MAJOR MASSEY'S PROMOTION.
j ■» —; ——. .. | A METEORIC CAREER. The following reference to Major F. G. Massey, son of the Prime Minister, is (says the Auckland Herald) contained in a letter, dated September 13, received by the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) from the general commanding the New Zealand Expeditionary Force: —
"The Prime Minister's son has had a most meteoric career latelyt and is now commanding a British Ijattalion, He was, in the ordinary course of events, like' many other promising young officers, attached to a British brigade to leanr'staff work. In this brigade there happened (o be an Ulster battalion of the Royal Irish Hides, to which, I suppose, from the nature of his antecedents, lie was particularly attracted. Anyhow they asked if he might be transferred to the regiment and appointed second in command, to which I would not agree, as I said T thought he oug>ht to stick to the New Zealand Forces. Ho was still attached to the staff of this brigade during the battle of Messines. and did so well that he go.t a Military Cross, and they then asked if he might be allowed to stay on and be employed with a battalion. To this I agreed, on the distinct understanding that he was not to. be in any way transferred to the British Army, and that he was only lent temporarily, and whenever we wanted him back we should have him. The result is that he is now commanding a battalion. But he is only lent, and we can have hire back whenever we like. They had no idea till they were told that he was the Prime Minister's son, and his success, I need hardly say, has been entirely on his own merits and with no help from anybodv."
Major Massey, who is the youngest son of the Prime Minister, is a native of the Auckland district. He enlisted in the early stages of the war, and wont into camp as a corporal. He passed his examination for a commission, and left New Zealand as a second lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade. Aftcit serving tn Egypt he went to France, where he gained rapid promotion. He was all through the Battle of the Sommo, where he saw three weeks' continuous fighting. He was awarded the Military Crow in Julv last.
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Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 7
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387MAJOR MASSEY'S PROMOTION. Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 7
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