PERSONAL ITEMS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 9 October 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr H. Okey, M.P., has received word that his son, Private Lionel Okey, has been killed m France. Another son of Mr Okey's previously met a soldier's death, and he has also a third son at the front.

Friends in Hawera of Mrs jjj. Wilson. and Miss E. Bernard will regret tc hear that they received news on Friday of the death of theii^ brother Henry, killed in action on September 1 1. Deceased enlisted from Wellington. This is the second brother that has fallen in the defence of the Empire, and much sympathy will be felt for the family in the loss they have sustained.

Mr W. J. Reeve, clerk of the Court at Stratford, has been appointed Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, in place of Mr S. H. James, who has resigned through pressure of business, James has occupied the position tor over twenty .years.

A London cable states that the King, at Buckingham Palace, invested Flight Lieutenant Brandon (a New Zealander) with the D.&.0.

Cable advice has been received from Sergeant- Syd Burgess, of Hawera, that he has been transferred to London for two months' special training. The transfer was made some weeks ago, so that he has not been present at the recent heavy 'fighting. Bis many friends wilt be :• :.>asod to hear of his advancement.

->-- E. Page, S.M., is about to be trc-.s.erred trom Whangarei to Aucß■il-"-- with headquarters for Thames v.i „ e ther places in the Coromandel ci-oCiijt. This is ..necessary to relieve --1- J.--.. J. Burgess, S.M., for the duty chairman of the Auckland Military Appeal Board. Mr E. W. Burton, S.M., of Russell, will succeed Mr Fage at Whan^arei.

Mr F. W. Mansfield, RegistrarGeneral, is retiring from the public service on account of" ill-health Mr Mansfield joined the service in" 1883, but previously he had been ten years in the service of the Wellington-Can-terbury Education Board, so that he has been for 43 years a public servant. Until the year 1913 he held the office of Chief Electoral Officer, but relinquished it on account of ill-health.

Mr Arthur Langdon, of Hawera, has been advised that his brother Charles, who left with the 10th Reinforcements, was killed in action in France on Sep^ tember loth. The deceased soldier was well-known in football circles in this district.

~ The sermon preached by the vic&r at St. Mary's oh Sunday evening had special regard to the local boys wlio had fallen in action and whose names had just come through; namely, I. Watts, T. F. C4oddard, P. Woodford, A. Wills, and C. Langdon. In addition, the preacher mentioned the boys who had been wounded at the front."

Mr and Mrs R. Hardley, of Victoria soreet, were advised this morning. that their youngest son, 4/902 Private Erie R. Hardley, had been wounded in the left leg, and admitted to hospital on September .26. The Minister of Defence conveyed his sympathy to the paa-ents with the wish tnat thfeir son would have a speedy recovery.

Private Ritchie, formerly well-known in Hawsra as representative for J. Duohje and Co., Ltd., of Wellington, who is going with the 19th Reinforcements, was m Hawera for the week-end on final leave. Speaking to a Star representative, he said it was noticeable that the 19ths included a very large number of the elder men enlisting. There were, he said, considerably fewer of}/the young men*t>han in most of the former drafts. He says the 19ths lifed a pretty rough, time in their training. They were only a fortnight in Trentham when, owing to the prevalence of sickness, they were transferred to Tauherenikau. Private Ritchie is very fit, and is ke£nl£ interested in the soldier's life.

Mr and Mrs A. Reid, of the South road, received advice from the Minister of Defence last night that their son 10/3064, Private Alex Reid, had died of wounds on September 26. The deceased, who was of a bright disposition, went away with the Seventh Reinforcements^ and after seeing service in" Egypt, left TPitß." thei""-jKfiHf- ..Sfalsnd- Brigade for France, "where he entered the trenches on May 12. He was a member of the i^cal Territorials and held the rank of sergeant previous to enlisting. Ma- and Mrs. Reid will have the sincere sympathy of the citi^ns in tbgir bereavement. The Mmifi&F of Defence forwarded a message of condolence to the family. - ,