ON SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 117, 17 May 1918, Page 7

ON SERVICE

NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD

PROMOTIONS & APPOINTMENTS

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, Bth March.

Mr. C. S. Wright, 8.A., who was physicist to Captain Scott's last Polar Expedition, on his return to England,' mado a study of the scientific side of wireless telegraphy, and on the outbreak of war was employed' in a technical capacity. .Ho is now a captain in the Royal Engineers, and has control of the whole wireless service at G.H.Q., in France.- • Mr. Cecil 11. Meares, who had charge of the dogs, now holds a, commission as commander in the R.N.V.R., and is on the Headquarters of the Air -Service; Mr. John H. Mather is lieutenant-com-mander in the Royal Naval Division at ■the Headquarters Depot; Mr. Francis Rs H. Drake, who was secretary and meteorologist, hag rejoined the Navy, and is an assistant paymaster; Dr. E. L. Atkinscn is also back in the Navy as a staff-surgeon; and Mr. G. C. Simpson, D.S.C., who was meteorologist with the shore party, is employed in the same capacity in the Army with the rank of captain. Bng. -Sub-Lieut. W. J, Urquhart, R.N.11. (Musselburgh), has been promoted engineer lieutenant. . The different'units brthe N.Z.'E.F. in the United Kingdom were last year specially complimented for the amount of work they did in connection with agriculture. Foreseeing a probable shortage of food the command here, in cooperation with the New Zealand War Contingent Association; took steps to utilise.for cultivation as much ground as possible. As a result vegetables to the value .of about £3000 were grown and used' for the local messes. This year about 360 acres have been ploughed, and it is hoped the result will be to treble last year's production.

About 200 men belonging to the .N.Z.E.F. are now undergoing training under the scheme for the re-education of limbless soldiers.. The first difficulties having been overcome they are throwing themselves into the work with great keenness. It is proposed to issue each mart with a. certificate wlien ho finishes his course and is about to leave England, setting forth his qualifications. .Besides the two men wlio returned to New Zealand after receiving training in artificial limb making, four other men are now being trained at Roehampton. Others will follow in due coiirse.

The need of a hostel in London to accommodate New Zealand officers on ler.vo lias been felt with increasing insistency. Miss Close, an.English lady, some time ago mad© a donation of .£IOOO to equip the A.I.F. and N.Z.E.F. Officers' Club at March Arch. She is now nmkjnir a further contribution towards the extension of tho club, which will be renamed The New Zealand, Officers' Club and will accommodate sixty .-officers. Major Dudley H. Alexander, C.M.G., who has been an Esquire.of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, has been promoted to be a Knight of Grace. He was formerly private secretary to Lord ilanfurly as Governor of New Zealand Lieutenant W. Dudley Raymond, Bengal Lancers, son of Mr. I W Raymond (Invercargi.il),;. is rm short leave from l-i ranee. VJr Lieutenant A. H. A.USpson, Indian Cavalry y son of Mr. Walter', Empson (formerly headmaster of Wanganui College) is enjoying a few days' leave from the trout, and is under orders for ■ the Jiast. .Lieutenant Empson was mentioned in despatches last year. Eng.-Sub-Lieutenant C. R .ML Baird,. E.N.R. (ex-gunner N.Z.F.A.), is in England on furlough. When he transferred from the N.Z.E.F. in November, 191.6. he was posted to an. armed merchant .crui&er, and remained in this vessel until she was torpedoed. The vessel had been on patrol duty, an"d at tne time she was struck Mr Bnird was m the engineraom. She was going full speed at the time, and sank in 2£ minutes, with the loss of over 200 lives. Mr. Baird was rescued by a torpedo boat destroyer after an hours swim. As it happened, another New Zealand man jumped overboard witli him, Mr. Hall, electrician (Auckland), who was on board as a passenger en route to new duty. It was night when the vessel was struck, and of course those saved lost all their possessions. Mr. Baird now awaits new orders.

. Mr. H. Haddyn Smith (Pahiatua), wiw took his flying ticket at Kohimdrama, has just reached,-London. A number of . New Zealanders, now commissioned to the R.F.C., who have completed their course at Reading, include : 2nd Lieutenants -T. D. H. Alderton (Auckland), W, G. Mitchell (Wa-. nganni), C. P. Todd' (Dunedin), E. N.Strain (Port: Chalmers), F. de M. Hyde (Hamilton), G. C. Hyde (Tarras), and R, H. Gray (Wellington). Major Frank Holmes, Boyal Marines, a son of Mr. James Holmes (Timnru), has relinquished his . commission, and retires with the honorary • rank of major in order ■to take 'up work of national importance in ''a neutral State. He leaves England at an early date inconnection with this appointment. "Major Holmes has seen a deal of active service^ all of which was vvith the R.N. Division. He landed in France in September, -1914, and took part in the Antwerp operations. He was on Gallipoli during the whole of that campaign, and since the division returned^ to France in May, 1916, he has been with it, making a total of three years and two mouths on active service. Major Holmes's only, son is a regular officer in. the Indian Army—Lieutenant I James Francis Eccles-Holmes, 33rd Pun- j jabis—and he has served for the past I twenty months with his regiment in the German East AfricaA campaign. News has just come to hand that Lieutenant Eccles-Hohnes has been invalided back, to India for three months' Test, to recover from the effects of prolonged malaria, which is very prevalent; in East Africa. ' • ■: ■ Mr. JR. G. Applegarth (Land and purvey Department, Auckland) is now in Paris in charge of the Medical and Surgical Supplies Department of the American Red Cross. He was obliged, last year, to gfve up his X-Ray work--at one of, the French hospitals, his fjngers having been affected.'Fortunately,';it .is now hoped the trouble will not bo permanent. ° Corporal A. V. Anderson, R.F.C. (Lyttelton), is with the Italian E.F. / Lieutenant A. J. Mack, B.A^ (Wellington), hr.s been promoted captain. Major Eric N. Webb, Australian Engineers, who is a native of '.Papanui, has been enjoying a- short period of leave in England. Major Webb was magnetician ■to the Mawson Antarctic Expedition, and in 1915 was engaged on the Lake Coleridge'power scheme under the 'New Zealand Government. He enlisted in the Australian Forces in the. same year, and came to the front with the 7th Field Company, with whom he has served continuously- in Egypt aaid in France. After the battle of Pozieres he had command of the Unit. Major Webb was awarded the Military Cross about a year ago, and about the same time suffered severely ham shell-shod^ . Private S. "G. Jones, 3/i3S2, N.Z.M.C,, has' been discharged- from the N.2.E.F. medically unfit. , Private C. W.. -CsMcutt, ,48321,.,

