PERSONAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 17038, 13 December 1915, Page 8

PERSONAL.

Captain Plunket arrived from the north on SaturMay.

A cable manage states that the late Dr W. G. Grace left property to the value of £7278.

Commissioner Hodder, of the Salvation Army, arrived from the north on Saturday. Mr Amelius Smith, one of the best known Civil Servants in Wellington, n lving seriously ill at his home in Island Bav. '

Mr A. Buna returned to Christehurch on Saturday morning, after an absence of eighteen months, most of his time being spent in London. Lieutenant R. Leslie And'erson, son of Dr R. W. Anderson, Sydenham, left for Trentham on Saturday evening to join the officers in training for ihe Thirteenth Reinforcements.

Word has been received that Mr JStanley Duncan, of Park Terrace, son of the'late Mr "John Duncan, >ias been successful in passing the Australian test and joined the Melbourne division of the. Motor Ambulance Corps. Mrs G. S. Fleming, of Ashburton, has received a letter from her son, Private George G. Fleming, stating that he had been sent to Malta hospital, and after spending a month there was sent to an English hospital.

Visitors to town on Saturday included Messrs D. Bohan, M. A. Garland A. Whatele.y (Wellington), Robert Bell (Ashburton), H. P. Thompson (Dunedin), A. D. Lubecki (Auckland), and F. N. Stewart, C, A. Shallcrass and T. E. Tc*neycliffe (Timaru). Mr John R. Andrew, Spreydon, received a letter from India on Saturday from his son, Lieutenant-Colonel A. W. Andrew, stating that he and his regiment, the 114th Mahrattas, had been ordered to be ready to go outside India. It was anticipated that they were to see action iu Mesopotamia. Lieutenant-Colonel Loach, Major Gresson, Major Jordan and Lieutenants Babohelor, Oakey, Coe, Barnes and Weir, who have all returned from active service at the front, will be* the guests of the Canterbury District Officers' Club this evening. The function will take the form of a- supper of welcome. Mr A. Whitcombe, a son of Mr G. H. Whitcombe, Christehurch, was the recipient of a presentation from the Wellington staff of Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs on the occasion of his leaving for London to tako up military training in view of receiving a commission. Mr Whitcombe will sail by the Maloja, leaving Sydney on December 24.

Mr W. Wilson, of the engineering department of Auckland University College, who has been on a farewell visit to his parents prior to his departure for the Old Country, left on Saturday to join the Orari at Wellingtpn. Mr Wilson has obtained an extended leave of absence from his duties in the Dominion to enable him to assist in the making of munitions at Home. Ad its meeting on Friday evening the Richmond School Committee recommanded the appointment of Miss Probble as assistant-mis-tress, in place of Miss Newton, who has been appointed headmistress of the Shirley School. It was reported that Mr F. W. Moore, a member of the teaching staff, had been appointed headmaster of the Ashley School, as from the begnning of 1916. The resignation of Mr Quartermain, who had enlisted, was received. Mr George A. Green, secretary of the New Zealand Association of Nurserymen (incorporated) left Auckland last evening for Wellington, where lie will bo joined by Mr T. Norton, president of the association. This evening they will leave for Lvttelton, and will meet nurserymen in Christehurch to-morrow, afterwards proceeding south. Matters of interest to the nursery trade will be dealt with, and details worked out for the annual conference, which will be held in Wellington in January, 1916. On Friday the residents of Takamatua, Banks Peninsula, tendered a farewell social to Troopers J. Shepxerd. J. Cattermole and Harry Woodhill, who are leaving for the front. There was a large attendance from all parts, Mr R. Herriot being in the chair. Musical items were contributed by Misses Shepherd Hammond, Kallouskia and Haylock". During the evening Mr G. Armstrong, Mayor of Akaroa. presented Troopers Shepherd and Cattermole with a wristlet watch each, and Trooper Woodhill with a sovereign belt. Congratulatory speeches were also delivered by the chairman and Mr B. Mora. Nurse Mabel Atkinson, of Christchurch, is on the staff of Lady Paget's hospital in Serbia, which has been captured by the Bulgarians. News has been received that all the staff are safe, and that probably the hospital would l>e declared international, as there were American and Dutch citizens on the staff, or else that they would be interned. An official German message received some days ago stated that Lady Paget and her staff were safe. Nurse Atkinson left Christehurch before the main body, in order to proceed to England, where she joined Lady Paget's staff for Serbia. Nurse Atkinson was trained in .the Strathmore Hospital, Christehurch. Trooper R. Atkinson, of the C.Y.C. (Main Body),* now on leave as a wounded soldier, is her brother.

Colonel G. W. S. Patterson, of Auckland, who is. to proceed to Samoa to relieve (temporarily) Colonel Logan, the administrator, is at present officer in command of the coast defences, Auckland. His business is that, of a kauri gum merchant. He hau always been in close touch with military activities connected with Auckland, having joined the volunteers over twenty year*, ago as officer in the Ponsonby Navals. Wheu the volunteer system was merged into the territorial schema some five years ago, Colonel Patterson was appointed to his present command. At the outbreak of war he was on active "•"•vice at the f -rts where he remained for a period of eight months on. coast defence duty. 'At present he is oil leave. Colonel Patterson will go to Samoa by the Talune to-day. Ho expects to remain there for two months, that being the period of leave which, has been granted Colonel Logan, who will sail for Auckland on, the ***.urn trip of the Talune-