FRENCH HONOURS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 5

FRENCH HONOURS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS

? —■ —■ BESTOWED BY PRESIDENT POINCARE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, February 24. M. Poincare, President of France. Las bestowed the Legion of Honour's Grand Oioss on General Sir Douglas Haig, tho Grand Officer's Cross on General Sir lau Hamilton and General Sir W. Birdwood, and tlio Chevalier's Cross on Lieut.-Colonel Young and Major Hastings (New Zealanders). The War Cross has been bestowed on Viscount French and General Birdwood, also on tho following New Zealanders:—Captains Hose and Hugh Stewart, and Lieut. Newman. Tho Military Medal has been given to tho following New Zealanders:— Sergt.-Major Boatto (Otago) and Tpr. White (Canterbury). The Service Cross has Leon awarded to Lieut. Inch. [Liputs. Graham and Inch engaged a large German seaplane off tho Belgian coast. The German machine fell, exploded, aud burst i;ito flames, and then jank.J 1

PERSONAL ITEMS The Right Hon. AV. F. Massey (Prime Minister) left for tfye Auckland district yesterday; Tho Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward went to Christcliurch last night. He will be back in Wellington on Tuesday morning. Colonel Dean, of the Salvation Army staif in U.S.A., will visit Now Zealand in August next. Mr. Dean was once principal of the Training College in New York. The Rev. C. J. Kinnersley has been appointed lion, chaplain to the Samoa Force whilst serving in Samoa. Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, is on a visit in Wellington. Mr. V. 13. Willis has beon appointed secretary of the •Wellington Cricket Association, vice Mr. S. Willis, who has resigned. Mr. R. W. Martin, supervisor in Australasia of tho Phoenix Fire Assurance Uon\pany, is at present in Wellington. Mr. W. J. Stevenson, _Collector of Customs at Rarotonga, arrived;in Wellington by the Moana on a brief business visit. Mr. D. Morrison, manager for the Onion Steam Ship Company at Raro-f-onga, arrived in Wellington by the Moana this week. Ho will return by the same steamer on Thursday next. Mr. J. E. Thwaites, first assistant at Clyde Quay School, has received intlmaation from the Registrar of the New Zealand University, that cable advice reports his having secured the M.A. degree, with third-class honours in mental science. Mr. James M'Master, minister in charge of St.- Rona's Tresbyterian Church, will preach his farewell sermon on Sunday next. He will proceed' to Tasman Church, in the Nelson district. ' His brother, Mr. Lendrick M'Master, of Hornby Church, will sudceed him at St. Rona's.

At the annual meeting of tho Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Edward Anderson was re-elected president. —Press Association. . t s Mr. P. S._ M'Lean- was' yesterday reelected president of the Hawke's Bay Automobile Association.

Lieut.-Colinel EdwaT(l Sherson, New Zealand ' Field Artillery, has been awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration.

Mr. J.! W. H. Martin has been appointed by the Government to be a member of the Taranaki Land Board. •

Mr. D. B. Copland of the Government Statistician's Office; has received intimation from the Registrar of the University of New Zealand that cable advice reports his having been successful in obtaining his M.A. degree with first-class honours in economics.

Word has been received in Masterton that Jlr. Wyndham Maunsell,. son of 'Mr. J. F. Maunsell, has passed his final medical examination at Home. Mr. Maunsell joined the. army as a private, but tho authorities, in view of tho shortness of doctors for army' purposes, requested Mr. Maunsell to complete his studies.

The loss which' the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows sustained by the death of Captain A. E. Wilkinson, who fell in the Suvla Bay landing in the early part of August, was referred to in sympathetic terms at the annual meeting of the Auckland district,' when the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, unveiled a portrait of the deceased soldier. The provincial grand master, in his presidential address, said that by tho doath of Captain Wilkinson he had lost a valued colleague, a dear friend from boyhood to manhood, and an Oddfellow who endeared himself to the whole district. The sympathy of the society went out to the indo'w and'relatives. In unveiling the' portrait the Mayor said that the late Captain Wilkinson was oho who held, the esteem and respect of all. Captain Wilkinson was personally known to him through business relations he had had with him, and ho had always found him to be "a white man." He was true to tho principles for which the Order stood. The death took place in Christehurch on Wednesday of Mr. H. D. Buchanan, formerly of Little River, who was well known throughout Canterbury, and also in the Gisborne district. Mr. _ Buchanan (says the "Lyttelton Times") was born on the famous Ivinloch Estate, Little River, in 1864, and was educated at a private school at Christchurch. When only twenty-three years of ago he was appointed a Justice of tho Peace For many years he took an active interest in local affairs and in all agricultural' and pastoral affairs. He. was a member of the various local bodies, and was at one time chairman of the Little River Road Board. In 1909 he renioved to Gisborne. Mr. Buchanan was one of the most liberal patrons of rifle shooting that New Zealand ever had. As an officer of the 0.Y.C., he early displayed keen enthusiasm in markmanship, and was generous in offering encouragement to riflemen, particularly those of Banks Peninsula. He subscribed liberally to all district rifle meetings, and cups, medals and other trophies by him are scattered about the district in largo numbers. For many years he annually held a camp on his property at Kinlcch, where for several days were gathered members of the C.Y.C. and of the several rifle clubs of tho Peninsula, who indulged in a series of competitions for shields and trophies givon by Mr. Buchanan. The camps were held under the authority of the local Defence Department. The whole of the expenses— including the victualling of the men — was defrayed by Mr. Buchanan, and he also had prepared at his own expense a first-class range on which were erected six targets. In 1889 Mr. Buchanan married Miss -Roberts, and leaves a widow and two sous, one of whom. Mr. Hugh Buchanan, is at present training in Scotland with tho Army.

Captain William Wright, who is well known in Australian and New Zealand waters, arid was last out here in the steamer Duns Law, is among, the Britishers interned in Germany. The Duns Law was at Nordenham, on the river Wcser, when war broke out, and 'the vessel was seized by the Germans and the crew made prisoners. The captain, chief, second, and third engineers, and the third officer wore separated from the firemen and sailors, and were living in a hay-loft. The young men, the captain writes, amuse themselves playing football, but time hangs heavily on tlio older men in the camp. Captain Wright met several Australians in the camp, including Los. Clarke, Collins. ana Ludlow, the violinist. Six. Poole, an Oxford M.A., was also in the camp.