Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary
Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary
Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary Band
Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary Band
David CrawleyMBE - Bandmaster, European Constabulary, New Guinea Police Force, Founder of the New Guinea Police Force BandBorn: 12 March 1906 London, England. Died: 10 July 1966 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.David (Dan) Crawley was born in London, England on 21 March 1906. At an early age he joined the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers Regiment of the British Army and trained as a Bandsman. During his years of service the cavalry regiment was stationed in Ireland, Egypt, Palestine and India.In early 1930 he took his discharge from the British Army and voyaged from India to Tasmania to try his hand at fruit farming. While there he joined the 22nd Light Horse Brigade. In 1935, in response to a recruitment campaign for the New Guinea Police Force, he travelled to Rabaul, New Britain. He joined the European Constabulary of the New Guinea Police Force on 15 May 1935 with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.When training buglers for ceremonial parades he became aware of the musical aptitude of the young Tolais from Nordup village, and sought permission to form a police band. His request was rejected - he was considered "a mad Englishman - impossible to teach music to the native people"! He determined to persevere and bought brass band instruments himself, and in his spare time taught the young Tolais to play.Their first public appearance in Rabaul in 1937 so impressed the Administrator Sir W Ramsay McNicholl that he recommended David Crawley be released from regular police duties to form a police band. The Police Band was officially formed in 1938. (A number of his original "Nordup boys" were still with the Band when David Crawley, then Senior Inspector, retired from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary in 1963).In Rabaul on 22nd March 1938 he married Kathleen Allen, from northwest Tasmania. A daughter and a son were born prior to the outbreak of war in New Guinea.Early in 1941 Lark Force, the Australian Army 2/22nd Battalion arrived in Rabaul and a friendship was formed during that year between David Crawley and their bandmaster Arthur Gullidge, formerly of the Brunswick, Melbourne, Salvation Army Band. He was renowned as a fine musician and a talented composer. (Sadly he lost his life on the Montevideo Maru, along with so many others who were taken prisoner). In late December 1941 with fears of an imminent Japanese invasion, David Crawley's wife and two small children were evacuated to Australia on the M. V. Macdhui, together with the other women and children of Rabaul .David Crawley remained in Rabaul with the male civilians and service personnel. When Rabaul fell, after the brief courageous battle against overwhelming Japanese forces on 23 January 1942, and the order was given "every man for himself", he took to the mountains of New Britain to escape capture. Prior to leaving, he and the band members had buried the band instruments, along with his family's personal belongings. (None were ever recovered).A few loyal Bandsmen insisted on accompanying him, but as the danger became evermore evident, he persuaded them for their own safety to return to their villages. He travelled with a small group of Police officers and hacked his way through the undergrowth with his bush knife, which his family still have in their possession.After many weeks evading the Japanese, with little food, water or clothing, they escaped, with help from Keith McCarthy and Frank Holland, on the small vessel M.V. Lakatoi. After a hazardous voyage from New Britain through the Trobriand Islands they arrived safely in Cairns on 28 March 1942.He joined his family in Sydney where they had taken up residence to wait out the war. He enlisted in the Australian Army and after a short period of rehabilitation returned to Papua New Guinea with A.N.G.A.U.He was transferred to the Royal Papuan Constabulary, one of the units of ANGAU, as Lieutenant, M. I. D. He was stationed at Bisiatabu for much of that time, and was requested to form another police band. Some of his original New Guinea bandsmen who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese, managed to escape and returned to him.In 1945 he led his Band on their first tour of Australia to raise funds for the Third Victory War Loan, which proved very successful. Subsequent Australian tours he undertook with his Band were the Sydney Anzac Day March in 1950, Queen Elizabeth's visits in 1954 & 1963, and the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.In early 1946 his family joined him at the Royal Papuan Constabulary & New Guinea Police Force Training Depot at Sogeri, in the foothills of the Owen Stanleys, some 26 miles from Port Moresby. In 1947 a second daughter was born.In 1945 David Crawley was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, London, in recognition of his skill in training two brass bands in Papua New Guinea. The award was given annually for the most outstanding musical work of the year, and it was the first time the honour had gone outside the United Kingdom. Studying externally through the Trinity College of Music, London, many of the bandsmen passed their Theory of Music examinations with honours and distinctions.In 1955 he was honoured by the Queen, receiving the MBE for his "outstanding contribution in pioneering the movement to introduce band music to the native people of New Guinea". The Investiture took place at Government House Port Moresby. He also received the Queen's Police Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, awarded for distinguished Police Service of 22 years or more.In 1963 he retired from the RPNGC as a Senior Inspector. On the tarmac of Port Moresby's Jacksons airstrip the Band played in farewell, and many of the bandsmen wept. He took his wife on a long dreamed-of visit back to England and met up with his old British Army friends before he died suddenly in Brisbane in 1966. Archbishop Philip Strong, the former Anglican Bishop of New Guinea, officiated at his funeral service. {Doreen MacGowan}
