PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2600, 23 October 1915, Page 7

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defence, roturned to Wellington from the south yesterday. Ho is leaving again for Dunedin to-night, and ho will bo absent from Wellington for about a week. The Hon. A. L. Herdman came back to Wellington from Auckland yesterday afternoon. lis is going south on Monday night to meet the returning woundl- - soldiers, and also to confer with committees in the southern towns concerning the discharged soldiers' employment scheme.

The Hon. W. Fraser sets out on Monday night to visit Central Otago and bis own electorate of Wakatipu. He will not return to Wellington for at least a week. The Hon. W. H. Hemes returns from his visit to the Tauranga electorate this morning. % The Hon. G. W. Russell has gone to Auckland. Ho returns to Wellington on Monday afternoon, and leaves for the south tho same evening. Madame Boeufvre, of Wellington, has no fewer than forty relatives serving in the armies of the Allies. Chief among these is Brigadier-General Jameson. Dr. Norman Hales, who practised as a dental surgeon in Wellington, and who was well known as' a popular amateur actor, left for America by the last trip of the Malcura. Mr. N., L. Pownall, late of Bannatyne and-Co., wlio left Now Zealand some months ago, has received a commission in tho Eighth Northamptonshire Regiment.

Advice has been received in Wellington that Sapper J. R. li. Leys, who left with the Divisional Signalling Corps of the Slain Expeditionary Force, has been promoted to the rank of Staff-Sergeant on the New Zealand and Australian Divisional Headquarters Staff. Staff; Sergeant Leys, who lias been at Gallipoli since tho first landing on April_ 26 last, was well known in athletic circles in Wellington, being a prominent member of the Old Boys' first eleven and of the Athletic Football Club. Prior to enlisting ho was in the head office of the Bank of New Zealand. The Rev. E. I. Sola, who for some months past has been in charge of St. Peter's" Church, Willis Street, has returned to take charge of St. Albans Church, Eastbourne.

( Tho annual meeting of tho Thorndon Swimming Club last evening passed a vote of condolence with the relatives of the New Zealand soldiers who have fallen at the front. An Auckland paper says that Mrs. M'Cornish, of Maungawhau Road, has received advice that her husband, Liei? tenant James Doran M'Coniish, is.returning on the Willochra. In a letter written on August 19, Dr. A. Challinor Purchas states that Lieutenant M'Comisli was then in hospital in Alexandria, suffering from a compound fracture of the right arm and a wcund in the thigh. The letter stated that. Lieut. M'Comish had only been in the trenches four days when he was wounded during tho severe fighting on August 8. Lioutenant M'Comish left with the Fifth Reinforcement's.

Particulars of tho death of the Rev. I W. Grant, chaplain to tho Forces, have been received in a letter from Sapper C. E. Stevens, formerly of the Public Works Department, Gisborne. "Writing on September 6, Sapper Stevens states:—A peculiar position arose, as cue trench was held conjointly by Australasians and Turks, divided only by a sandbag barricade, over which bombs were continually hurled by botli parties,_ with a result that there were casualties on both sides. Bro. Grant had ■apparently heard that one of the boys was either killed or wounded there, sowith a medical man lie went round there, not knowing the Turks held a portion of the trench. The result was that the enemy fired, .killing him immediately. Tho pity o( it is that had they asked anyono in that section they could havo told them that the Turks were in possession. The service was read over our brother's remains by tho Rev. Mr. Blamircs, of Wanganui, who has asked some or his- boys 'to mako a wooden cross and a nice tidy grave. Our brother rests on a little flat about half a mile from where he fell, and I would give a great deal for just one sprig of that emblem so well deserved in his case, for all men must say "lie did his duty."

Bombardier F. Daly, It.N.Z.A'., who was prominent in football circles in Wellington, has been promoted to the. rank of lieutenant. Mr. Edward Buchanan died suddenly at his residence, Devonport, on Wednesday. Mr. Buchanan was an old and respected-resident of Devonport, and was a popular'figure in boating circles. He was closely identified with the early volunteer niovoment, and was considered to bo one of tho best rifle shots in tho Dominion. Mr. Buchanan is survived b,v his widow, four sons (Messrs. John, Edward, Arthur, and William Buchanan), and two daughters (Mrs. Saunders, of _ Devonport, and Mrs. Little, of Takapuna). Tho youngest son, Mr. William Buchanan, is at present in training at Trentham for service with the Now Zealand Forces.

Mr. John Farroll passed through Wellington yesterday, en route to Auckland to mako the advance arrangements for the "Potash and Perlmuttor" Comedy Company, which commences a tour of Now Zealand there early next week.