PERSONAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 6 October 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS

A number of the friends of Dtr W. D. S., Johnston, met him at the Haeremai Tea Rooms yesterday afternoon, to express their good wishes to him before he joine-the Medical 'Corps on active service. The Mayor (Mr W. W. SnodfcrassY, on behalf of those present, wished I>r Johnston God-speed and a safe and happy return. They all knew that Dr Johnston had been anxious to go to,the front ever since the war started. Dr Johnston leaves for camp on luesday.

Some further information concerning the death of th 6 late_ Pnvate Bert Taylor of Whakarewa, ~ Motueka, on June 7th has been received by his peopla through the Red Cross. Enquiry Bureau, Christchurch, from P«y}te 1 Gunn, who has just returned invalided from France, and has written to the hon. secretary of the Bureau as follows : —it was on the morning of the advance of Messines; we had taken our objective arid had dug a now trench on top of the Messines Ridge when the "enemy commenced, to shell our position with high explosive shrapnel. This was about 10.30 in the morning, so that we had then been in the fight about 7£ hours. We had not been sitting in the trenches very long when a shell "exploded killing instantly Taylor, also wounding myself and two others.