PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Dr. W. R. Stowe, of Palmerston North, has accepted an appointment as one of the medical officers on the hospital slii>> Maraina. Mr. Frank Bratherton. for many years a guard on the railway between Palmerston North and Wanganui, died suddenly at Wanganui last week, aged sixty. Sister Weaver, of the New Plymouth Hospital staff, leaves this week to take up her new duties as sub-matron in the Public Hospital, Wellington. Private C, N. Gordge arrived at New Plymouth on Saturday night from camp on a final visit to his parents at Vogeltown, prior to leaving for the front. Mr. W. G. Kenrick, S.M., is leaving on a prolonged holiday tour on Monday, December 0. Mr. Kenrick evpectcd to ba absent from his duties for about six months,

Mrs. Kirkby, of New Plyaieuth, has receiveda cable that her son, Private Tern Kirkby, who lias been ill in hospital at Mudros, has been sent to England.

Mr. W. G. Wiekham, the British Trad* Commissioner, who has been transferred from New Zealand to South Africa, will leave for Vancouver on December 2§t No direct communication with South Africa is available at the present time, and Mr. Wiekham will travel to his new post via Loidon. Bishop Julius, of Christehnrch, is at present on a visit to Rotorua. He had a recurrence of the throat trouble that ailed him some time ago, and while at Rotorua will receive a course of treatment. It is expected that he will return to Christchurch early next month. The death occurred at Patea Hospital last Friday of Mr. Henry Robert Fitzwater. Mr. Fitzwater was born in London, 02 years ago, and had been a resident of * Patea for the last 25 years. The late Air. Fitzwater leaves a widow, sis sons, and one daughter. One of the sons, Private E. Fitzwater, is with the Eighth Reinforcements and another, Mr. Claude Fitzwater, lately returned from Gallipoli, where he was severely; wounded.

Mr. Cyril E. Gudgeon, of Qucenstown, a brother of Colonel Gudgeon, formerly Government Commissioner in the Cook Group, died on Tuesday last, aged sixtyseven. Deceased arrived in the Do. minion in 1850, in the ship Berkshire, and joined the Bank of New Zealand at Wanganui. In 1884 he was transferred 10-Hokitika as gold buyer, and in 1872 ivas appointed to the bank agency at Cromwell. Two years later he took the post of manager of the Colonial Bank, and subsequently, at Qucenstown, on the amalgamation with the Bank of New Zealand, he remained with the latter branch until the retrenchment scheme eame in. He carried on an auctioneering, commission, and mining agency, and was the agent for the Public Trustee. He was town clerk for eleven years, and held other secretaryships. He leaves % widow and family of four daughters and one son.

Advice has been received in Wellington that Lieutenant Cecil Humphreys, D.C.M., of Christehurch, who has had ft brief but exceptional career in the Army, is at present at tile Stobs camp, in Scotland, where he is engaged in instructing the young officers in trench warfare. Lieut. Humphrey, who was a civilian when the war broke out, and knew nothing at all of military matters, was in London when the hostilities commenced, and immediately volunteered. He signed on in the Army Service Corps, but was so anxious to get into tin; trenches that he relinquished his stripes and joined a line regiment. Through all the severe fighting he was conspicuous for his bravery and initiative, and promotion came rapidly. He was wounded in the thigh at Xcnve Chapelle, and narrowly escaped death. A shrapnel shell burst in the trench in which ho was lighting, but luckily the trench wa s al. most full of water; otherwise all the men in the vicinity must either have been killed or wounded. Although a portion of hi s thigh was carried away, Lieutenant Humphreys continued to fight for 12 hours afterwards. As a result the wound had to be kept open for five weeks in order to rid it of dht.