PERSONAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16416, 9 January 1919, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

His Excellency the Governor-General and suite will take up their residence at Elmwood to-day. To-morrow the members of the French Mission will be ontertained at lunch by thoir Excellencies. Mr Frank Thompson, general manager of the Christchurch Tramway Riard. is at present away on holiday, but will probably return to-day. Mr E. G. Church, Allenton, AsMmrton, has been advised that Private W. R. Ironsido was transferred to a convalescent deDot, France, on December 17tli. Mr H. Harrington, 563 Cashel street, Linwood, has received advice that his son, Private C. H. Harrington, who left with the 2oth Reinforcement®, ia returning home. The Rev. W. W. Rrown, of the Mataura Presbyterian Church, has accepted a call to the East Taieri Church, rendered vacant by the resignation of the Rev. A. W. Ivinmont. Commandant W. G. Middlemiss, who has been in charge of the Christchurch City Corps of the Salvation Army for the* last twelve months, has received orders to transfer to Palmerston North. Ho "will be succeeded here by Captain W. Fraser. at present of Hastings. Mr W. Bates, for tlie pnst six years in charge of the painting a'nd decorating department of tho Invercargill branch of tho N.Z. Railway Workshops, has been promoted to tho foromanship of the works at Newmarket, Auckland City. Mr Bates was a prominent member of tho Northond Bowling Club, and last season played lead in tho Championship Doubles. Mrs J. H. Wilson, Garden rood, Fendalton, lias received word that her son, Lieutenant Vivian Wilson, » on his wnv back to New Zealand. Lieutenant Wilson] who left with the 18th Reinforcements, ha# been twice wounded, onco at Messines and a second time while at Battalion Headquarters in August last. He intends taking a postgraduate course at Cambridge, and will return to England in time for the October term. Lioutonant-Colonel W. M. Mac Donald, who has been made n Commander of the Order of the British Empire, is a son of the Into Dr. Mac Donald, who was roctor of the Otngo Boys' High School. He wont to Edinburgh, and_ at that University graduated in medicine. Returning to Now Zealand, ho took up practice in Dunedin. He was among the medical men of Dunedin who volunteered for war service, and ho and bin wife (who is a trained nurse) did excellent service in a special hospital _in France. He came back to the Dominion when his term was un but was afterwards sent to En eland "to study nervous diseases arising out of the war, and he is still engaged on that work. Major R. A. R. Lawry, wjio has been made an Officer of the Order of tho British Empire, is a son of tho Rov. S._ Lawry, of Christchurch, and is 27 years of age. He was educated at the Bey® High School, whero he hod. a distinguished career, and on leaving school he entered the . office of Mr J- A. Fleslier, in whoso employ ho was when the war broke out. He left with the Main Body as a lieutenant in the lst> (Canterbury) Regiment, and wos twice wounded on Gallipoi. His excellent work as an officer earned him his captaincy, and he saw a considerable amount of service in France. Ho was promoted major nearly two years a K O ' and for some time past he has been staff officer in charge of the Administrative Department at Sling Camp. Colonel Eugene J. O'Neill, who has received tho docoration of Companion or St. Michael and St. George, was born in Dunedin in 1875, 1 and graduated M.8., Ch.B. at the Otago University. He went to South Africa as surgeoncaptain to the Gth New Zealand Contingent. At the close of tho Boer wnt he went Home to further prosecute hit studies, and then returned to bis native, city. He joined un with the Main Body on the outbreak of tho present war, and went to Gallipoli with the rank of major. He served through tho campaign at Gallipoli, gained the D.5.0., and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. After the evacuation, Lieut.-Colonel O'Neill went to Egypt with the New Zealanders. and then proceeded to France with the Field Ambulance. He. was then transferred to the N Z. Star tionary Hospital in France to take command, and in 1918 was appointed to take charge of tho Walton-on-Thomes Hospital. In that year he was promoted to colonel. He has been twico mentioned in despatches. He is a son of the late Sergeant O'Neill, of_ the nolice fores, and had A large practice in ' Dunedin. He has two brothers in the '' priesthood.