OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18893, 7 January 1927, Page 10

OBITUARY.

CAPTAIN A. J. R. BAHT? Ad\itv luis l.tccn received ai Auckland of tiio death at San Francisco of Captain A. J. K. Barr, aged 43, who was for some years an officer in the Union Company s service. Captain Barr was born at Dunedin, and first went to sea in sail, where he remained until lie had gained his masters certificate. lie was t-lnef mate of the -■liling'ship Wai-iti when she capsized in Kaipara Harbour. Afterwards he was in the service or the Maoriland iSteamslnp Company, and then in the Union Company. In July, 1914, wheu chief officer of the Maori, Captain Barr left the company and went to Antwerp to join his wife and children, who were on & visit to Mrs Barr s parents, she being a native of Belgium (states the "New Zealand Herald"). When the war broke out, Captain Barr enrolled in the Civic Guards and helped to defend Antwerp against the German*. When the enemy eventually took the town. Captain Barr and his j"aniilv were the last of the refugees to escape. Tliev pot out of one side of the town as the Germans entered on the other side. After a trying time, the party reached England safely, and Captain Barr joined the Cunard liner, Saxonia, which had been taken over as a troopship. He joined as third officer. but quickly rose to chief officer. Owing to liis remarkable ability ho \vss nest given command of a fleet of minesr. epers in the Mediterranean. Twelve months later, after Ueinz badly wounded, he was sent back to England, where ho remained for a long time in hospital. When the war ended. Captain Barr returned to New Zealand, and joined the Marino Department as seamen's inspector at Wellington, but went back to sea and made a voyage from Auckland to San Francisco as mate of the barquentine Ysabel. His last position at sea was master of the barque Amy Turner. His remarkable versatility is shown by the fact that he next joined the staff of Messrs Dodge Bros.' motor works in San Francisco, and soon rose to be chief of the large repair department, being looked upon as an authority on motor engines. His death took place on Decpmber Ist. following an operation.' Mrs Barr and three children survive him.

LATE MR C. J. M. DE MALMANCHE The late Mr Charles Joseph Marie (le Malmnnche, who died at Hawera, on January Ist, was widely known on the being born in Akaroa on October 19th, 18-10. Mr de Malmanche was the first French child born in New Zealand, and the event was naturally of some importance. On the exact spot where he was born his father planted an apple-tree, which has not, however, survived the years. All through the early years cf the settlement, Mr do Malmanche lived with his parents and passed through many trying experiences. Mr de Malmanche followed the occupation of a gardener, and gardening had been his hobby, as it had once been his means of livelihood. His great interest was his garden, and he was u firm believer that the old-fashioned seedß and vegetables, which he used to obtain in his youth, were infinitely superior to those in vogue to-day. Marrying young he had a family of eleven, nine of whom survive, and he was justly proud cf forty-five grand-children.