PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Unco-Sergeant W. C. D. HorsneTl, of New Plymouth, and now in camp with the machine-gun section, hae been appointed sergeant, Mr. Ashmead Bnrtlett, the war correspondent, is to commence his lecturing tour of Australasia at Sydney on Saturday week. Mr. Webster, the Commonwealth Post-master-General, will visit New Zealand about the middle of the present month to inquire into various phases of postal administration.

Sister L. Brandon, formerly 0 f the New Zealand Times staff, and who was a nurse on the Maheno on her first voyage to Egypt, has been appointed matron of the Rotorua Home for convalescent soldiers.

Colonel Tracey Inglis, R.A.M.C., took over the command of the Awapunl Camp on the departure of Colonel Bardie Neil on Monday. Colonel Inglis, who is from Auckland, went with the Maheno on her first trip to the Mediterranean.

I The nurses who are leaving by the !next transports are: Nurses Edmo'ndson and Garrard by the Mokoia, Nurses Tucker and McLeod (who have already seen service in Egypt) by the Navua, and Nurses Barnard-Brown and Stronach by the Ulimaroa. Nurse Stronach has been nursing in Samoa. At the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rifle Association a resolution was carried In silence expressing very high appreciation of the. services rendered to this country and the Empire by Colonel Malone and other members of the Association in laying down their lives in the gallant manner they liad done.

The Governor and Countess of Liver[pool will arrive in" Auckland to-day. Their Excellencies will attend the .parade of the troops in the Domain, and will leave this evening in the Government ■ steamer Tutanekai, from One- - hunga, to. visit certain coast towns north of Aucklani, also Tauranga, whence they will leave for the South. j They are expected to reach Ohristchurch about the mlddlegof this month. The following staff has been appointed for the duration of the territorial camps at Bangiotu:—Camp Commandant: Licut.-Colonel P. T. Bellringer. Camp Quartermaster: Captain G. W. Braddell, N.Z.S.C. Camp Sergeant-Major: Sergt.Major F. H. Woodmrd, N.Z.P.S. Camp Quartermaster-Sergeant: Q.M.S. J. H. Cameron, sth Regiment. An instance of rapid promotion is that of Major F. R. McMahon, R:E., of Wellington, who was a etuderrt in the Otago School of Mines some years ago. He enlisted as a trooper- in King Edward's Horse, but in January of last year, before that regiment went to the front, he obtained a commission in an infantry regiment. This was followed in May last by a transfer, with a captaincy, to the Royal Engineers, in which he secured his majority in October.

A varied life of adventure came to a close recently on the death of Captain John Steven Cameron, one of the early colonists of Canterbury. With his parents he arrived in Wellington from Glasgow in 1842 by the ship Clifton, settling in Lyttelton in 1849. In after years he followed the calling of the sea, and eventually the firm of Cameron Bros., shippers and stevedores, was established, and continued until the great maritime strike. Captain Cameron experienced many exciting episodes, and at one time narrowly escaped massacre by the Maoris in the Bay of Plenty. Having run short of water, he was taking bis vessel in when he noticed disturbing signs among a large party of Maoris gathered on the shore. On his approach they commenced dancing and yelling, and then put off in their canoes. As it was evident that there was something wrong, Captain Cameron ordered his vessel to put about, and was fortunate in making his escape, as a day or two later a vessel put in at the same spot and the crew was massacred. At the time of the Kaiapoi flood, when communication was cut off, Captain Cameron was instrumental in bringing relief by taking in a special cargo of stores after several unsuccessful attempts had been made by others.