50 years on
Murdered officer remembered
A Riverina town has commemorated
Sgt Cyril Howe, whose murder 50
years ago sparked one of the biggest
manhunts ever conducted in the area.
STORY JULIA RIDULFO
NSW POLICE LEGACY
O
n 19 December 1963, Sgt
Howe was on patrol when he
stopped a car driven by William Little,
a suspect for a stealing matter. Sgt
Howe asked Little to drive back to the
“one-man” police station in Oaklands
where he intended to question him
further. However, as the cars neared
the station, Little attempted to drive
away and was pursued by Sgt Howe.
When Little crashed his car into a
ditch, Sgt Howe got out of his police
car and approached. At this time
Little produced a shotgun, shooting
Sgt Howe at close range in the
stomach. Sgt Howe returned to his
car and fired a number of shots from
his pistol. While dying from the gunshot wound, he had the courage and
presence of mind to write the name
of his murderer in his notebook.
Little fled to a nearby property
where he shot and killed Reginald
Hunter, a 57-year-old bridge builder,
whose car he then stole. The next six
days saw a large-scale manhunt with
many locals assisting in the search
and offering accommodation for
police who had been brought into the
area to look for Little.
On Boxing Day, Little was found
hiding in a shed on his property. He
had his 14-year-old step daughter
with him. When police approached
the shed, Little shot and killed
his daughter and then turned the
shotgun on himself.
Sgt Howe was 31 years old at the
time of his death and was married
with three children all under the
age of four. He was posthumously
promoted to the rank of sergeant.
The murder also resulted in a recall
of the Webley & Scott pistol that was
issued to all police officers at that
time. Howe had returned fire after
being wounded but his gun jammed.
As a consequence of Sgt Howe’s
death, the old pistols – first issued
before the Boer War at the turn of the
century – were recalled and replaced
with the Smith & Wesson revolver.
Fifty years after Sgt Howe’s
murder, on 19 December 2013, his
widow June Howe and daughter Kim
Howe were guests of honour at a
commemorative service and march
in Oaklands. It was the first time June
had returned to the town in 50 years.
NSW Police Legacy presented June
Howe with a replica of the National
Police Memorial Plaque. Snr Cst
Gregory Pettigrew, the current
lockup keeper at Oaklands, was
presented with a framed picture
featuring Sgt Howe’s notebook,
a photo of Sgt Howe and a
copy of his citation for bravery.
The framed picture will be
permanently displayed at the
Oaklands Police Station.
RIGHT Sgt Cyril Howe
served at the “one-man”
police station in Oaklands
BOTTOM Sgt Howe’s widow
June and daughter Kim joined
Oaklands lockup keeper Snr Cst
Gregory Pettigrew and Albury
Local Area Commander, Supt Beth
Stirton at the commemoration.
Photo courtesy of Border Mail
FEBRUARY 2014 PoliceMonthly 27