PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 119, 6 February 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Tim Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald is leavin" to-day lor Gisbome, and returns to Wellington at tlic beginning of the week. Tho Hon. T. M. Wilford will leave, to-day for Picton and Blenheim. He will bo absent from Wellington for some days. Mr. W. Downic Stewart, M.P., has. reached Wellington on his return journey from Australia, where lie has been undergoing medical treatment. Mr. Stewart, who has suffered severely from llie effects of his war service, is still in ill-health. Dr. Weeks, Dean of Nelson, has been offered the rectory of Toorak, Melbourne, but has declined the invitation.

Tho body of Captain Ronald MQuinn, of tho Army Servicc Corps, whodied at the Wellington Hospital on Saturday last after an operation, was buried with military honours at Karon Cemetery yesterday. The cortege passed through the city in the afternoon., It was headed by tho Trentham Camp Band, and the firing party consisted o£ 100 men from B-Coriipany, Thirty-fifth* Reinforcements, undor Captain 11. JSeddon. The pnll-bearers were Captains Hardham, V.C., Silcock, Ituft, and Sommcrville. Tho Defence Department was represented by Major F. li.. Ostler, and there was a largo muster of returned soldiers and officers from the camps. Chaplains Guinnine and Cullen officiated at? tho graveside. News lias been received in Welling" ton that Major Robert W. Hannah, of the Koyal Field Artillery, and second son of Mr. Robert Hannah, of this city, lias been awarded tho Military Cross for gallantry on the field. Major Hannah is now slowly recovering from the effects of a severe gunshot wound in the left thigh. When war brolio out, he volunteered for service, ana wenv as a private to Samoa. On returning; to New Zealand lie decided to proceed to England and offer his services to the Army authorities at Home, uo was appointed a second lieutenant to the Royal Field Artillery, and, once in France, gained promotion ra pidly to the rank he at present holds, Major Hannah is an ex-student of the Wellington College. The death occurred at Ins residence. Upper Hutt, on Monday, of Mr. iBalcombe Brown, for many yea rsi head, of the Wellington legal firm of Messrs. Brown and Dean. The late Mr. Brown, vras a son of the late Mr. A • • • Brown, Registrar-General, and was born at Johnsonvillc. He " a . s e^ uca ,* r ed at Clirist's College, Umtchuich,, and at Queen's College, Oxford. H was called to the Bar at the Innc Temple, London, in 1880, and, roturi - inr to New Zealand, was admitted a. barrister and solicitor of S "^ e ™ e ' Court in 1881. The late Mr. Brown who was in his 61st year, » widow (a daughter of the H™tain W. D. H. Baillie, M.L.C.), two sons, one of whom is a major in the British Flying Corps, and Uo dwji ters. Another son, who was an officer h the Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action. Mr. Alfred Matthews has been re-' elected chairman of the South Jurarapa River Board and Mr. Q. Donald, treasurer. Mr J. T. Manning, who had been, a resident of Carterton for many years, died on Sunday night at the age ot 63 years. The late Mr. Manning had been ailing for some time past. Ho took an active interest in the development of the district in his younger days. A widow and grown-up family of five daughters and two sons are lett. Mr. E. N. G. Poulton, who has been' secretary to tho Hon. A. L. Herdman. all the time that that gentleman was a Minister of tho Crown, has joined tho Hon. T. M. Wilford a? secretary.

Mr. K. G. Chamberlain, who was invalided home from active :ervice some timo ago, has taken up again his duties as secretary to tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald.

The Rev. Father C. Venning, S.M.. assistant parish priest at St. Mary or tho Angels, Bouleott Street, nas been transferred to Jerusalem, Wangamii River, to take up duty as a Maori misgioner. He leffc for his new sphere or duty yesterday morning. On Monday evening lie was farewelled by a larga number of parishioners, on whose behalf Major Halpin presented him with a. valuable token of esteem. Advice has been received that Q.M.S. Chrystio H. Wells has. received a commission in tho Imperial Army. Wells left New Zealand with the Main Body as a trooper in the Wellington Mounted Rifles. He was on Galhpoli. and in the desert campaign until April, 1917, when lie was chosen to sit for a commission. -

Letters from Lieutenant Jennings, M.C., by last mail, show that his injuries were more severe than were thought at the time ho was wounded on August 28 last, when in charge of his platoon at Cologne Farm. In addition to being wounded he was gassed, and this was troubling liirn. He had been under three operations for extraction of lead, from his left foot. When the fighting was over there were only fivo of his platoon left to carry on until reinforcements arrived. Ho was in Manchester Hospital on December 14, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie, writing to Mr, W. T. Jennings, M.P., states ho was to be removed to the South of England, when it- was thought his chest would improve. The "London Gazette" of August gives tho following account of the work he did for the Military Cross:—"Temp. 2nd Lieut. Alf. George Jennings, 27th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers: For conspicuous galr lantr.v and devotion to duty. Ho led his platoon with great skill against an enemy machine-gun and strong point. Ho succeeded in capturing position, which was holding up the whole. _ and would have caused heavy casualties. Mr. Spencer Gollan will pay a visit at an early date to New Zealand, with the object of settling one of his sons on tho land. Mr J. F. Hartiand. secretary of the Auckland Racing Club, who lias been in indifferent health for some time, became verv seriously ill during last week, and was taken to a private hospital.