himself. After about twenty minutes with no results, Faux decided to make a dash for the Police vehicle to get his rifle. He made a wide circle, running from tree to tree. At one stage, while stopped, he heard the whine of a bullet as it hit the ground about three feet behind him and ricochetted off into the distance. It had passed between his legs!

Faux turned and ran back to join Clancy behind the hill, and Clancy then pointed out the driver on another large hill across the creek. After a couple of moments he disappeared over the top. Faux and Clancy realised that assistance was needed, and they walked back to the Stuart Highway, about four miles away, and got a lift to Renner Springs.

After the arrival of the Tennant Creek Police,- and a discussion of the situation, the entire Police party, suitably armed, proceeded by Landrover to the old Powell Creek Telegraph Station. A check showed that the Falcon was the one stolen at Tennant, and was loaded with stolen DCA equipment, Green's radio, and numerous other items, apparently stolen from Banka Banka. Clancy located the offender's tracks, which were barefoot, and they were followed for about two miles before they cut out. The police party then walked a further five miles through mud and stony ground alternately, hoping to cut the tracks again, but with no result: They then returned to the Landrover and got the Elliott vehicle out of the bog. Sergeant Haag despatched Constables Faux and Maley to set up a road block several miles north of the Powell Creek turnoff. Haag, Courts and Tracker Clancy then walked along the Telegraph Line until sundown trying to cut the tracks of the escapee. They had no success, so returned and picked up the Landrover and drove to Renner Springs.