REUNITED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1928, Page 7

REUNITED.

FATHER MEETS SON

" Digger" Found After Nine

Years.

HAMILTON MAN'S QUEST.

(Received 12.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. Andrew West, aged 70, left New Zealand for Australia recently to resume a nine years' search for his son, Percival.

Information reached the father from George Emery, of the Grand Hotel, Mornington, that Percival had been employed by him for the past seven years and the father and son have been reunited.

A New Zealand soldier, Percival West, who returned from the war wounded, was taken into hospital at Adelaide some nine years ago. Since then his relatives had been unable to learn anything of his fate. His father, Mr. Andrew West, of Morrinsville, who is over 70, left for Australia for the second time last week in the hope of tracing his son. When the war broke out Mr. Percival West was in Australia, and joined one of the first Australian regiments sent to the front. Although three times wounded, he continued in active service right through the war. When peace was declared Mr. West was suffering from the effects of his third wound, and was shipped back, and on arrival was sent intp hospital at Adelaide. From there he last wrote to his family. Mr. West could not leave for Australia at once, but went later, intending'to bring his son back with him, but could find no trace of him. No word has since been heard of Percival West. Mr. West, sen., when he left New Zealand last week, provided himself with papers from the Defence Department, and went to Australia with the intention of doing all he could to find his son, or find out what had become of him. He was first going to Sydney, then overland to Melbourne, and from there to South Australia, where he has many friends. He hoped to be able to clear up what had been a very painful mystery for the family for so long.