THE FALLEN AND WOUNDED.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15421, 28 October 1915, Page 10

THE FALLEN AND WOUNDED.

FEUSOXAL NOTES,

.MAJOR F. H. STATHAM AND (.'OHPOKAL C. STATU AM.

Mr U- otathani, of Dunedin, has received information from the front, which wonii to sho-.v beyond all doubt that both lu< m»in—Major Frank Stathan: and Corporal Cine Statham— have lo«t their live# in the servicc or their conntrv

I w'ritin" ii'om the trenches Lieuten- ; ant 1.. C.. Wilson. adjutant to the j Utago Battalion oi liu ' • Otugo) Regiment, to which ootli Mr I .Matr.am s .-dii» were attached, says.— I battalion was almost- decimated, i and the only information wo could got | was otio man's statement that lie had seen the major wounded and in an unconscious state early in the alleillooll. and alter that- lie had not s-een him again. Now. however, three men who were wounded state that the major and ( live wore standing together, and were killed l>v the explosion ot one shell, which landed very dose to them. Beyond that I regret that I have boon unable to gain any more details. It has been a terrible business, and a loss that will never be tull.v realised. The major, as an oflicer among otlicers, was placed on the highest pedestal ot respect and admiration, loved by his men, and a born leader. In every operation in which our battalion wa 3 engaged, it was the major and hi> company who led the offensive. At Courtney's Post, just after 1 returned trotu being wounded, I had a talk to bini, and among the very first things I spoke to him about was the unnecessary risks ho ran in these attacks. He laughed at my auestion'. and said he never felt hotter than when he was leading his men, and that he was perfectly confident that ho was coming through with colours flying. The battalion, in cooperation with the other battalions of this division, were occupied in a series o! operations, and on the evening of tlio Jsth, the battalion pushed forward to take part in the capture of some dominant heights. When the battalion had moved forward to the objective, they met. a very stubborn force of tho enemy, and as they could not dislodge them, and morning was coming on, they decided to on trench. They did so, hut when morning came the Turks attacked with bombs and shell tire, supported by shell fire I'roni hills on the right rear. >-<0 bad was the shelling that the first row ot trenches bad to be evacuated, and the battalion retired about, twenty yards and dug in ngain. Just when the major and ('live met their fate I am unable to find, but as far as T can conjecture it was iu«t about the time of the evacuation of the first line of trenches.'' C APTAIN" 1-. M. SHERA. Cabled information from a private source has been received in Auckland that Captain L. M. Shera. of Xo. 1 Field Troop, New Zealand Engineers, is convalescent. Captain Shera was sent from Anzae Cove weeks ago to Malta-to take much needed rest. For some months he had been in charge of extensive sapping, mining, and tunnelling operations on "Walker's Ridge at Gallipoli. His work is highly spoken of. CAP I AIN A. FRIEDLAXDER, X.Z.M.C. Mr Erie Fricdlander. ©f Ashburton, has Tcccived word that his brother, Surgeon-Captain Arthur Friedlandcr, is in .a convalesccnt camp, rocovering I'roui an attack of enteric. LIEUT. A. STITT. Advice has been received that Lieut. Alan Stitt, of the Canterbury Battalion. who for the fourth time was wounded in action about nine weeks ago, has successfully recovered from his injuries and returned to the firing-line. Lieut. Stitt was struck in the leg by a bullet which journeyed down to the foot, smashing up the ankle. LIEUT. C. 0. ROBJXSOX. Mr and Mrs Gladstone Robinson, of '"Oakwood." Gleniti. South Canterbury, have received word that their second son, Lieut. Claude Gladstone Robinson, has been killed in action in France. Lieut. Robinson was educated at Christ's College jind at' the Wnitaki High School. Three years ago he went to England with his parents and remained there to go into business with his uncles. Messrs E. S. and A. Robinson. well known paper merchants. In November he decided that his place was at the front, and joined the MotorCycle Despatch Corps. In February he received a commission <nid joined tho 7th Battalion, South Wales liordercrs. He was 22 years of age. Mr Gladstone Robinson has also received word of the death, in action, of one of his nephews, and of the fact that another one is missing. LIEUT. R. ME3SEXGER. News has been received in Masterton that Lieutenant Roy Messenger, who lett. with flic first Xew Zealand Expeditionary Force, and who was recently reported wounded, is now reported missing. Lieutenant Messenger, who was about 21 years of age, was a wellknown athlete, footballer, and golf player. He was one of the best-known amateur runners in the Wellington province, and competed at several championship gatherings. He played for the Red Star (Masterton) Football Club in MK)S. and was formerly a member of the Masterton Golf Club. For a considerable time previous to enlisting he had been in the employ of Dnleety and Co., first at Masterton. and later at Xapier. Lieutenant Messenger was attached to a Yorkshire regiment at Gallipoli. PRIVATE A. H. GRIFFITHS. News has been received bv "Mrs J. Griffiths. Courtenny place. Wellington, ot the death of her son. Albert Harold, who was killed at the Dardanelles. De-cci-ised was for some v-ars a member of the i) Battery (Wellington), and left with the Ist Expeditionary Force as a sergeant. He was stationed in Egypt for some time as instruction sergeant, but relinquished his stripes in order to proceed to the front. In August be was wounded, and sent to ho-pital. On recovery, be took his place once more in the tiring-line, where be met his death on October f)tli. He was born in Wellington, ami was thirty-three years of tige. PRIVATE F. W'EWIXGTOX. Mr F. G. Ewington. of Auckland, has received a letter from the officer in charge of the Base record* of the Australian Imperial Forces. Melbourne, saying that, Private F. W. .Ewington, Ith Battalion of the New South Wales Force-, had In-en killed in action at the Dardanelles. He enlisted <>n the 22nd January. lVtl~>. and was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs F. <!. Ewington, of Devonjxirt. Fie was born ,n Auckland. Being fond of the .-,ea. he iLose a seafaring hfe. and "ben the war broke out he enlisted ;it Liverpool. New South Wales. PRIVATE E. .JONES. Advice was received in Wellington on Sunday that Private Edgar Jones, second eldest son of Judge Jones, of Gisborne, bad died trom wounds in hospital at Rouen, Fiance. Soon after the outbreak of war Private Jones went to England, and there joined the London Scottish Regiment. He had been at the front in France lor about two months. A brother. Private Tom Jones, of tho Public Trust Office staff,

