SOME PERSONAL SKETCHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2543, 18 August 1915, Page 6

SOME PERSONAL SKETCHES

MAJOR STATHAM. Major Frank Statham (unofficially re- • ported killed) was a son of Mr. 0. H. Statham, of Dunedin, and a brotlier of Mr. C. E. Statham, M.P., and of Mrs. Arthur Hobson, Napier (lato of Wellington). Major Statham was promoted to i the rank of major on the field, having left New Zealand as a captain. Ho was born in Dunedin nearly 40 years ago, and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School. ' Beforo he enlisted he was engaged in mer- . cantilo pursuits in. Dunedin. . He was a married man. ' MAJOR MITCHELL. . Major George Mitchell, reported \younded, joined the Clutlia Mounted \ Rifles at the age of 18, and went to South Africa with the Ist New Zealand Contingent. On his return ho was a member, with the rank of sergeant, of tho con- ' tingent which, represented New Zealand | at tho Australian States Federation ceremony. Afterwards he enlisted in the Bth New Zealand Contingent, and returned to South Africa, whero lie gained the distinction of being mentioned in the • final dispatches of tho war. After the ' war he commanded the Chitlia Regiment, i eventually becoming adjutant and second in command of the 14th Regiment. . MAJOR COX. Major E. P. Cox, reported wounded, left witli the rank of captain as second in command of C Company, Wellington | Infantry Battalion. He is a son of Mr. E. G. Cox, of Wanganui, and was-born in 1886. In 1904 he joined the Wanganui " Rifle Volunteers, and in 1909 transferred to the Wanganui Guards with a cominis- ' sion as lieutenant. The following year he joined the Hawera Rifle Volunteers, of which he was appointed a captain 111 1911. In 1912 Ihe was appointed to the command of tlie machine-gun detachment ■ of tho lltli Regiment (Tarajiaki Rifles), and this position he held up to the time of joining the Expeditionary Force. He was in business in Hawera for'four years as all insurance and commission agent, and was secretary to tho Egmont A. and P. Association. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL A. MOORE. Lieutenant-Colonel A. Moore, who ivas acting-brigade-ma-jor in the Otago Infantry Brigade before he went to the front, and who is reported wounded, lias the D.S.O. and has seen much' active service. He served in tlio South African war from 1899 to 1902, and was present at ' the. relief of Ladysmith, Ho also saw service in the West African campaigns in 1903-04, and accompanied the Bendc-Omtsha Hinterland Expedition (West Africa), 1905. He was twice mentioned in dispatches—July 29, 1902, and August 25, 1904. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore is well known in Dunedin snorting circles,-and came-to New Zealand in 1811, CAPTAIN R, WYMAN. Captain R, Wyman, reported wounded, served in the South African campaign in .1902, and received the Queen's Medal with two clasps. Prior to the war io was on the reserve of officers of the 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles. CAPT. J. L. SHOUT. Captain Jolm Lawrence Short is a son of Mr. W. S. Short, Assistant-Under-Sec-l-etary of the Public- Works Department, and is about 27 years of age. He was ■educated at Wellington Coljcge, whero he distinguished himself both as a scholar, in long-distance running, and in the cadets. On leaving College, he studied law with Messrs. Meek and Von Haast, and at Victoria College lie graduated LL.B., about 190S, and commenced tlie practice of lus profession at Te Kuiti, and after-' wards at Taumarunui. Maintaining: hia interest in military matters, he attained the rank of major in tho Territorials. Ha accepted a capta-in's commission in tho Main Expeditionary Force. Mr. Short lias received a cablegram from his eon, now at the Base Hospital, Alexandria, stating that his wound is not serious. CAPTAIN L. S. MTjENNON. Captain Leslie - Somers M'Lcnnon was cduoatod at the Napier Main School and tho Boys' High School, Napier, and is a son of Mr. S. M'Lennon, the well-known Napier jeweller. He was a prominent footballer and athleto and was well known in and about tho Napier district and Gisborne. Ho gained his commission in tho Ist Battalion of the' Hawke's Bay Regiment in 1913. LIEUT T. M. GRACE. Lieut. Thomas Marshall Grace, who is reported a 6 having been killed on August 8, was the son of Sir. Lawrence M. Grace, the well-known Maori interpreter, and an authority on most subjects appertaining to the Maori people. Lieut. Grace, who was about 25 .years of age, was a- mem- 1 ber of the staff of tho accountants' branch of tho Post Office, Wellington. wJiore he was held in the greatest esteem. Ho . was educated at tho Wellington College, and was subsequently a skilful and prominent member of tho Old Boys' Cricket 1 and Football Clubs, until he joined tho ' Wellington Club, in which he distinguish- 1 ed himself as a sound three-quarter back. J He ivas a B representative footballer in • 1910, and the following year was a mem- ( ber of the A team. In 1912 he visited ( Australia as a member of Paiata's Native i team. His death will bo deeply deplored, not only in Wellington, but in Taupo and. : other parts of New Zealand where he has J relatives. ' LIEUT G. W. TAYLEH, 1 Lieut. George Washington Tayler, 1 killed in action, was formorly an officer s in the First Taranaki Battalion, and received his commission on November 15, 1913. He was a son of Mr. George W. c Tayler, a former Mayor of Eltham. LIEUT. T. A. DAVIDSON. Lieut, T. A. Davidson, reported to be c missing, was formerly sub area sergeantmajor in Palmerston North, to which '' position he was appointed on May 1, 1912. & —: 11 ' LIEUT. J. S. BAIN. a Lieut. John S. Bain (died of lfounds) t] was well known in Cliristclmrch, where g his wife resides. He was appointed to b a lieutenancy in the Ist Wellington West c < Coast Regiment, with headquarters at Palmerston North, on February 18, 1913. LIEUT. F. A. RUCK. Lieut: F. A.. Ruck, reported wounded, left New Zealand in February last as an n, officer of the Wellington Company. 3rd , l Reinforcements. He took a keen interest in the Senior Cadets, being a 2nd Lieu- 1" tenant 111 the Wellington Technical fc School Cadets, and for some months tl prior to leaving for the front was em- cc ployed on the Group Office staff at a) Buckle Street. . fr LIEUT. E. L. WELLS. "] Lieut. E. L. Wells, reported died of wounds, was a second lieutenant in tlio 1Wellington College Senior Cadets before , i ho left 011 active sei'vicc. The dale of his appointment to a commission was June 11, 1914. LIEUTENANT J. E. CUTHILL. £ JWentwwot J. E. Cutliill, who is re- k; ported to Jiavo ton wounded at the Dar^Lii,