M.G.C., has been transferred from the N.Z.E.F to the E.N.V.E., with a commission.

Captain M. B. M. Tweed, N.Z.M.C, has been laid uj> with an attack of bronchitis, and has now left Guy's Hospital for the No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton. • '. ; ,

Lieutenant Harris, Sergeant Macready, Lance-Corporal Grice, Privates Chiswpss, Harrison, and Scatchard, all of the Auckland .Regiment,' took part in a military cross-country three-miles race at Epsom. In the result the Canadian' Macbine-Gimners, who have supported practically every S.C.C.'C.A. race, were the winners, their time being 18min 50 3-ssee. The New Zealanders' time was 2imin 13 4-5 sec, which placed them 21st on the list. . . " "

Mr. Robert MaqLean (of Messrs. J. J. Niven and Co., Hamilton), who came to England sk months ago as C.'M.M. in the Patrol Service, has now been granted a commission as Engineer-Sub-Lieu-tenant in the R.N.R.

Mr. Edward W.. Nelson, who was on -the scientific staff of Captain Scott's last; 'expedition, got a commission . in the R.N.V.R. early in the war and 3erved with, the Royal Naval Division in Gallipoli, Salotuca, and France. He is now Lieutenant-Commancior, ahd is at sea in one of His Majety's ships. ' Mr. E. A. Paterson, who was born at Arrow, and took his degree at the Otago School of Mines, is now in England with the General Electric Company, in connection with the use of cyanide. He is an Old Boy of Otago Boys' High School* Mr. Pateraoii had much experience as a mining expert in South' Africa and in South America, and invented a system of macadamised roads, which has been largely adopted in America. : In a speech at Liverpool the other day, Lord Jellicoe, referring to the awards of the V.C., said he looked upon the late Lieutenant-Commander E. W. Sanders (Auckland) as one of the great heroes of the war from the naval point of view. "He came to see me after he had earned his V.C., and I liad the 7Jleasure of shaking.hands with him. The story of his deed has yet fro be written, but the man who realised what his deed was was his opponent, aud I am not giving away any secrets when I say that his opponent was-a German.- (Applause.) It was with the.greatest possibJo grief that I. heard later' of Lieutenant-Commander Sanders having been'killed in. the exercise of his duty. He was a.New Zealand officer, and I have had painted certain incidents of his exploit which I propose to send to New Zealand after the war, a*, a tribute to a very heroic deed.". (Applause.)

Lieutenant-Colonel D. C. Spencer Smith, E.F.A., who was staff officer and A.M.S.. to General Gorlley in New Zealand, is now commandant of the No. 2 R.F.A. 'Officer Cadet School at Topsham Barracks,. Exeter. Colonel- SpencerSmith stilt takes it keeii interest in- New Zealanders and has arranged that, most of the cadets for artillery" cominisaiona Ro to'his^school instead of to London. There are now thirty-six cadets there, nominated from the. N.Z.E.F., of whom four are preparing for Imperial commissions. The Now Zealand cactets have already established a name, as usual, both for their work and sport. Five of them (W. L.'de L-aittour, T. G. Jackson, A. J. Priestley, A. Brown©, and R." C. Jamieson) are playing for the Ist fifteen, and four lA. F. Hs-rais, F. D. Bosvvell, B. 11. Duncan, and A. N. Haggilt) for the 2nd fifteen; while two others (T. K. Wocdiw and C. "T. -Dawson) are likely to have places in the senior team. The" cadets at-.Exeter who are prepaiing for Imperial commissions are : P. V. A.-'Wilson; W. B. Barker, G. B. Gibbons, and H. M. Thomas. The other members of the present class are: H. H. Osmers, R. H Smith. J. Ml Stringer, E. R. Glass, H. E. Winter, D. W. Hartless, E. I. Prime, W. C. M'Clintock, E. L. Thompson, A. C. .M. Barker, J. J. Crotty, R, Fletcher. A. A. Cjjrrey, N. S. Hielreon, T. H. M'Alister, R. H. Page, A. F. Watson, K. Laverton, G. E. Mains, H;.H,.RnsIi,.E..S. Smith. New Zealandfirs serving with the Imperial Forces, who have lately been officially gazetted as wounded, include: F. E. JTawcetfc (Wellington),' No. 986, Cavalry Special Reserve; J. Paterson (Onelranga), No. 1379, Cavalry Special Reservo; Gunner H. P. Tall (Dunedin). No. 52827, Royal Horse Axtilleit: Corporal C. Knight (Auckland), No. 3620, Machine Gun Corps. .

Lieutenant L. P. Leary, M.C., R-.F.A. (Pti-lmerston North) is now at Streatham Hall Hospital, Exeter, suffering from appendicitis. Lieutenant Leary was one of the:Samoan E.F., and aftorwarcij served in Egypt and in France, where he was wounded. He is now an instructor at To^iham Barracks, Exeter.