PRO PATRIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 2, 12 January 1942, Page 5

PRO PATRIA

TOLL OF THE WAR POPULAR YOUNG BUSINESSMAN! The death in action of Gnr KfeitK S. Morpeth came as something of a shock to town and district. Keith* who was Avell known locally had a wide circle of friends iiv the busi-« ness world and was regarded.- as one of the town's most promising young men. Born twenty-nine years ago in Coromandel, lie received his education in that town, attending the dis% trict high school and proceeding into the same line of business In which his father, Mr D. C. Morpeth, was interested. For three* years he was a member of the staff o£ Messrs Sargood Son and Ewan, irf Auckland, and at the expiry of that term he joined his father in a newr. Jy acquired business, at Helensville, Kaipara, in 192(9'. Five years later, when this business was disposed of he went with the other members of his. family oh an Australian tour and on his return again joined forces with his father in the establishment of the Avell known Whakatane drapery concex*n. During the time prior to the 1 war, he was fortunate 1 also tn making a further trip to the Olcf Country towards the end of 1938, and had barely settled down to. business life again when the war broke out. Keith, as he was well known, enlisted for the Third Echelon but was first sent with his unit to Fiji for a period of garrison duty before going to Egypt. His; letters home were always bright and interesting particularly those from the near East, where. he went through the preliminary training before the Libyan advance. He is reported to have been killed in action on December Ist, but was posted as missing for some weeks before final confirmation was received by his family. As a younger man lie was a particularly teen footballer, and won some distinction as half back in the Kaipara, a district he represented in 1932. He was fond of all; sport and also employed his energies in movements which made for the progress of the town and district in which he lived. The deepest sympathy will be felt for his relatives.