Alfred A. Wilks - papers, 1924-1983

MLMSS 7044

fonds

1924 - 1983

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs

412928

1 box - 0.34 Meters
Textual Records
Textual Records - (photocopy)
Textual Records - (typescript)
Textual Records - (typescript, photocopy)
Textual Records - (typescript, carbon)
Textual Records - (typescript, processed)
Clippings
Textual Records - (printed)
Photographs

Alfred Amos Wilks (1901-1983) entered the N.S.W. Police Force in 1924. He was engaged as personal escort to the Duke of Gloucester during his visit to Australia in 1934. In 1939 he was appointed for special duty with Commonwealth agencies including Military and Police Intelligence, then seconded to the Security Service in 1942. He resigned from the N.S.W. Police Force in May 1946. He then took up duty as a member of the A.C.T. Police Force with the rank of Detective Sergeant and was immediately seconded to the Commonwealth Investigation Service. In January 1947 Wilks was appointed to the rank of Detective Inspector (C.I.S.). He was appointed Assistant Security Officer of the newly created Royal Visit Staff for the proposed visit in 1948 of King George VI, which never eventuated. He retained the same position for the 1954 Australian tour of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Wilks was Acting Deputy Director (N.S.W.) C.I.S. when he retired in 1961.

1945-1959; Papers concerning his police career, being mainly with the Commonwealth Investigation Service. Include correspondence, memoranda, reports and newscuttings (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/1)

Papers concerning the 1954 Royal Visit to Australia:

1948, 1952; Correspondence mainly concerning proposed 1948 Royal Visit (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/2)
1954; Duty roster for security staff during Royal Visit to Queensland (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/3)
1954; 'Disposition of Criminal Investigation Branch personnel', with letter from Shirley Anthony Cahill to General Manager, Gollan Hotel, Lismore, N.S.W., 8 Feb. 1954, concerning accommodation for the royal couple (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/4)
1952-1953; 'Gothic', being papers concerning security arrangements for the Royal Yacht, T.S.S. Gothic (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/5)
1947-1954; 'Dept of Civil Aviation / minutes etc - flight schedules...', including 'Schedule of Flights Required During Royal Visit 1954'; copies of memoranda concerning security arrangements; itinerary; correspondence with and concerning Evan Jones, Special Branch, New Scotland Yard; copy of Railway Police Report on the Royal Tour of South Africa, 1947; and 'Notes on Royal Visit to Canada, 1951' (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/6)
1953-1954; 'Aircraft Security / copy letters & reports', being mainly carbon copies of letters and memoranda of A. A. Wilks, Assistant Security Officer, and Ray Whitrod, Senior Security Officer, Royal Visit Staff (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/7)
1954?; 'Senior Security Officer / To discuss / Royal Tour Security', being empty folder (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/1/8)
1953-1954; 'Action', being mainly Trans-Australia Airlines memoranda concerning security of royal aircraft (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/1)
1954; 'T.A.A.', being T.A.A. memorandum: 'CV-240 Aircraft for Royal Visit', with seating plan of aircraft (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/2)
1953-1954; 'Royal Tour / Canberra Police' mainly concerning deployment of A.N.Z.P.O.L. and detectives (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/3)
1954; 'A.N.A.', being correspondence with G. H. Archibald, Operations Manager, Australian National Airways Pty Ltd (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/4)
1953; 'RAAF file', being copies of operation instructions or R.A.A.F. aircraft (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/5)
1954; 'Q.E.A.', being correspondence with Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, including copy of 'Instructions to Personnel' (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/6)
1954; 'Oil Companies', being memoranda and correspondence concerning aviation fuelling facilities (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/7)
1954; 'Working time table / Civil Aircraft ...' (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/8)
1954; 'Aircarft Security / Notes at Conference' (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/9)

1924-1983; Miscellaneous personal papers (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/10)
1924-ca. 1970; Photographs, including personal portraits, and of group portrait of Commonwealth Investigation Service Advanced School for Investigators, Canberra, Oct. 1954; opening of Commonwealth Police School, 1961; and bowlers at Holdfast Club, Adelaide, Mar. 1966 (Call No.: MLMSS 7044/2/11)

This collection was acquired as part of the papers of Ivan D. Chapman, located at MLMSS 7043. Wilks' brother had gifted the papers to Chapman towards his research on Charles Cousens which resulted in the publication of Tokyo Calling: The Charles Cousens Case (1990). While Wilks' papers document his work with the Commonwealth Investigation Service, they do not cover his involvement in the Cousens case.