Policeman With Perfect Recall

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 1

Policeman With Perfect Recall

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, Dec. 22

The Melbourne policeman with the photographic memory. Senior Detective R, Henderson, arrived at Aupkland Airport today.

He has no particular assignment in New Zealand; his visit is part of the exchange of New Zealand and Victorian policemen. Asked if he would be looking for Australian criminals thought to be in New Zealand, Senior Detective Henderson said: “That is not the primary purpose of my visit. Naturally, however. 1 will be looking.” During his two-month visit he will spend periods in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Senior Detective Henderson’s photographic memory was given prominence in New Zealand when he captured the Auckland prison escaper, Trevor Edward Nash, in Melbourne in July. 1961. Nash had been at liberty for six months He has been famous in Australia for his photographic memory arrests for about 17 years. He has arrested at least one man every two months from photographs. He said today that his mem- 1

ory had not been specially trained. “It is an instinct,” he said.

He studies photographs closely and remembers some small, unusual thing in each man’s face. He carries a lot of small photographs in his pockets and when he is in doubt he refers to them.