PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 19, 17 October 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, returned to Wellington from the north, yesterday. Ho is suffering from influenza, and was unable to attend to business yesterday.

The circumstances in which tho Distinguished Service Order was awarded to Lieutenant (Acting-Major) Frank Georgo Massey, M.C., 2nd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (attached 11th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers), aro stated officially as follows: On March 22 and 23, 1918, until severely wounded, this officer .commanded the battalion in a most efficient manner. It was largely due to his resource and good grasp of the situation that the battalion in its retirement inflicted such heavy losses on tho enemy at a small cost to itself in tho vicinity of Beauinctz-los-Cani-brai. By his contempt of danger and choerfulnoßS he set a great example to all ranks."

Cable advice, dated October 8, has been received by Base Records from London stating that Corporal J. Bel, Royal Scots Fusiliers, has been awarded'the Medaille Militaire for gallantry in tho field of action. Corporal Bell has already loeeived tho Bar to tho Military Medal. His next-of-kin is Mr. Frank Bell, Forest Hill, Winton, Southland. Advice has been received that Second Lieutenant Owon G. Garrett, eldest son of Mr. P.. 0. Garrett, of Mas torton, was killed in action on October 8. The deceased, who was twentyfour years of ago, left New Zealand with the second battalion of the Rirlo Brigade. Prior to enlisting lie was a clerk in tho employ of tho Masterton County Council.

The friends of Captain Geo. Sandham, M.C. (Main Body), will bo pleased to hear that he is expected homo shortly after four years' service.

A once well-known figuro in connection with the mercantile marine of Wellington died at his home .at Silverstream yesterday, in the person of Mr. Charles Seagar, an old and well-re-spected resident of this city, who had been living in retirement for some years. The late Mr. Seagar was born in Hampshire in 1833, and was brought up in the engineering trade, in England. He came out to New Zealand in the barque Acasta in 1858, and not long after his arrival here established the Phoenix Foundry in Old Customhouse Street (now conducted by Messrs. David Robertson and Sons). Ho controlled the ■foundry for about twenty years. During that period he founded the Wellington Steam Packet, Company, to which the steamers Stormbird and Huia were attached. Mr. Seagar was at one time a member of the old Wellington Provincial Council. His first wifo died some eight years ago. His second wife survives him.

Dr; Mackin returned to Wellington yesterday after a few days' motoring in the 'Tarnnaki district.

Advice has boon received that Private F. R. drey, of the Twenty-eighth Reinforcements, has been killed in action. He was the youngest son of Mrs. G. L.- Grey, of Mount ]sden. Three other sons' of Mrs. Grey joined the colours. Gunner 0. W. R. Grey, who left with tho Main Body as an was invalided home after the evacuation of Gallipoli. Lieutenant G. L. Grey is still on active service with the Imperial Flying Corps. Private 11'. Grey, another son,, was gassed in France, and is now in a hospital at Hornchurch, England.

Second Lieutenant W. R. Mulgan, reported to have been killed ill action, was the eldest son of Mr. W. F. Mulgan, chief engineer of the Blackball line of steamers, and a grandson of the late Rev. W. E. Mulgan, vicar of Onehunga. Lieutenant Mulgan, who was 26 years of age, was educated at St. Patrick's College, Wellington, and entered the Justice Department, being a clerk in the Auckland Supreme Court when he enlisted in 1914. _ He went with the Main Body to Gallipoli, as a sapper in the Divisonal Signalling Company, and was invalided back in 1915, after an attack of enteric, and discharged. He volunteered again for service, and was given a commission in tho Thirty-sixth Specialists. In the list of decorations conferred on New. Zealand soldiers in the field and published last week, the name of Private Donald Cray was inadvertently given as Private Donald Gray. Private Cray, who has been awarded the Military Medal, is a son of Mr. Geo. S. Cray, president of the Timaru Patriotic Society.'

Mr. John Hopwell, aged 77 years, formerly an engineer residing in Upper Willis Street, Wellington, died .suddenly at 76 Sydney Street, Petone, yesterday morning. . Deceased was suffering from influenza and was subject to attacks of heart trouble. An inquest will be held.

Private William A. Churchill (son of Mr. G. Churchill, Kelburn), who has been wounded, left with the Twentyfourth Reinforcements, being nineteen years of age at the time. He was born in Dunedin, and was educated at the Otago Boys' High School, where he matriculated, and later entered the Victoria University College as a law student. Before enlisting he was with the firm of Messrs. Meek and von Haast, solicitors, Wellington. For over two years he has been on 'active service and has seen considerable fighting on the Passchendaele Ridge/ On October 1 he was slightly wounded in the face. He was a prominent foot: bailer, having been captain of the Otago Boys' High School team when it won all grade matches and college fixtures, winding up with an unbeaten record. For two seasons he played for the Victoria College.

Mr. John Madden, for many years in the Customs Department, died in the ' hospital yesterday morning. The late Mr. Madden, whb was sixty-five years of age, lost one of" his legs some years ago. Recently, owing to an accident, the other leg had to be amputated, and he never recovered from the shock. The Wellington Education Board has received the following resignations:— Miss M. M. Brown, assistant, Blenheim ; Miss L. J. Frayne, sole teacher, Alakerua; Miss l P. Wemyss, sole teacher, Branch Point; Miss E. C. Waddington, assistant, . Mastcrton; Miss M. Ncuman, assistant, Newtown; Miss I. J. Sutherland, probationer, Clyde Quay. i Messrs. T. Forsyth, G. Lundon, and G. It. Stewart have been appointed to represent the Wellington Education Board at the conference of New Zealand 'Education Boards which is to be held shortly. Captain Izard, of the firm of Marshall Hutton and Izard, solicitors, Wanganui, has joined the No. 2 Military Service Board, vice Captain Beale, wlio has gone into camp. The death is announced by a Press Association hiossage from Oamaru of ■Mr. Charles Herbert, who was well known in sporting and was the retired heavy-weight boxing champion of New Zealand. The following members of the Wellington Education Board's _ staff have recently been killed in action or died of wounds at the front:—Mr. I. A. Craven, M.C., assistant, Grovitown; Mr. W. R. Forbes, solo teacher, Flat Creek; Mr. B. G. Hawkins, assistant, Terrace; Mr. H. S. H. Sanson, pupil teacher, Karori; Mr. J. A. Wiseman, student, Training A vote of condolence with their relatives was carried in silence at yesterday's meeting of the board.