Wellington, is now in camp with the Trentham Regiment at Alay Morn. TROOPER H. S. ROBERTSON. AVord lias been received by the relatives of Trooper lleetor Stuart Robertson, of Pukehiki, Otago Peninsula, of his death in the Wellington Military Hospital. Deceased was a member of the Otago Mounted Rifles, Seventh Reinforcements. After a Jew days at Trentham ho contracted pneumonia, which was followed by measles, and then bv eerebro-spinal meningitis, to which he succumbed after an illness of over four months. The remains will he taken to Dunedin for interment. Deceased has two brothers serving with the Expeditionary Forces, one of whom, Eric, ha-s been admitted to St. Thomas's Hospital, London, suffering from wounds received nt. Gallipoli. GUNNER IT. PLIMMER. Gunner Harold Plimmer (killed in aciioi> in Gallipoli on fith October) was an engineer by profession, and offered his services immediately on the outbreak of war. He left N'ew Zealand with the Alain Expeditionary Force, and had been in the Jiring-liue from the time the oversea forces Mere first landed at Gallipoli. In letters received by Wellington friends last week he wrote very brightly of his experiences, and stated incidentally that very few of the original members of the hatterv with which lie was working were left, most of the men having hcen killed, wounded, or invalided. And now, after months of strenuous fighting, the writer of the letter has given his life to his countrv's service. Possessing a bright, cheerful, and generous disposition, he was a favourite with all who knew him. Gunner Plimmer was the only son of Air and Airs C. Plimmer, Uoulcott street, Wellington. A private cablegram has been received by Mrs .1. W. Watkins, of 107 Papanui road, from her .son. Gunner John Alelvyn Watkins, of the New Zealand Field Artillery, who left with the, Afain Force, 'stating thnt he had been wounded, and was in hospital in Cairo. Gunner Watkins, who was born in Sydney 21 years ago. was educated at Christ's College, and prior to enlisting was on the local staff of the Bank of New Zealand. He wa s very well-known in local athletic circle®, being a member of the Red and Black Association, and also captain of the Christehnrch Swimming Club. News lias been received by Air? C. B. Anderson, of Courtenay street. Christchurch, in regard to her son. Corporal A. H. Anderson, who is in King George's Hospital, .London. The letter says that on August 9th he was wounded in tiie right hip and left ankle, the bone of the latter being splintered. Ho was wheeling himself about in a hospital chair for the first time on September 9th. !t appears from the letter that Corporal Anderson will be in the hospital for some time. Corporal !>. R. Crichton. late of the Wellington office of the Union Company, was a passenger by the Ulimaroa from Sydney on Monday, after having served for over three months with the Ist Australian Light on Gallipoli. Corooral Crichton received a bullet wound in the left forearm, which has resulted in the hand being partially paralysed. 1 Air H. F. Stevens has received a cablegram, from the Headquarters base, Egypt, stating that his son. Ix-slie, who was reported sick, had recovered and returned to the front. Air Stevens's son left for the front as a gunner in the Fifth Reinforcements, but the cablegram just received describes liim as Lieut. I-eslie Stevens. Mr A. Lee of Ashburton, lias received word that his son. Trooper Alfred E. Lee. wiio was sent to Malta a month ago, «.ick,.is now convalescent. Mr T. O'Carroll, of Ashburton, has received word that iiis son, Privato .John O'Carroll. who has been in hospital at Alexandria, has recovered and has returned to the front. The relatives ot Driver E. V. Smith, who enlisted in London for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, received a cable message yesterday stating that he was well, although he. | had lveen previously reported sick in i one of the hospitals in Alexandria.