Doug and I were great mates. We were stationed together at Lithgow from 1962 until my transfer in August, 1972. I was on station duty the day 22 year old Doug first walked into Lithgow police station, and introduced himself; he said that he had just got married on the 10 March, 1962, I told him that I had got married the week before the 3 March 1962 and after work my wife and myself visited Doug and Val and helped them settle in. The start of a long friendship.
We used to go away each year, the four of us up the NSW North Coast; One year to Nambucca Heads, then Yamba, Newcastle. Then 6 of us went away. We both became fathers of a son each, born very close together. Doug and Val had a boy Glen (who is the CEO) of the Sydney Light Rail Service, and a daughter Leanne, we got to know Doug and Vals parents like they were our own.
When Doug made Const. 1/c I told him to make application to do the Sgts exam and he said he wasn’t interested. I conned him into signing a piece of Foolscap one day and then typed out his application to do the Sgts exam. He was bit annoyed that I had conned him, however he did the exam and passed – even up to when he died he said he had to thank me for what I did.
Doug went into Plain-clothes at Lithgow with the Late Det.Supt Cliff McHardy who was the DetSgt at Lithgow and Barry Antill who was the other plain-clothes Officer.
When Doug made Sgt he went to Narrandera, and then to Grafton and Newcastle.
We were visiting Doug and Val at Narrandera ( I was at Condobolin then ) when Doug was offered Grafton; he went straight to the Newsagent and bought a Lottery ticket and called it ‘Grato’ncorruption’ didn’t win anything.
Doug got out of the coppers, in the 80’s and went into the Pub game. In his later years he was suffering from Alziemers. He was living with his 2nd wife Marilyn at Nambucca Heads and he died there on Saturday 20 January , 2018.