THE EXPLANATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 10

THE EXPLANATION

WHY THEY ARE "STRANGERS"

"Yes, that is correct. As far as I know my brother has never seen me. I have certainly never seen him to my conscious knowledge," said Dr. Alan Tennent, in discussing the contents of the above cablegram. The reason why the two brothers have not met before is simply that Dr. Tennent believes he was not born when Mr. L. C. Tennent, the eldest of the family, left for South Africa. When Mr. L. C. Tennent left New Zealand to go to the Boer War he was just a lad, employed by the A.M.P. Company. He sailed with the Ist Contingent. At that time the Tennent family was living in Timaru. Mr. L. C. Tennent has not been back to New Zealand since. After the South African War he remained in Africa and later was joined by two of his brothers. All three were in South Africa when the Great War broke out, v and they saw service in the German South-west African campaign. When that was over the two brothers who had joined their eldest brother came back to New Zealand, and, joining up with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, went off with the 14th Reinforcements to France. The eldest brother joined the expedition which went up to what is now known as the Tanganyika Protectorate, but which at that time was German East Africa. Since the war he has been managing the shipping company referred to in the Melbourne cable. Although as far as he knows his brother has never seen him, Dr. Tennent curiously enough has met his brother's wife. She happened to be in England when Dr. Tennent was there II years ago. The Tennent family comprised five sons and three daughters, and Dr. Tennent is the youngest of the sons. The two brothers who were with the eldest brother, Mr. L. C. Tennent, in. South Africa and who afterwards served in France are Messrs. H. D. Tennent, Dunedin, and H. C. Tennent, a chartered accountant in Honolulu. The other brother, Mr. K. B. Tennent, who is standing as a National Party candidate for the new Otahuhu electorate at the coming General Election, also served at the Great War. He left with the sth Reinforcements, and after being at Gallipoli, saw service in the Mesopotamian campaign. One of the sisters, Mrs. Mules, of Woodville, died about 18 months ago. The other sisters are Mrs. Olphert, of Lower Hutt, wife of the late Captain Wybrants Olphert, and Mrs. Branson, of Te Araroa, East Cape. Mr. L. C. Tennent expects to be about six or eight weeks in New Zealand. He has to be back in Africa early in January.