PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2667, 12 January 1916, Page 5

PERSONAL ITEMS

The Hon. J. A.-Hanan trill probably return, to Wellington from the south tomorrow tnorning. The Hon. W. H. Edgar, formerly a Minister in the Victorian Government, who is now touring the Dominion, has gone t-o the South Island. Dr. Robinson, of Albany, with his wife and family, arrived by the Manuka yesterday to connect with the Euahine for London. Mr. E. W. Kane, assistant-clerk of the House of Representatives, lastevening received a cable message from the manager of the P. and 0. Steamship Company regretting to inform him that his brother, Mr. A. R. Kane, was amongst the missing on tho steamer Persia, torpedoed by an enemy submarine in the Mediterranean. Mr. A. R' Kane was the senior inspector of tho P. and 0. Company, and had been for many years in the company's service, his duties keeping him constantly travelling from one part of the world to another. He was last in the Dominion some five or six years ago. Tile death occurred at Masterton somewhat suddenly on Monday right of Mr. Harold W. Wardell, son of the lato Mr. H. S. Wardell. Hie deceased, who was about forty-five years of age, had been,-guilder-.,treatment, .for some time past for heart trouble. ' He was a pingle man, and held a property at Stronvar, -to the east of Masterton. Mr." Ashmead' Bartlett, the English war correspondent, whose dispatches from Gallipqli made his name familiar out here, will arrive in Sydney by the Sonoma from San Francisco on -February 8, on a leoture tour of Australia And New Zealand. He gives his first lecture in the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday, February 12. A Press Association telegram from Gisbome states that the Rev. Jas. 'Aitken, M.A., of Mosgiel, ' has been elected to the charge of St. Andrew's, Gisborne, in succession to the late Chap-lain-Major Grant, killed in action. Mr. J. T. Kent, of Reikiorangi,Vno enlisted recently and was called up to go into camp yesterday, was set back as a candidate for a n.c.o. appointment in a future draft. Mr. F. W. Elcoato, of the Bank of New South Wales, Masterton, who is leaving this week for Oamaru, was farewelled by members of the Masterton Savage Club,' on Monday, and handed a suitable present. He also received » present from the Masterton Golf Club. The Ven. Archdeacon Fancourt is on a_ visit to his daughter, Mrs. H. A. Kevins, of Annedale, Tinui. Surgeon-Major G. Homo, of New Plymouth, who was recently invalided to England from the Dardanelles, underwent an operation for appendicitis on December 15, and also had. a toe amputated. He is making a satisfactory recovery. _Mr. C. R. Corfo, accountant at the New Plymouth branch of the Bank of Now South Wales, has received notice of transfer to Wanganui. His successor i"j Mr. Smith, of Oamaru. Private Leo Caselberg, who won tho D.O.M. for bravery during the fighting at Gallipoli, and who was recently invalided home, arrived in Masterton on Saturday night, cn route to Rotorua. Mr. J. .W. Salmond, K.C., SolicitorGeneral, has returned from a holiday lit Rotorua and Auckland. The death is announced, states a Press Association message from Invercargill, of Mr. W. G. Meh alley, a ]>rojliinent teacher, who retired on superannuation two years ago At the last election he contested Mataura against Mr. Anderson. Mr. A. S. Easton, of Foxton, who is in a private hospital in Wellington, is recovering from his illness. Mr. H. Amos returned to Wellington from t'lie south yesterday. Mr. J. Harper, Chief Commissioner of tho New South Wales Railways, who is in New Zealand on holiday, is at present in Wellington. Mr. P. Luckie, of Auckland, arrived in Wellington by the Manuka from Sydney yesterday. Lieutenant R. H.- Court, son of Mr. Robert Court, Epsom, has teen transferred from the 14th Battalion Manchester Regiment to the 2nd Garrison Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. When he wrote on November 18he was upon the eve of departure for foreign service at an unknown destination. Lieutenant Court originally went to Europe as a member of the first contingent from Fiji. The body of the late Private.Geoffrey Coupland, who died in Wellington Hospital on Friday last, was interred at Karon on Monday afternoon, with military honours. Tho cortege, which was headed by tho Trenthani Rand and a firing party, left St. Joseph's Church, Buckle Street, where a service was conducted by the Rev. Father Stewart, who assisted Chaplain-Captain Sogrief at the graveside. En route to the cemetery, the band played Chopin's "Funeral March," "The Garland of Flowers," and Handel's "Dead March" from "Saul." Mr. Levi CoupUnd, of Auckland (father),_ and Messrs. Herbert Dix (brother-in-law), J. M. Geddis, Arthur Ge?jdis, and Paul Cavaiiagh were the chief mourners. Licut.-Col. R. W. Gumming represented the Defence Denartment.

Sergeant-Major Robert Charles Purkis, who is reported to have been killed in action at Mutrah, Egypt, on Christmas Day, left Auckland as a corpora) to join the Ist Battalion of the New Zealand Riflo Brigade at Trentham. Whilst in training he was promoted to the rank of sergeant-major. He was a member of tho old Victoria Rifles Volunteers in Auckland. He was tho eldest of three sons of Colour-Sergeant George Purkis, late of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, who served twentyone years with that regiment, and who is at present employed with the Admiralty Offico in England. Deceased leaves a widow, who resides in Auckland. To be twice wounded was the experience of Captain W. E. S. Furby. of t'ho Wellington Regiment, Main Body, who returned to New Zealand on the Ruahine. He is the son of Mr. G. F. Furby, of Christchurch. Captain Furby left Wellington for the front in October, 1914, _as a lieutenant, and after disembarking at Alexandria, saw service in the defence of the Suez Canal. Shortly afterwards he was sent to Anzac, and was in the first landing. After the Australians, had captured a position at Walker's Ridge, the Turks counter-attacked, and ill the subsequent engagement Captain Furby was wounded. . After being for some time in No. 17 General Hospital, Alexandria, Captain Furby recovered, and went back to Anzac on July 26, and was soon engaged in the fighting at Quinn's Post, where a very severe action, lasting ten days, took place. After participating in the Suvla Bay landing, he was shot through the knee aftor a bayonet charge,' in which the Wellington Battalion took part. He was eventually sent to England, and was placed in the No. 3 General Hospital, London. _ He was promoted to the rank of captain in February of last year. , Captain A. J. Friedlander, son of Mr. Hugo Friedlander, of Ashburton, who came back to New Zealand in the hospital ship Mabeno, returned to Ashburton on Saturday by the second express south. He was met on the station by the Mayor (Mr. R. Galbraith) and a number pf friends, and was given an enthusiastic reception. Captain Friedlander, who is attached tio the R.A.M.C., contracted typhoid at Suvla Bay, and was given three months' leave in order to recuperate. ,As his leave commenced when he left Port Said, his stay in New Zealand will not be a lengthy one.