WHILE DOING THEIR DUTY

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 52, 30 August 1917, Page 7

WHILE DOING THEIR DUTY

CASUALTIES AT THE FRONT

Confirmatory advices concerning the death of her son, Lieut. Leonard Smith, have been received by Mrs. G. T. Smith, of Palm Grove. Lieut. Smith received his wounds on 7th June as he was returning across "No Mane Land." He was within a few feet of shelter when he fell severely wounded, and he died 1 in hospital on*l3th July. His officer conumauding wrote that Lieut. Smith had been all day carrying out difficult work, at which he had shown great bravery, and that his name had been mentioned for the.Military Cross.- At the outbreak of war, Lieut. Smith went to Samoa with the Advance Body, and later, as a n.c.0., saw service in Egypt and on Gallipoli. In France he received a commission, and was appointed an observation officer. Lieut. Smith, was on the staff of the Wellington office of the x\.M.P. Society before enlisting. Lieutenant Allan Ritchie Douglas, killed in action, left New Zealand with the 25rd Reinforcements, just after attaining his 21st birthday. He was a son of the late Mr. John Douglas, of Mount Royal estate, Palmerston Southf and _a cousin of Mr. J. D. Ritchie, of Wellington-terrace, and received a portion of his education at Wangauui College, completing his' course at the Waitaki Boys' High School. The deceased was a young man of very fine principles and most popular.

Mrs. 6. Chapman, of Dunedin, late of Nelson_, has been advised that her eldest son, Lieut. George P. Chapman, has been dangerously wounded. He has had his right leg amputated, and was also wounded in the left leg, right and left anne, and left hand. He is seriously ill. Mrs. Chapman's second son, Lieut. Walter Chapman, has also been severely wounded in the left thigh. Both these officers are "old boys" of Nelson College. Private Jack Lipscombe, whose name appears in the list of Australian wounded, is the eldest son of Mr. J. T. Lipscombe, manager of the Bank of Australasia at Napier, Private Lipscombe, who left with the Main Body of the Australian Forces, went through the Gallipoli campaign, and was subsequently invalided back to New Zealand. He rejoined the Forces and left Queensland with the 41st Battalion. After seeing considerable service in France he wasagain wounded in the Messines Battle. Advice has been received in Wellington that Gunner W. M. Neylon, son of Mrs. E. Neylon-Butler, Kelburn, was wounded in action in France on the 17th ihst. Gunner Neylon^is an old boy of St. Patrick's College, and his many friends will wish him a speedy recovery. Cable information was received at Middleman* on Saturday of the death of Lieut. Standring, killed in action in France, on 17th August. Letters from him were received on Saturday, in which he mentioned having come safely through the victorious fighting at Messines. He received his early training at the Teaneraki (Enfield) School, and afterwards at the Waitaki Boys' High School, on leaving which he entered the Civil Service at Wellington. At the beginning, of the war he enlisted in, the Main Body, passed through the training in Egypt, where he was promoted to be sergeant, and spent some time on the Headquarters Staff. Proceeding to Gallipoli he took part in most of the fighting there, was wounded and was sent to Malta and afterwards to England for treatment. On recovering he went to France, whe^re he was nominated for a commission,"and after.some months of special training in England secured a. second lieutenancy in the New Zealand Field Artillery. On 20th May he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and was given command of a trench mortar battery, in which position he continued to do his duty until he met his death: He was 22 years of age.

Lieut. Duncan Bannatyne M'Nicol, who died of wounds in France on 4th August, was the second son of the late Mr. John M'Nicol, of Hamilton. He was born at' in 1887, and was educated at St. John's .Collegiate School. He afterwards was engaged in farming pursuits, but for the six years before enlisting he was stock agent and auctioneer for the North Auckland Farmers' Auctioneering Company. Being a good Maori scholar he enlisted with the Second Maori Contingent, being immediately made quarter-master, and he remained with that regiment until the last. Whilst in the Waikato district he was a prominent member of the Hamilton Polo Club; he was also a wellknown footballer. His younger brother, John, is servings in Palestine with th.o Mounted Rifles.