danelles, is an Ota go toy, and had 1 of recent years been studying at- the Otago University. He is one of the many crack Rugby footballers who hav&'gono to tlio froDt, and was known, throughout New Zealand as a player of exceptional qual- . ities. In the opinion of many Welling- , toil followers of the gamo lie was one of tlio most brilliant centre-tlireo-quartera who have been raised these many years; also, lie had few equals as a full-back, and was a filio five-oighths. He represented his university, liis province, aud New Zealand. He was one of that excellent and all-conquering band of Rugby men who toured California and British Columbia in 1913. LANCE-CORP. R. H. LIVINGSTONE. Lance-Corporal R. R. Livingstone, whose name appears in the list of wounded' was educated at the Christchurcli Boys' Higii School, and at the. time of enlistment was a law student at Canterbury College. Ho represented the College in football, crickot, and running, and took nn active part in all the students* activities. PRIVATE E. C. LITTLE. Ptc. E. C. Little, who is reported to ■ be wounded, is a son of Mr. J. K. Little, ot' Cliri.stchui'ch. He was a member of the Samoan Expeditionary Force, and was there promoted to the rank of lance-cor-poral. On returning (a Wellington with the first draft from Samoa, Private Little joined tile 4th Reinforcements. He was probably best known in rowing oiroles both in Wellington and Christchnrch, having won some vory prominent races l>otli in the fours and double sculls. Ho 13 a member of the Star Boating Club. • PTE F. J. H. PIRANI. Pte. F. J. H. Pirani, reported as wounded in the shoulder, is the second son of Mi-. F. Pirani, of Feilding. Pte. Pirani could not get into the ranks in New Zealand, so ho worked hiti passage to Egypt, where he joined the Otago section of the New Zealand Forces. He- has' been in the Dardanelles' trenches for three months.