PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 July 1940, Page 4

PERSONAL

The death occurred at Featherston yesterday of Mr H. P. Dittmer at the age of 40 years. Mr A. Thame-George, Homewood, was a guest recently at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Masterton. Messrs Lee (Napier), Campbell, ■Alexander (Hastings), Barrott, Bretherton (Palmerston North), are at the Hotel Midland, Masterton, today. Captain C. N. Devery, D.C.M., New Zealand Temporary Staff, Central District. Headquarters. Wellington, has been appointed Assistant AdjutantGeneral, Central Military District, and promoted to the rank of major. Well-known in New Zealand as a Port Line commander, Captain William Surman Mason, D.S.C., died in Southbourne, England, recently at the age of 69. He was the hero of an encounter between a merchantman and a U-boat during the Great War. The funeral of the late Mr Nigel Robinson took place in Masterton this morning, the Rev V. W. Joblin conducting the service at the chapel and at the graveside. Messrs H. H. Daniell, W. H. Bagley, H. Fairchild, J. L. Smith, J. Madsen and H. Lee acted as pallbearers. An Oamaru resident, Mr R. L. Banks, who travelled to Sydney onMonday by the Tasman flying-boat Awarua, has the honour of being the oldest passenger to make the trip to date. He is older than the 72-year-old Aucklander. Mrs E. L. Tappenden, who arrived back from Sydney last week. Sir Charles Norwood was yesterday re-elected president of the Wellington Free Ambulance, at the annual meeting of the organisation. The president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Mr R. H. Nimmo, recalled the part played by Sir Charles in introducing the Free Ambulance service to Wellington when he was mayor, ir, 1927. Mr H. Gladstone Hill, who is well known in musical circles throughout the Dominion, has been granted a temporary commission in the Air Force in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and has been appointed bandmaster of the Royal N.Z. Air Force Band, and Director' of Music to the R.N.Z.A.F. Flighi Lieutenant Hill succeeds Flight Lieutenant T. J. Kirk-Burnnand, who is now serving with the Expeditionary Force. The Christchurch Manpower Committee has in the meantime refused the enlistment of the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P. for service overseas. This was announced yesterday by the chairman of the committee. Mr J. S. Barnett, whets at the moment an inmate of the Christchurch Public Hospital. According to his statement the committee made its decision “in the public interest." considering that in the meantime the services of the mayor could best be used locally. Aged one hundred and one years eight months, which age was verified officially during the Treaty of Waitangi centennial celebrations, Mr Hohepa Pita died at Whangaruru on Monday. He was a boy about nine when the flagstaff was cut down at Kororareka and was one of the few old Maoris who could not converse In English. He was a great athlete in his day and possessed wonderful sight till he became blind two years ago. He was look-out man for whalers for many years and was reputed to be able with his naked eyes to see whales spoutinr at a distance before pakehas detected them with the aid of binoculars.