OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 225, 20 June 1944, Page 4

OBITUARY

Captain R. Erwin Captain Robert Erwin, wharf superintendent at Lyttelton for the New Zealand Shipping Company, died in Christchurch last week. Captain Erwin was a son of the Rev. Dr. R. Erwin, Christchurch, and was educated at Fendalton School and Christchurch Boys’ High School. He served his apprenticeship in sail in the barques Rona. Dunloe, and Banksfield. He later served in the Ganymede, Helen Denny and Elizabeth Graham, obtaining his master’s certificate while in sail. After serving as an officer in tramp steamers sailing out of British ports for some time, he returned to New Zealand as a junior officer in the Tahiti when the Union Company brought that vessel out. In the early days of the last war Captain Erwin was associated with LieutenantCommander Sanders, V.C., in the transport Willoehra. lie enlisted in the Ist New Zealand Expeditionary ■ Force and saw service in France in the 6th Howitzer Battery. He entered the service of the New Zealand Shipping Company after the war. He also served in the

coastal defence force in the present war. Captain Erwin held the Royal Humane Society’s medal and certificate for rescuing a woman from Lyttelton harbour. He was a former president of the Lyttelton Returned Services Association. Mr. C. W. Jones . A prominent figure in the New Zealand shipping community for many years, Mr. Cecil ’W. Jones, formerly general manager in New Zealand for Huddart-Parker, Ltd., died last week. Mr. Jones was born in Denbigh, Wales, in 185 S, was educated at Bangor, from which college he went on to Oxford University, where he gained his M.A. degree. Taking up teaching as a profession, he became headmaster of a boys’ school at Merthyr-Tydvil, and was later a master at the Manchester Boys’ Grammar School. After a short period he gave up teaching and was appointed manager of Huddart, Parker, Ltd., Ballarat, Victoria, in 1889. Later he transferred to a similar position at Geelong. In 1901 he was appointed general manager for the company in New Zealand, and held that post till .1930, when he retired. He was a member of the Wellington Harbour Board from 1908 to 1917, representing payers of dues on ships, and of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce for many years, being president in 1913-14. Before going to Australia Mr. Jones married Miss Jane Hughes, of Bangor, who died in 1927. There are two sons, Mr. L. H. W. Jones, Dunedin, and Mr. C. W. Jones, Wellington, and one daughter. Miss M. L. Jones, and three grandchildren. Mr. G. E. Mitchell

A well-known resident of Hastings, Mr. Gerard Earl Mitchell, died nt Hastings Memorial Hospital after an illness lasting three months. Mr. Mitchell was born at Tikokino 46 years ago and had been in the employ of Stewart Greer Motors Ltd. for the past eight years. Previously he was employed by the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Co-op. Association Ltd. Keenly interested in sport, he was a former ployer at football, cricket and hockey. Leaving New Zealand with the 13th reinforcements •in the last war. ho saw service overseas from 1915 to 1918, taking part in the first Battle of the Somme and also in the lighting at Passchendaele in 1917. In the present war, as a member of the National Reserve, he was in camp at Napier for IS months. He was a member of both the Masonic and Oddfellows’ Lodges. He leaves a widow, three brothers and a half-brother and live sisters.