DAWN RAIDS ON HOMES –Continuing biog of Crusading editor," Big Jim " Bowditch .

It  was claimed that  the Communist Party  had " engineered " a  take over  of  the  Anti  Deporation  Committee, sensing  that  it could  win  the  fight  to  keep  the  Malay  divers in  Australia. The  Assistant Secretary of  the  Immigration  Department , H. Gordon  Brooks , who  had been sent  up  from  Canberra  to  head  the  hunt  for the  Malays in  Darwin ,  wrote that   Administrator Roger  Nott  had  been  approached   by " some  responsible   people " expressing  concern  about  the  Communist  Party  involvement.

 

Communist Brian  Manning  denied   any  plan to "steal " the  Malays;  the unions  , he  recalled  ,  had  strength of  numbers   and  were   plainly   better  organised  than Jim  Bowditch . A small  sub committee which  met  each  day  was set up  and  the  Malays were moved almost on  a  daily  basis.

Heading  on   pamphlet  circulated  down  south.

Bowditch’s  position on the committee  was described as being more of  an  ex-officio member .  He had   declined to serve  officially as  he did not  want  to  be seen  as "creating news" . Nevertheless , he  played a vital part  keeping  the  issue alive  in  the  media.   

BY  PETER  SIMON 

Brooks called on the Administrator the morning after  formation of the  Anti Deporation Committee . Nott   said  that although the meeting  had passed a resolution  to  the effect  that  it would   act outside the  law  if it considered   this  desirable, he  did  not  intend  issuing  a statement  on the matter in  his  capacity as  Commissioner of  Police.  For the record, Brooks  wrote –

He (Nott) repeated    his criticism of the Minister and his handling of the whole  affair , indicated   that as Immigration  had  got itself into  the mess,  it was   for Immigration  to  get itself out of it, and repeated his allegation  that the Minister   had resorted to  deliberate  lying  concerning   the " four " children of  bin Saris. At no stage  over the subsequent  proceedings   did Mr Nott   make any public statement  , nor offer  any assistance  …

  

Apart  from not  being  impressed by the  Administrator , the  Immigration  man from  Canberra, it  seems,   was unhappy   with the way Darwin police  were  handling  the  manhunt.  Brooks   said  the Darwin force was rather small, numbered about  30 officers , and two police women. While descriptions of the Malays had been issued   to  all officers  , the task of  arresting  the  Malays had been given to the  Special Branch  which consisted of  two men . " It was early obvious that  the resources   of the Special  Branch  were  hopelessly inadequate  for the task," Brooks wrote.

 

Two police women with a  radio car   were  made available  to the Special Branch  on  a part - time basis.  Patrols were made,  suspect homes kept  under observation , but  without  success . 

 With so many people involved in the Anti- Deportation Committee  , Brooks   said it was   impossible for  the small  band of  police to   watch everybody  .  Two additional  officers ,Sergeant  McLachlan  and  lst class  Constable  Tom Hollows  ,  were   allocated  to the  Special  Branch to beef up  the  squad  .  At  Canberra’s insistence, the entire  Darwin  force  was  brought  into  the  hunt .

 

Outlying areas were  searched,  police stations  along the  Stuart Highway were  alerted, and  boats in  Darwin Harbour  were  watched. The  Navy, Army  and Air Force  were even  asked to search  their  large  bases   for the   fugitives.   Bowditch  scoffed  at  the size of  the manhunt in  an editorial , saying it was bigger than  any  search  J. Edgar Hoover of  the FBI  would  mount  in  such  a  situation.

 TIPPED OFF ABOUT HIDEAWAY

Brooks  said a  " useful contact "  was  made   with a  person on the fringe of  the   " Bowditch-Ward   group ". Although this person  did not provide information  about  the actual whereabouts of the Malays  ,  inside details of the  group’s  "struggle" with the Communists were supplied.   However,  there was a tip off that  the Malays would be  transported to Channel Island ,  the  old  leper station , in  the  harbour.

 With the help of  the  Navy police, plans were made to  arrest the fugitives on the island ; at the last moment, " the Communist group secured   the custody of the Malays  , and the island   project was  abandoned". The authorities had  been optimistic   that  they  would soon capture the men , but Brooks wrote that once the  Communists  got control of  them  the   situation changed.

 Control, he claimed , was vested  entirely in  the hands  of a small fanatical      group   which  used  the  rest of the Committee  as  it  felt  fit  but  gave it no  information  at  all  concerning  the  Malays..." While there  is  evidence to suggest   that the  Bowditch- Ward  group resented   matters   thus being  taken  out of  their hands , by this   time each member  of  the Committee was so far committed   that  he  apparently felt  he  could  not   withdraw."    The  Committee , he  continued , became   a " front " body  for a small "inner"  Communist group  which  had  possession  of  the   Malays  and  would  not  disclose  their  whereabouts  to  anyone. 

 

 While the police   maintained   their contacts  associated with the  Committee  these could  no longer  provide  information  of  the slightest value . The first stage  of the police  operations  came to  an end at  this   point , he said.             

 

Dawn  raids  were   made  October  2  on the homes of  Committee  members  and their associates  and roadblocks were set up .  Brooks that day   attended a  meeting of  the  Committee  held  in the NAWU .  The  meeting  suggested that the Minister for Immigration  be asked to allow  the  Malays to  stay in  Darwin under bond  pending  examination of   legal  aspects  of   their  case.  NEXT:  Kidnap  plan  proposed !