Retirement Notice, EA Standard 1 Mar 1958 - One of the longest serving officers in the Kenya Police, Asst. Superintendent C.J. Child retired today. Mr Child has been with the Kenya Police for more than 32 years. Since 1954 he has been staff officer at Police HQ., Mombasa. Before coming to Kenya in August 1926, Joe Child, a South African, worked with the Transportation Dept. of the SA Railways. He joined the Kenya Police almost by accident. One fine August afternoon 32 years ago three hours after landing at Mombasa, Joe was a spectator at an Officials versus Unofficials cricket match at Mombasa Sports Club. He was a railwayman looking for a job in a new country. During the tea interval he was introduced to the then Commissioner of Police in Kenya Col. R.G.B. Spicer. "Just the man we are looking for", said Mr Spicer and Joe the railwayman became a policeman on the spot. After a spell of pounding the beat in Nairobi, Mr Child was transferred to the Railway Police at Kisumu in March 1927 and from there saw service in Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and all the way up the line to Uganda, the White Nile and the Sudan. In 1928 he was in charge of the Royal train escort during the official visit of the Prince of Wales. In 1938 he was posted to the EAR&H Police, Kilindini, and was in charge of the police and fire brigade at Kilindini throughout the war until 1948 when he took over the Crime and Intelligence Branch of the Coast Province of the Kenya Police. Joe was awarded the Colonial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1948 and in 1949 was awarded the Aga Khan's Diamond Jubilee medal. In 1946 he was awarded the Colonial Police Meritorious Service medal. This is Joe's second retirement. The first time was in October 1952 after over 26 years continuous service. Then came the Emergency and in 1953 he accepted an appointment as office superintendent at Police HQ Mombasa and in 1954 was appointed as a staff officer at Police HQ Mombasa. After over 32 years of service in the Kenya Police, Joe feels that he is entitled to a rest but after having a holiday in SA, UK and Continent, he will return to Mombasa.     Source: Mrs P.A. Child

EA Standard July 1951  A most colourful personality as well as an efficient officer. Born in South Africa he started his career in New Zealand with the railway. After a few years he returned to South Africa and a railway job there but, anxious to see more of the world he wandered up the coast to Mombasa which he reached in August 1926. He joined the railway police and after a spell in Nairobi he was posted to Kisumu and from their saw service in Nakuru, Eldoret and all the way up the line into Uganda, the White Nile and the Sudan. In 1938 he was posted to Mombasa in charge of the port and railway police and fire brigade, and he remained there until he took over the crime and intelligence branch of the Coast division of the Kenya Police. He holds the Colonial Police and Fire Brigade Medal for meritorious service and the Colonial Police Medal for long service. He is not leaving Kenya but is building himself a house on a smallholding he has brought at Changamwe.