POLICE BANDThe efficiency and disciplineof the police band ls a tribute tc the patience and assiduity of Inspector J. Crawley, who many years ago struggled against adversity to establish ' the band. Pessimism dogged his every move, but his own optimism never faltered and in1938 the band was formed. The going was hard. Many frays dropped out after a few lessons and there was the constant difficulty of enlisting new personnel Inspector Crawley persevered and today he has a band which is a credit to him. At every public function in Port Moresby the band is present sent. Band practice is a dally routine. Inspector Crawiey's ambition is to have a band equal in efficiency to mainland , bands. That he ls on the way to success can be judged from the results of the theory examination, of the London Trinity College of Music. A few months ago a number of members were submitted for the examination, which was held under the direction of the Education Department of.Papua-N.G.The results were excellent. Four entered in the advanced intermediate division and all passed, two with honours. Two passed with honours in the, Intermediate division and two out of three gained honours in the advanced junior division. Twenty-four passed In the junior division, 16 gained honours (one with 100 marks) and the remaining eight were awarded, merits. Inspector Crawley is an ex-soldier having served, with the 12th Lancers. Morning Bulletin Rockhampton Thursday 10 January 1952
The Royal Papua & New Guinea Constabulary Band in Rabaul post war 1944 playing for the troops and people and showing the coloursDavid Crawley conducting and leading the march
In 1937, Inspector David Crawley began what is today known as the Papua New Guinea Royal Constabulary Band or, simply, the Police Band (figure 3). Impressed with a bugle band begun at a Methodist school in Rabaul, Crawley chose musicians from Nordup Village. He taught them to play instruments he provided. At the first public performance, the colonial administrator was so impressed that he urged Crawley to work solely on establishing a police band. A full set of instruments then arrived from Australia. In January 1942, Japanese troops captured Rabaul, and the bandsmen buried their instruments at Toliap Village. The band reformed in Port Moresby, and with new instruments toured Australia in 1945, playing arrangements of "Colonel Bogey on Parade," "Waltzing Matilda," and "God Save the King." Australians favorably received the performances, and more overseas trips followed
At Taronga Zoo Sydney
Royal Papua & New Constabulary band in Sydneyc a 1950 Davit Crawley officer far right
1950 Anzac Day TourBrisbane Sydney
Queen St Brisbane
Marching down Queens St Brisbane
Marching through fortitude valley St Brisbane
Conservatorium Road on the way to Government house Sydney adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Band Practice at the old Redfern Police stables
The Band marching down George St Sydney
Port Moresby ANZAC 1962 Ela Beach
1. Inspector David Crawley 1937-1963
2. Superintendent Thomas Shacklady 1964-1982
3. Superintendent William Harrison 1981-1994
4. Superintendent Keith Terrett 1994 - 1999
Below ,Superintendent Thomas Shacklady with an American Admiral inspecting aRoyal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Guard of Honour 1975
Keith TerrettKeith Terrett (b.1956), is a composer and arranger born in London.Keith joined the British Army at the age of fifteen, studying cornet at the Army band school in Bovington. At 18 he became the principal CornetTrumpet to the 'Band of the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars' (a cavalry regiment), stationed in West Germany. He has toured the USA, Canada, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium and Holland during his service.During his time at Kneller Hall, Keith had the opportunity to study orchestration with Trevor Sharpe, and harmony and composition with Professor Gordon Reynolds and Peter Byrne. At Kneller Hall, Keith won the student march competition, and his march Class of '88 is now published in the USA by Echelon Music in Texas.As a composerarranger Keith started arranging and composing while in the army, since working with children in schools, Keith has developed flexible orchestrations to suit each group he has led. Several of his flexible wind band arrangements are now available through Phoenix Music; and range from grade 1 to 6.While living and working in Papua New Guinea as a 'Lecturer in Music' at the 'Faculty of Creative Arts', 'University of Papua New Guinea', and from 1994-99, 'Principal Director of Music' & 'Chief Instructor' to the world famous 'Band of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary', Keith collected folk songs from remote villages; and arranged them for band. Several of these works are now published in Holland by Dutch Music Partners.After a brief spell teaching in the United Kingdom, Keith's interest in ethnomusicology took him to the Middle East for a year in 2000, to Kuwait City; giving him a chance to study Arabic music more closely.From 2001-2006, Keith worked in Norway, where he was the town band music director. His first piece of original music was published in Norway, entitled 'The Gypsy Violinist in New Orleans'; by the Oslo classical music publisher 'Musikk-Huset A/S'. Keith has the honour of being the only British composer working for this publisher, and now has music for guitar, vibraphone, brass quartet and wind band published by them.Keith's music is published in the United Kingdom, Canada, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, the USA, Sweden and Norway, and includes music for wind & brass band, music for brass & tuba quintet, flute & clarinet ensemble, to solo works for various brass, woodwind, tuned percussion and string instruments.Bruno Uetz in Germany has just released Keith's unique version of 'Czardas' for various brass, woodwind and string instruments.Keith has studied with, and gained academic musical qualifications from the Royal Military School of Music, Open University, Trinity College of Music, Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, London College of Music, and the Bandsman's College of Music in Manchester.
Keith Terrett & The Band of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary in Japan 1998The Band of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary under the direction of Superintendent Keith Terrett in Japan 1998. The Band were the guests of the Osaka 21st Century Association, and performed a series of charity concerts, and also took part in the Midosuji Parade.Funds raised from the performances were donated to the Aitape Disaster Relief Fund, through the PNG Red Cross.
