PERSONAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 20, 18 October 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

His Excellency the Governor-General, accompanied by Second-Lieutenant Gdo F Garland, M.C., A.D.C., returned from Christchurch yesterday morning.

Sir Jamos Allen, Minister of Defence, is still confined, to his home with an attack of influenza.

His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) has sufficiently recovered from his recent indisposition to bo able to attend to his judicial duties.

A Press Association cablegram from London states that a bar to tho Military Cross has been awarded to Lieutenant B. T. M'Clure.

The death in England is announced of Mr. E. W. Christmas, tho wellknown landscape artist. Mr. Christmas spent some years in New Zealand, and. afterwards wont to England, and two or three years ago had several EJfstiires hung in the Royal Academy. He had since then been painting in the. Argentine and in the United States.

Captain A. B. Sievwright, who has been away on active service for over three years in the Now Zealand Jj.xneditionary Force, has been seconded for duty with tho 22nd Corps (Imperial Forces), and was with that corps fighting on tho Vimy Ridge nt tho end of July. Mr. D. E. Pftrton, who hae been teleeraph engineer in charge of the Wairarapa Bush District for the- Inst four years, has been promoted to Clinstchurcli, where he will superintend (tho placing underground of tho telephone cables.

Lieutenant F. K. Broadgate, Idled in action on October 1 left New Zealand in June, 1916, with the New Zealand Engineers, Fourteenth Reinforcements. He was a son of Mrs. B. Kelso, Edendale North, Auckland. Ho obtained his early education in Goromandel.and gained a mining scholarship from the local School of Mines. He studied at Auckland and Victoria Colleges and graduated M.Sc. -with firstclass honours in geology. Before volunteering for active service the late Lieutenant Broadgate was attached to the staff of tho New Zealand Geological Survey.

Mr. Charles Loveday, whose death occurred at Christchurch on Tuesday, was an old and highly respected officer of the Railway Department. Thede•ceased was a native of London, and arrived in Now : ' Zealand 48 .years ago. During hie 38 years' servioe in the- Department he was stationed at Wellington, Auckland, Westport, and Christchurch. Prior to his retirement, about five years and a half ago, Mr. Loveday was chief of the clerical staff of tho Locomotive Department on the Huru-nui-Bluff section, his total service m Christchurch having been 20 years. The late Mr. Loveday leaves a widow, but no childrea. Mr. G. F. Wilson, secretary of the Wellington Savage Club, is recovering from an attack of pneumonia supervening on influenza. A' Press Association .telegram from Auckland announces the death of the Rev. George Burgess, Congregational minister. The deceased, who was a native of England, was foV some years minister at the Beresford Street Church. Auckland; and afterwards minister at the Cong; egational Church, Timaru. Since leaving there he had lived in retirement on a farm near Auokland. He was a man of considerable ability, and took a great interest in the application of Christianity and Christian principles to social life. He leaves a widow .and two sons and a daughter. Ono of his sons is Major Burgoss, of tfoe New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, who has done gallant service at the front.

Sir. Richard Belcher, who died at Cliristohu'rch on Monday, was in his 88th year, and was one of the Dominion's early pioneers, having arrived at Wellington in 1857 by tho ship Ann Wilson, in company with his brother AVilliam, who was Bnbsequently drowned at Akaroa. He took up work on tho Riniutaka Road soon after his arrival, and'later went to the gold-diggings at Collingwood, Nelson. Subsequently he went to Ohriatchurch, and ho and his brother took up the work of constructing the telegraph line from Ohnsteliurch to Nelson, a very strenuous contract in those days when roads and means of transport were not nearly so 'good as they now are. Later Mr. Belcher went into the shipping business and owned several small 'steamers which traded between Kaiapoi and North and South Island ports. Ultimately he took up farming on Kaiapoi Island, in which occupation ho continued until about 23 years ago, when he retired. The deceased leaves a widow nnd a family of sis sons and two daughters.

Mr. D. Alabaster, bailiff at the Magistrate's Court, and Mrs. Alabaster, left Wellington for Sydney yesterday. Mrs. Alabaster has been in indifferent health for some time, and she has been advised to go to Australia for special treatment.

Major Edward Sherson, T.D., who | has been killed in action was a wellknoivn Auckland officer. He joined A Battery nearly thirty years ago, and passed' through every rank in turn from gunner to lieutenant-colonel, commanding the Auckland Field Artillery Brigade, being a commissioned officer for over twenty years. He held the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers Decoration and the Long Service Medal. At the outbreak of the war, although over military age. he offered to serve in any capacity the authorities desired. He was given nn appointment in the infantry with the rank of major, and left New Zealand in command of the Twentieth Reinforcements in December, 1916. Major Sherson took up liis new duties so thoroughly that ho quickly qualified for and was appqinted to the position of chief musketry instructor in Sling Camp, England, where he was kept till April last, when he crossed to France. There he joined the Second Battalion, Auokland Infantry, with which he was serving at 'the time ofi his death. Major Sherson leaves a widow and had four sons and one daughter, the youngest son being 14 years of ago and the daughter 10. The two eldest sons are serving with the artillery in France, while the third was on the Antarctic ship Aurora when fEat veesel disappeared in the Pacifio last year. i

Lieutenant D. 6. Slade. killed ra action in Francs on September 30, was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Slade, of Rocky Nook, Auckland. He left New Zealand as a private in the 6th HauraE Company, with the Main Body, and' was in the Suez _ Canal battle. He was at the lauding at Gallipoli, and took part in tho Peninsula campaign until he was wounded and contracted enteric fever. He was invalided to England, and was for some time at Hornchurch. as sergeant of the Military Police. After gaming his commission last year he took part of the Twenty-eighth Reinforcements to France, and afterwards returned to Now Zealand on. duty furlough, arriving in Auckland in. January last. He left again as 'officer commanding C Company, of the Thirty-sixth Reinforcements. "Lieutenant Slade's elder brother, Private H. A. Slade, was killed in action at Messines. A younger brother, Private R. E. Slade, volunteered for active service at the ago of 19, and left with the Thirty-seventh Reinforcements, joining his brother's company at Sling Camp. He was accidentally wounded while training, and is in Oodford Hospital, England. The husbancT of Lieutenant Blade's only sister has nldo been wounded, and is now in hospital in England. Mr. J. B. Clnrkson will be a passenger for Christchurch \>y to-day's steamer.