PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 3

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

4 . (FROM OUR OWN" CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, December 3. .An "Old. Boy" of the Otago Boys' High School was in London last weekend on special leave from the French military authorities. He -was Mr James Waddeil. of Cromwell, who was at tho Otago High School in the - iato 'eighties. His present title is Chef de Bataillon J. Waddeil, Chcvalir.de la Legion d'Honneur. In other words, he is commander of a battalion in the French Army, corresponding with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army. He left Now. Zealand many years ago, became a. naturalised Frenchman, and - joined the French Army. He has seen considerable fighting, and previous to the present war had meclais for the Sahara, Morocco, and Jlndo-Ohina campaigns. Now •ne has two new decorations —the Legion of Honour and the Modal for beiug 'mentioned in despatches. He was twice mentioned by the French Commander for bravery at the Dardanelles, where be was wounded during the summer, and returned to France. Having recovered,-he took part in the recent fighting in Champagne. Mr Waddeil is now looking lit and well. He still takes keen interest in New Zealand, and hopes to pay a visit to the Dominion after the war; An officer in the Cameron Highlanders, writing Home, relates liow Lord Seafield met his death. The parapet' of the trench occupied by theCamcrons had fallen in owing to the wet .weather. Lord Seafield was going the round of the trenchcs when he. was j observed by a German sniper. A bullet came through the sandbags, passed I through tho arm of a sergeant, and struck Lord Seafield on the temple. He was carried to Headquarters, but did not- regain consciousness. Captain-Chaplain Dobson (Christchurch) is in London recovering from an attack of dysentery, fle is making good progress, and has to report to the Medical Board at the end of' this year.

Mr Clivo W. Cracroft-Wilson is gazetted to a commission in the South W ale? Borderers (Service Battalion), to date from July last. Lord Liverpool's brother, Captain thp Hon. .J. C. AT. S. Foljambc, of the Oxford ana Bucks Light Infantry, has teen wounded in Flanders. Lieut. H. B. Wheeler, of the New Zealand Staff Corps, who reached England in July, has been promoted captain in the reserve of officers ("Royal East Kent "Regiment), and seconded for service with the Army Ordnance Department. Lieut. A. T. G. Rhodes. Aide-dc-C'anip to General Godley. has just been promoted captain in his regiment, the Grenadier Guards. He reached England a few days ago with his father, Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, having travelled as far as Tcneriffc to meet him. Commander H. L. L. Pennell. U.X.. one of Scott's lieutenants in the last Antarctic Expedition, has been posted to the cruiser Queen Mary. Colonel J. Hughes, lately commanding the Canterbury Infantry Battalion, who was home from the Mediterranean suffering from enteric, is now in the No. 3 London General Hospital. He is rather poorly, and is not recovering so quickly as his friends i would like. Mrs T. Bassett (Christchurch) has left London for Weymouth, where her son is in camp, and while there she will help with New Zealand work locally. Subsequently she hopes to becomes attached to the New Zealand hospital at Walton 011 Thames. Mrs R. W. Wilkinson (Christchurch) has reached London with the object of joining a detachment of the British Red

Cross Society. ' She hopes to be sent to a hospital in Egypt. Meanwhilo. Sirs Wilkinson is leaving for - Weymouth, where she cxpects to be able to find some useful work to do in connexion with tho New Zealand base camp. v • LONDON, December 7. Mr and Mrs A. E. G. Rhodes and Miss Rhodes reached London about the middle of last week, having travelled by the Rimutaka. They were met at Teneriffe by Captain A. T. G. Rhodes (Grenadier Guards) and by Captain G. F. Hutton (RoyaJ Welsh' Fusiliers). This woek : —on the morning of the 9th inst.—-the marriage of Miss Rhodes to Captain Hutton will take place very quietly, at Christ Church, Down street, Piccadilly. There will be 110 reception, but. friends will be welcome at tho church. Captain Hutton, it will be remembered, was A.D.C. to Lord Liverpool'from 1913-13. Mr and Mrs Rhodes are staying at tho Alexandra Hotel, Hyde Park Corner.