PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 March 1943, Page 2

PERSONAL

Their Excellencies the GovernorGeneral and Lady Newall left Wellington yesterday afternoon for Rotorua, to take part in the Te Arawa centennial celebrations. Their Excellencies will return to Wellington on Monday, March 29. The Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, Prime Minister, left Wellington by the Limited express last night for Rotorua. He will be absent from Wellington for a week. The Rev. J. H. Woodford, of the Cashmere Hills Methodist _ Church, Christchurch, has been appointed to take up duties in Greytown. The engagement is announced of Patricia Catherine, eldest daughter- of Mr and Mrs J. Jameson, Masterton, to Reid Oman, only son of Mr and Mrs W. D. Morley, of Gisborne. A message from Canberra says that the New Zealand High Commissioner in Australia. Mr C. A. Berendsen, has begun his duties there after presenting his credentials to the GovernorGeneral, Lord Gowrie. His Grace Archbishop O’Shea, with Monsignor Connolly, Wellington, Dr. Gascoigne and other members of the priesthood from the North Island, left yesterday for Dunedin to be present at the consecration of the CoadjutorArchbishop of Dunedin, Rev. Dr. Hugh O’Neill. Monsignor Mcßae, Wellington, is already in Dunedin in connection with the forthcoming ceremony, which will take place on Thursday next. Important changes in the Air Department, including the promotion of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Commodore R. V. Goddard, to the rank of Acting Air Vice Marshal, were announced last night by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, as Acting Minister of Defence. Two other service members of the Air Board — both New Zealanders—also receive promotion. They are Group Captain F. E. T. Hewlett. D.SO., 0.8. E., and Group Captain R. B. Bannerman, D.F.C., who are promoted to be temporary air commodores . Squadron-Leader F. J. Steel, D.F.C., son of Mr and Mrs F. J. Steel, of Napier, and formerly of Masterton, is at present on a visit to Masterton, and is staying with his aunt, Mrs Watson, 75 Villa Street. During his 21- years’ service overseas, Squadron-Leader Steel, who is also the holder of the “Order of the Boot,” was engaged in 70 operational flights, this including no less than 65 bomber raids. In the course of his operations and travels, he has encircled the whole world, except for the strip between Australia and Burma. The death has occurred in Blenheim of Mr Ted Wilkins, a well-known hairdresser and tobacconist. The late Mr Wilkins was about 62 years of age, and formerly resided in Masterton, where he took a keen interest in sport, being actively associated with the Red Star Football Club and the Carlton Cricket Club (the forerunner of the Red Star Cricket Club) nearly 40 years ago. He possessed a genial and generous nature, which made for him a host of friends in Masterton who will learn of his death with feelings of deep regret. He had resided in Picton and Blenheim for many years.