THE FALLEN AND WOUNDED.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16118, 24 January 1918, Page 8

THE FALLEN AND WOUNDED.

PERSONAL NOTES.

The late Captain Eric Croft, who diod in London on the. eve of his marriage, was the only ton of Mr W. JCroft, of Dunedin. Ho -was educated at the Waitaki Boys' High School, aud studied law at the Ota go • University. Afterwards he went in for incdicine, and left Dunedin to take up work in a London hospital. He had been at Home about a year when war broke out, and he left with th<i R.A.M.C. lor the West front. Ho was afterwards in Serbia, attached to a Medical Commission. Ho then returned to England, and obtained a commission in the urtillerv, with which ho went to I'ranee. Ho was slightly wounded, and was also gassed on the est lront. He iv«is awarded the Military Cross. Captain Croft was 26 years of age.

Gunner 11. J. Skinner, 11/N.Z.A., who died at Etaples, on the 17th. inst., of pneumonia, was only 2:2 years of age. He was educated at the Christian Brothers' School, Dunedin, and lor a while followed farming pursuits but later joined the permanent artillery, and was stationed at Invercargill. Young Skinner was a popular footballer, like his brother ''Jim," the well-known Otago representative torward, who is a gunner oil special sel ", vice, lie pinyed Rugby for the Athletic Ciub, Invercargill. and also for the Dnnedin Club. He left with the 23rd Reinforcements. An elder brother, Arthur, who went away with the Australians, was killed in action some time ago. Anotlier brother recently returned after lengthy service.

A cable message was' received last evening advising that Private S. R- H. Chapman had been wounded and admitted to hospital on 14th inst., suffeiing from a fracture of the tibia, private Chapman is the only surviving and eldest twin son of Mr and Mrs S. Chapman, 1<34 Kilmore street, his younger twin brother, Private N. F. T. Chapman, having been killed at tho battle of the Somme on September l<th, Private S. R. H. Chapman is married, and has one daughter one year and nine months old. He left with tho signalling section, Canterbury Battalion, 2Sth Reinforcement, in July, 1917, but according to his last letters from France early in November, he had been transferred to the Otago Infantry Battalion. Hp is an. engraver by trade, but prior to leaving for camp was in the employ of the Christchurch Gas Company.

Under date November 20th, T.-Capt. J. F. Tonkin wrote to his father, a local resident, that his recent wound through the right thigh had healed, and that he was rejoining his battalion. Mrs E. Kirdy, Tinwald, has been advised that her son, Private F. Kirdy, who left with the 7th Reinforcements, was transferred to the New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst, on January oth. Mr W. Carroll, of Tinwald, has' received advice that his sou, Private Arthur Carroll, was transferred to Wal-ton-on-Thames Hospital, on January 9tli. Mrs T. Adams, of Hornby, lias received advice that her son, Rifleman N. Hooper, who was wounded recently, is progressing favourably, and has' been transferred to Hornchurch Convalescent Depot. Rifleman Hooper left Ne%v Zealand with the 9th Reinforcements, and since his arrival in France has been engaged as dispatch runner at Headquarters. Previous to enlisting, he was employed in the head office, of the New Zealand Refrigerating Co., Ltd., Cliristchurch. Rifleman Norman Douglas Muff (killed in action) was a son of Mr Arthur Muff, of Fairfield. The deceased, though only 24 yearsof age, ha da long record of service, going away with the 2nd Battalion of the lliflo Brigade in 1915, and being engaged in the desert fighting against the Senussi before going, to Fiance. He was several limes wounded, once at the Somme, where lie took part in the New Zealanders' gallant capture of Flers, and incidentally saw the triumphant entry of the famous tanks into the captured town. He was in England recovering from wounds when the New Zealanders went into action at Messines, but, letters recently received indicated that he was shortly going back to France. With that strange sense of fatality that besets some of our soldiers, he expressed belief that he was going to his death, and added brave words of comfort for those who would be left to sorrow for him. Rifleman Muff was farming in the Orari district before he went away.

Mr R. M. Spcirs, of Christchurch, has been advised that his son, Lieutenant R. B. SpGirs, who was wounded on November 29th. while engaged in transport duty "in the front-line trenches, was granted three weeks' sick leave, from December 22nd to January 12th. Mr Speirs has not yet been advised of the nature of his son's wound?. Lieut. Speirs was formerly a Methodist minister in Timaru. He went into camp in April, 191«, and was promoted, through various grades, to the rank of sergeant-major, and was posted to the 18th Reinforcements. Then he "ained his commission, and was posted to the 23rd, and eventually left with the 24th Reinforcements. Apparently he has since been promoted from second-lieutenant to lieutenant.

Mr J. Ford, of Addington. lias Teccivod advice that his son, .Rifleman A. C Ford, has been invalided home. He went away vith the 22nd nicnts, and was wounded on Octobu 12th last. Mr and Mrs J. Dalley, Osiord street, SttfitwrLVsc s the 2nd Canterbury B;iW;ihou, statm that their son, Private Li. «. died a most gallant death in the of October 12th. 'O l u- i nc..i «eio btt a verv difficult task," he say*, and went "about it like heroes. Ike spui tliov had to capture was very stioiifcjj defended. Several gallant attempt, were made to capture the strong redoubts ; your son led one of them, and, hid he succeeded, no doub*. uon.d won the highest honours a soldier can l°n He was tilled in" the attempt. With the others he was buried on Bellevuc Spur, near Passchendaelc, m Belgium." Mr Thomas Dalian, 320 Madras street. Christchurch, bas received word that his son, Private H. H. B. Ballan, was admitted to the New Zealand General Hospital, Codford, on January 9th. He loft with the 29th Reinforcement. On leaving school Private Ballan entered the employ of Messrs Henry Berry and Co., and was with them until the time of his enlistment. He is 24 years of age.