OBITUARY

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 30 May 1932, Page 4

OBITUARY

MR. WILLIAM J ANSON. The death occurred on Sunday morning at his residence in Victoria, Street of Mr W. Janson, manager of the Hawera branch of the National Dairy Association, aged 59 years. The news came as a shock to his large circle of friends, for though lie had been in unsatisfactory health for the last two years, he was going about as usual until Saturday. Highly respected in the business community, the late Mr. Janson was held'in affectionate esteem by his many friends. His health had been undermined by the' strain of long war service, but his kindly nature and happy disposition made it difficult for any but his most intimate friends to realise that his condition had been growing more serious of recent years. He had a serious heart attack a week ago, but he rallied and during the week was completely restored to good health until early Sunday morning, when he succumbed to a second seiure.

Barn in 1873, Mi- Janson was the eldest son of a pioneer Wellington merchant, the late Mr Edward Janson, and received his education at Te Aro School and Wellington College. He entered his father’s business and later opened in Cuba Street, where he traded for several years until the Great War. Aspirations for a military career were partly realised when at -an early age lie joined the Wellington D Battery and rose to the rank of second lieutenant, bemg associated with Mr It. C. llay-Mackenzie, first lieutenant, who recently xetn-ed from the managership of the Bank of New Zealand in Hawera. At the outbreak of war- he. left .with the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment as lieutenant in the main body and served all through the Egyptian and Gallipoli campaign, being mentioned in dispatches. Following the Gallipoli evacuation Mr Jenson transferred from the Mounted Rifles to the artillery for active service in France under nis old commander of the Wellington D Battery, Colonel Johnston. He attained the rank of temporary major and actmg-colonel and had experience with ammunition and remount work, completing a record of service from the beginning to the end of the war. He was wounded in the leg and gassed, the latter injury affecting his health in recent years and producing a condition which caused his death. One of his most important commissions at the close of the war was the evacuation of British troops from Germany in 1919, Mr Janson commanding one of the first troop trains to cross the frontier. En route the soldiers raided a passing train and confiscated quantities' of liquor in transit. The train crew was incapacitated and Mr Janson, with the assistance of an engineer whose only experience was that of driving a sawmill at Taumarunui, took the train safely to its destination. Returning to New Zealand at the end of 1919,, Mr Janson resumed civilian life in private business in Wellington. He was then appointed to a position in the service of the National Dairy Association throughout the Manawatu district and subsequently was appointed manager of the Hawera branch, taking up his residence hero six and a-half years ago. Deoeased married the only daughter of Mr 0. O. E/kdahl, of Hawera, and besides his widow he leaves one son, Mr. Roland Janson, who is married and resides at Otautau, Southland. During his lifetime the late Mr Janson, was devoted to-animals and was a good judge of horseflesh. While on active service in France lie adjudicated at a number of military horse shows and as the result of intensive study was an expert veterinarian, tie was a lover of dogs and in Wellington bred champion deer-hounds, which were never beaten in the show ring and Irish terriers which also were prizewinners. For many years he was secretary of the Wellington Kennel Club. Since taking up libs residence in Hawera Mr Janson has been a member of the Egmont Racing Club, Hawera Golf Oluib and Hawera Bowling Club as well as a member of the Masonic Lodge and a member of the executive of the South Taranaki Returned Soldiers’ Association.

The funeral will take place at Hawera on Wednesday with full military and Masonic Lodge honours.

Members of the South Taranaki Beturned Soldiers’ Association will attend the funeral service at St. Mary’s Church of England on Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock.

During the Guides’ commemoration service yesterday feeling reference was made by the Rev. Whitby James to the loss sustained by Mrs W. Janson, one of the vice-presidents of the Hawera Association, in the death of her husband.