PERSONAL ITEMS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15769, 9 December 1916, Page 10

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr A. A. Readdic. a returned so'J dier, has been appointed clerk anc treasurer of the Geraldine (County Council. : In Trentham Orders, Co - /-! poral S. IX Waters, of "'The Press" staff, has been posted to G. Companj of tho Twenty-fifth Infantry Reinforce! ments. At the last meeting of the Southla:ri Presbytery tho Rev. John Lopdell, oE Orepuki, intimated that he had beert appointed chaplain to the 21st RcirJ forcemonts, leaving some time in January. He tendered his resignation of the Orepuki charge. Mr F. Egginton, tho Whangarei postmaster, will retire, on superannuiition, from active service in tho Post: and Telegraph Department on the 31st inst. Altogether he has been 41 years' in the service, and during the whole of, that period has been absent from duty! for only three weeks on account of illhealth. The Otago University Council yesterday afternoon received an intimation from the Minister of Defonco that Dr. Pickerill's services were required at Home as jaw specialist in treating and organising the treatment of injured soldiers. Leave of absence was granted to Dr. Pick'erill. Private advices received in Gisborne. yesterday show that Private Frank Rattcliffe, of Gisborne, has been recommended for the Victoria Cross for

roscuiarr wounded under fire during tho Somine"~battlo. Ho left with, tho 7th. Reinforcements (says a Press Association me.-sagc), andis very v-cll known in Gisborue. Owing to tI;o operation of tho first ballot securing the services of I>r. Pinfold, who was on the eve of relieving Dr. T. Thom])son at Amberlcy, tho ' latter will now remain sit Amberlcy. It was tho intention of Br. Thompson to report at Trentham during January on his wav to the front to join the 11.A.J1.C. ' Mr AY. V. Willis, who has been acting as stipendiary lay-assistant in the Avonside parish, and -who has passed the third grade of the Board of Theological studies, has been accepted as a candidate for ordination by tho Primato, and will ho ordained on St. Thomas's Xhiy, December 21st. Mr Willis has been appointed eurato in charge of Pembroke, Central Otago. Among those who have been awarded the Military Cross is Lieut, itoy .1. Fitzgerald, "son of the lato Mr >Ym. C. Fitzgerald, for many years a ehcniisb in Wellington. Lieut. Fitzgerald was educated at the Terraco School r.nd Wellington College, and later served his time in Luke's foundry. He has two brothers with the Imperial Forces, while a sistor was recently accepted for the nursing service. At. a meeting held, yesterday, the Otago University Council considered the appointment of a successor to Dr. Marshall. Professor'of Geology, who has accepted the Rectorship of Wanganui Collegiate School. Thero wero eleven applicants for the position. The choice was finally narrowed down to Dr. W. N. Benson, lecturer on geology a? Sydney University, and Mr J. A. Bartrum, M.Se., lecturer on geology at Auckland University. The Council selected Dr. Benson for tho jiosition. Advice has been received by his parents that Private Oscar who enlisted in Syduey, was mentioned in despatches, and was awarded tho Military Medal for distinguished service in the great push at Poziercs This soldier is a nephew of Mr P. Selig, of Christchurch. who has two other nephews fighting in France. Another nephew, who went with the Main Body of the Xcw Zealand Expeditionary Force from Auckland, and was in tho historic landing at Gallipoli, was invalided back just prior to the evacuation. In a letter from our Canadian correspondent, published in yesterday's "Press," it was stated that Mr H. F. Johnston, who lud been in training with tho University of Toronto Training Company of OlEcers, had been appointed assistant to the Superintendent of Compasses and Compass Adjustment for the Admiralty, with tho rank of lieutenant. Lieutenant Johnston was a member of the staff of tho magnetic survey yacht Carnegie, which made a j lengthy'stay in Lyttelton some months ago, and he has many friends in Christchurch. Mr ana iuts E. H. Snow, of Ractihi, have received news tliat tneir two sons, on active sorvico in East Africa, 1 have each received promotion —Captain Charic-s Hastings Snow to major, and Sergeant Francis Henry Snow U, lieutenant. D'Oyly Piers Snow is stii. driver attached to N.Z.F.A., on active service in. France. These tluee boy» were born in Palinerston North, D.'Oyly and Frank being well known iu the Wainiarino, especially as ltuapehu mountaineers. They aro grandsons oi the late. Mr Charles Hastings Snow (ol tho Aiidit Department), whoso residence was for many years on Aurora terrace, Wellington. Of a family of six sous, Mr H. J>. Morpeth, of Waihi. has given five to tho Empire's service, the remaining son being under military age. Lieutenant -Nicool Morpeth, "Lance-Corpora. Gerald Morpeth, and Private Moore Morpeth took part in the memorable landing at Gallipoli on April 2oth, 1915, when Private Morpeth was killed in action, and his two brothers were wounded. After an absence of some months, necessitated by tho severity of his wound, Lieutenant Morpeth joined, tho ICth, Waikatos, and while in Egypt was promoted to the rank of captain. While fighting in Flanders ho was again wounded on September 27th, this time in the leg, which, unfortunately, had to be amputated. He is now in.Roehampton Hospital, awaiting an artificial limb. Lance-Corporal Morpeth, after recovery, returned to front, only to fall a victim to typhoid fever. After.a further spell in hospital, ho went into tho firinglino in France, where, during tho great tffensive, he was shot through the leg it Flers. He is again in hospital, lieutenant Allan Morpeth joined one fcf the Reinforcements as a non-com-piissioned officer, and gained his commission. He shortly will leavo for the front. George Morpeth, who, after unsuccessful attempts to pass the medi-,-.il examination in the earlier stages nf tho war, has now succeeded in passing, will go into the non,commissio!K-d officers' training camp at Trentham early next year.