HONOUR FOR TAUPO TRAINED AMBULANCE MAN

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 194, 14 October 1955, Page 2

HONOUR FOR TAUPO TRAINED AMBULANCE MAN

Older residents of Taupo will be interested and gratified by the news tliat a former mernber of the Taupo SL Jolni Aiubulance Brigade, Mr R. C. ("Roly") Brown, of Mount Mau- j ngauui, has been honoured by Iler j Majesty the Queen, as Sovereign Head of the Order of St. Jolni, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Order. Mr Brown, who recently retired from the post *of Division Superintendent of the Mount Maunganui St. Jolm Aiubulance Brigade, has .been admitted to the grade of Serv-ing Brother of the Order. Tliis carries with it insignia comprising the silver badge of the Order enclost d within a silver ring, suspended from a ribbou of black watered silk with narrow stripes of red and white. Mr Brown will receive his insignia at an investiture by the Governor-General, Sir Willoughby Norrie. Mr Brown received his training as a member of the Taupo Brigade, of which he was one of the first memi bers some 20 years ago. The lectures and examiuations were conducted by Dr J. S. Armstrong, of Taupo. At tliat time Mr Brown resided at Reporoa, and in attending lectures and parades at Taupo, with other Reporoa residents, had perforce to rnake a return journey of 50 odd miles. Later Mr Brown formed tbe Reporoa branch of the Ambulance Division, and when he moved to Mount Maunganui joined the Tauranga Division. In 1951 Mr Brown was responsible for the formation of tbe Mount Maunganui branch. He has for years been well known on the Mount beaches, where he has dealt with several hundreds of cases each year. Some time ago he rescued a woman and boy from the harbour, setting out alone in a dinghy, in spite of the handicap of an artificial limb. The purchase of a motor ambulance by the Mount division in Mr Brown's final year as superintendent happily crowned a record of service which Her Majesty has now recognised by the conferment of a well-earned honour.