PERSONAL MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume xciv, Issue 73, 24 September 1917, Page 8

PERSONAL MATTERS

Mr. G. W. Watt, chief engineer of the ill-fated Port Kemblaywho is at present in Wellington, is a survivor of the Port Adelaide, sunk early, this year. Mrs. Hall Thompson and Mr. Barry Keesing have been appointed representatives of the Navy League on the Executive of the War Funds Collecting Committee. ' Lieut. C. W. Jones, son of Mr. Jones, of the Huddart-Parker, Ltd., has returned from the front. He was severely wounded in the foot at the Battle of Messines on 7th June. Mrs. T. Calnon, of Tasman-sfcreet, has received cabled advice^ that her son, Rifleman George Albert Calnon, who was severely wounded in France on 13th August, is now in Walton-on-Thamcs Hospital, and is progressing favourably.. Another New Zealander to distinguish himself with the Canadian Forces ie Sergt.. Alex. Oadogan (-a son of Mr. D. Oadogan, of Anderson's Bay, Dunedin).. who has won the French Military Medal. Mr. Cadogan had three sons at the war. One was killed and one is missing. News has been received in Auckland that Captain N. C. Bidwell (son of Mrs. Bidwell, Remuera) was lost when a transport was sunk in the English Channel in July last.. At that time, Captain ! Bidwell was chief officer of the vessel, and/his boat, containing eleven other men-, cleared the ship, but was never heard of again, though all the other boats with their freight were picked up.' Capt. H. D. M'Hugh, who has been awarded the Military Cross, is an old Dunedin boy, but was employed, by Messrs. Boss and Glendining, Christchurch, prior to enlisting. He was ak ways interested in the volunteering movement, being in the Dunedin Engineers, and went away, as a captain in the Rifle Brigade, 9th Reinforcements, being transferred later to the Cycle Corps. Mr. H. Martin, of Te Aro House Drapery Co., who is said to be one of the oldest tradesmen in Australasia, celebrated his birthday on Saturday, and the occasion was not allowed to pass unnoticed by his colleagues. At a pleasant little function the staff presented Mr. Martin with a case of pipes and an illuminated address.' The veteran draper arrived in New Zealand in 1863, having already spent ten years in Australia. He; was a familiar figure to Te Aro House customers as far back as 1881. A fine record of service stands to.the credit of Lieut. A i Orr, of Balfour, Southland, who .returned to New, Zealand by the hospital ship which reached Port Chalmers to-day (says the Dunedin Star of Thursday). He was a member of the main body of the Otago Mounted Rifles. After being wounded on Gallipoli he returned to New Zealand. He left again with the 17th Reinforcements. He was wounded a; second time at Ploegstreete, but afteT treatment in a French. hospital returned to the front for the third timo, and took part in. the Messines battle, where he received a wound in the arm.'' Dr., J. H. Murray-Aynesley,, whose death in ChKstcburch was announced in The Post on Saturday, was born ai Lyttelton in 1860, and was educated at Mr. Turrell's private school and at Christ's College. He subsequently went to', London, where he studied at St. George's Hospital, and took his medical degrees. He returned io Christchurch, yrhere he ,practised privately for a yeas subsequently joining the staff of the Public Hospital. Leaving the hospital, after about three and a-half yeare, ho went to Eketahiuia, -where he carried pn a. private practice for some years, finally leaving New Zealand for Scotland, ffe returned ito Nfw Zealand at the end of last year in rather poor health; He did not take up his profession again, but lived, in retirement, practically an invalid. ■ - * ■ ■--•■- ■■--■• *-'. ■-.-•■ ■-,■.■•. The Rev. W. Ready, who went away as chaplain on the hospital ship Maheno, has returned once more to Dunedin (says the Star). Mr. Ready, when he arrived in London, received the sad news of the death, of, his youngest "son, Gunner Gordon Ready, he being reported first as missing and then believed killed in action. Mr. Ready brought back his second youngest son, Gunner W. Ready, who had seen three years' service in the war, and who had to.be operated upon in the trenches in France, snd is now invalided home. Mr. Ready's eldest son, Lieutenant Harold Ready, is expecting to take his departure for the scene of battle any day.now. Four of Mr. Ready's nephewsare fighting in France, and three of them are in the Canadian Scottish. One hasbeen wounded twice, and is back again in the-'fighting.line. /.■.;■■ ; \ t Private advice has been received in; Auckland of the death in action, on 26th August/of Capt. , Horace D. Ecclea, R.A.M.C. Capt. Eccles, who was bom' in England, and who qualified at Guy's Hospital London, arrived in'the Dominion in 1900, and started in practice at Mangonui. He held the rank of captain,of. the First Mangonui Mounted Rifles, subsequently attaining to the rank of colonel, of the North Auckland Regiment. Shortly after,the,outbreak of >ar he proceed-;.' ed to England, where heVenlisted, and was immediately appointed • medical instructoi' at one of the R.A.M.CV camps, and sent: to France. .On 25th July of this year he was promoted, mentioned in despatches, and transferred from the Artists' Rifles to the Irish Rifle. .Ga.pt. Eccles. who •was well known and extremely popular in the Auckland Province; served - with distinction through ;the .South African War, being awarded.' the Queen's Medal with two clasps." He ;is survived by Mrs. Eccles, who. resides in WynyarcV. street, Auckland. , ■ . : '. Mr. G.'.B. H.! Ibbetson,whose death at -Kelburn occurred recently, was oiie of New Zealand's old-time citizens. He was born at Corfu 66 years ago, and, when a lad of 13, he arrived in New Zealand in the ship Eagle Speed in company with his father. In, July, .1869,, a', proclamation was posted at the Thames, Anckland, calling for volunteers to assist in the defence \of Alexandra, in the Waikato district, then threatened by IV Kooti and his. followers. Mr. rbbeteon, then a youth of 18, enrolled, and proceeded to Auckland,, thence by transport,, to Alexandra. With quieter times prevailing he: joined the Public Works Department, Auckland, and some years later ,was transferred;; to , Wellington,, where,, before his retirement on super annuation, he was chief draughtsman to the Roads and Bridges branch. Mr. Ibbetson is survived by his wife and twe daughters—Sister L. M. C. Ibbetson. N.Z.A.N.S., and Mrs. Dick, of Kelburn ft is interesting to note from, an old copy of the London Times, that thf author of "Na>poleon in Caricature," writing of Marry&t's , "Portrait of. Napoleon After .Death,", states .that _'■•»■ similar .drawing was made by Deputy Commissary Denzil I-bbetson (grandfather ,k> Mr. Ibbetson), who was the author of * whole,series of portraits of Napoleon executed between'lßls and 1821. . '.