Obituary

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30667, 5 February 1965, Page 10

Obituary

CAPTAIN A. D. BOYLE

Captain Alexander David Boyle, R.N. (retd.), a former naval officer and a wellknown South Canterbury farmer, died this week. He was 78.

Captain Boyle was the son of Mr Alec Boyle and was born at Otaio in 1887. He was educated at Christ’s College and Wanganui Collegiate School, and in 1902 entered the Royal Navy and trained as a cadet in H.M.S. Britannia. He served as a midshipman in the Channel Fleet and also in H.M.S. Powerful, flagship of the Australian Squadron. Later he was a sub-lieutenant in H.M.S. Triumph with the Home Fleet.

and then in H.M. Yacht Victoria and Albert. He was promoted lieutenant from the yacht.

In 1913 Captain Boyle was serving in H.M.S. New Zealand when she visited New Zealand to show the flag. He served in the New Zealand at the .Battle of Jutland on May 31-June 1, 1916, as a lieutenant in command of one of the 12in gun turrets, and was mentioned in dispatches. He also served in the Heligoland and Dogger Bank actions. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre. Captain Boyle returned to New Zealand in H.M.S. Chatham and retired from the Royal Navy in 1920 as a commander.

He joined the Christchurch branch of Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd., and was in charge of the stud stock department. Later he became sub-manager of the Timaru branch. He left the company and bought Birchbank Farm, Orari, but remained a director of Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd. for 36 years until his death. In 1928 Captain Boyle was appointed the first commanding officer of the Canterbury division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He retired in 1934, but in 1940 returned to the active list and was posted to the Navy Office in Wellington as staff officer for technical and material duties, a new branch.

From 1941 to 1943 he was naval officer in charge at Lyttelton. He was then promoted to captain and appointed naval officer in charge at Wellington where he remained from 1943 to 1945. He was awarded the United States Legion of Merit. After the war he was placed on the retired list.

Captain Boyle was elected a member of the Timaru Harbour Board in 1950 representing the Geraldine and Peel Forest ridings of the Geraldine County Council. He retired from the board in 1962. He was also a former president of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League, and of the Temuka and Geraldine Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Captain Boyle achieved considerable success as a farmer. He was a leading Friesian breeder and also a successful breeder of Tamworth pigs. After the dispersal of his Friesian herd he became a prominent Romney sheepbreeder.

His hobbies were golf, fishing, shooting and racing. He was a member of the Canterbury Jockey Club and the Geraldine Racing Club, and raced three horses. Morning Watch, Whipsnade, and Avast. Captain Boyle is survived by a sister, Mrs Janet Williams, of Christchurch, and a brother, Mr A. P. Boyle, of Oxford.

Grade VI School.—Christchurch Boys’ High School has been classified a Grade VI school as from April 1, 1964. This advice was received from the Department of Education by the board of governors at its mooting yesterday.