THE BALKAN FRONT.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15746, 13 November 1916, Page 8

THE BALKAN FRONT.

BAD WEATHER. BRITISH AEROPLANE RAIDS. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian Mid N.Z. Cable Association.; (Router's Telegrams.) (Received November 12th, u.o p.m.) LONDON. November 11. A French communique says: "In the Cerna bend fresh Bulgarian attacks against the Serbians failed. "The bad weather continues. "British aeroplanes bombarded the Porna and Puljovo stations." THE FLEET GIVES AID. (Received November l'2th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. A British report says:— "Our naval guns successfully shelled enemy bivouacs at Provista." A SERBIAN SUCCESS. 600 PRISONERS SECURED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) (Received November 12th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 12. A Serbian communique says:— ' "The Serbians yesterday carried out brilliant operations on the Cerna, securing strong positions, and capturing 600 prisoners and numbers of guns." PERSONAL ITEMS. * i M r Jotin Caughley. Assistant-Direc-tor of Education arrived in Christchurch from Wellington yesterday. The following pensions have been granted under tho Civil Service Act:— Charles llalliday. General Post Office, £24(i 13s 4d: W. McHutcheson, General Post Office, £400; P. P. White, General Post Ofiieo, £283 (>s 8d; F. D. Holdsworth. General Post Office, £400; Charles R. Pollen, Lands and Survey, £401). Dr. Cleary, Roman Catholic Bishop oi' Auckland, who left New Zealand last -May for a trip abroad, has greatly benefited in health by the change. Writing from London to Mr E. W. Kane, of Wellington, Bishop Cleary states: —"I am pleased to say that A am getting on splendidly in the matter of health. lam just now getting around among the New Zealand military hospitals and expect to be so engaged j'or a few weeks." Air D. Kirby (late editor of the "Clutha leader") has been offered the position of editor of the "Huntervillc Express," vice Mr Hans Martin, who has accepted a commission, and will leave for the front shortly. A private letter received in R-ecfton from France states that Major Winter Evanp has been promoted to a lieu-tenant-colonelcy. Mr C. E. Graham, who has been manager of the Queenstown branch of the Bank of New Zealand for the last three years, Has received notico of his transfer to the Duncdin office. Mr A. J. Campbell, of the Arrow branch of the Bank, will succeed Mr Graham. The directors of the Bank of New Zearland have decided to closo tho Arrow bank and to establish an agency in that town, the intention being to work the agency from Queenstown hy three visits, a week. Mrs C. E. Thomas, of Timaru, received word on Friday that her son, Second-Lieutenant Arthur Rhodes, has been promoted to a first-lieutenancy. He is at present acting as AJ>.C. to General Charteris, in Egypt. Tho Hon. W. Eraser, Minister for Public Works, passed through Christchurch on Saturday night on his way from Southland and Otago to Wellington. Mr Fraser expects to be occupied for some weeks on Departmental work in Wellington. Mr J. A. Scott, owing to indifferent health, has decided to resign the editorship of the "New Zealand Tablet." The directors of the paper accepted Mr Scott's decision with great regret. The "Tablet" says:—"After a period of rest from editorial work Mr Scott will doubtless find his way into the firing lino again, and so far as Catholic journalism is concerned it is for him a caso of au revoir, but not good-bye." "On tho occasion of his marriage, in consideration of his services to cricket in the Dominion, both in sending a team to New Zealand and in presenting tho Hawke Cup, the committee presented Lord Hawke with a native greenstone paper knife, with tho inscription 'from the Cricketers of New Zealand, Juno Ist, 1916.' " Such was a passage in the report presented to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council on Saturday evening. A letter of acknowledgment was received from the recipient in which Lord Hawke expressed his extreme > thanks to the Council fo r its gift. Manv remarkable careers have been brought to light during the war, but I have heard of none more remarkable than that of Captain the Rev. William Richard Benton, of the Manchester Regiment, who fell in the battle of the Sonimo last month (writes our South African correspondent under date of September 27 th). His wanderlust took him to three continents. He had many up s and downs, but lie died a supremely happy man. Very briefly, his life story was this. Son of a Herne Bay stockbroker, "Dick" enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery at Portsmouth; deserted ; cleared to Australia; fought in the Boer War in ail Australian contingent ; laboured among the lepers on Robben Island; studied for holy orders, but first of all gave himself up and suffered punishment as a deserter; wai ordained, and ministered at Walsall, and afterwards at Cape Town; served 3 S chaplain among his friends the lepers on Robben Island; married and ministered at Bearsted, near Maidstone; went as chaplain to the front in France; resigned and became a fighting officer; wounded; organised a scheme of scouting; returned to the front, and died on August 17th of wounds received while attempting tc rescue a -wounded man crawling back from the Gorman trenches.