PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 6

PERSONAL.

Last evening Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Galway, attended by Major R. Stuart-French and Captain Lord Dormer, left Wellington by tlie Limited express for Auckland. This evening His Excellency will hold an investiture in the Auckland Town Hall at which certain officers and men of H.M.S. Achilles will be presented with decorations awarded as a result of the battle off the River Plate. Mr Frank Leverrier, K.C., aged 77, a former leading barrister in New South Wales, has died in Sydney. Mr J. R. Hardie, town clerk of Palmerston North, visited Wellington yesterday to attend a conference of secretaries of patriotic committees in the Wellington provincial district. The Bishop of Wellington, Rt. Rev. H. Holland, will be the guest of Mr and Mrs D. S. Wylie, of Broadway Avenue, during his visit to Palmerston North this week-end. The death has occurred, at the. age of 51, of Mr Harry Withey, of Dunedin, who in 1912 won the Otago and New Zealand amateur welterweight boxing-titles. In the following year lie had his greatest success, winning the Otago, New Zealand, and Australian middleweight titles. Advice that his son, Pilot-Officer G. C. Saunders, is missing, has been received by Mr F. G. Saunders, of Wellington. Pilot-Officer Saunders, who is 23 years of age, was educated at Wellington College. He went to England 18 months ago to take up a shortservice commission in the R.A.F. Mr C. S. Rush, proprietor of the Eltham Argus, a former, well-known resident of Palmerston North, visited the city yesterday. Mr Rush, was a member of the “Manawatu Standard’s” staff for many years prior to entering into business on his Own account. A London message says the iollowing have been created barons: Colonel Harry Louis Nathan, who has been the Labour member for Central Wandsworth since 1937 and who is Honorary Air Commodore of the County of Middlesex Balloon Squadron; LieutenantColonel Charles lain Kerr, who has been Liberal-Nationalist member for Montrose Burghs since 1932 and Comptroller of His Majesty’s Household since last year; and Sir Charles Barrie, who recently resigned from Parliament after representing Southampton as a Liberal-Nationalist- since 1931. Another New Zealand airman reported missing toward the end of April is now known to have been killed in action. He was Flying-Officer Murray Charles Petrie, aged 21, the youngest son of Mr and Mrs W. Petrie, of Coromandel Street, Wellington, and he was killed over the North Sea. He left New Zealand in September, 1938, to join the Royal Air Force, and soon became a flying-officer. He bad been flying ’ a bomber prior to and since the outbreak of war. —Press Association.

Advice lias been received by Colonel J. Matson, of Oparau, Kawhia, that his son, Second-Lieutenant P. M. B. Matson, of the Royal Artillery, has been awarded the Military Cross for his part in the evacuation, of Dunkirk. Lieutenant Matson was educated at. Christ’s' College, Christchurch, and left New Zealand to attend the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1937 on the recommendation of the Gover-nor-General, Lord Galway. He has been serving with the British Expeditionary Force since the outbreak of hostilities. He is a brother of Mr J. N. Matson, a 1936 Rhodes Scholar.

Mr J. T. Rogerson will retire in a few months from his position as manager of the Longburn freezing works. After the judging of the chilled beef competition of the Manawatu A. and \R. Association at the works yesterday, the chief steward of the competition, Mr K. F. Kirk, referred to the fact that it was the last time that Mr Rogerson would be present in his official capacity at a gathering of that nature. He paid a tribute to his work and assistance for the competition, and said that, while his retirement would be regretted, those present hoped that Mr Rogerson would be able to enjoy his leisure for many years.