SERVING THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16355, 9 October 1916, Page 4

SERVING THE EMPIRE.

NEWS OF NEW ZEALANDERS,

AWARDS AND PROMOTIONS..

[FROM Ol'E OWN correspondent.]

LONDON. August 25. Lieutenant Kirk by H. Wilson, son of Mr. H. Wilson, Auckland, has returned to duty after two or three months in hospital 'in Bombay and Simla, suffering from fever. Mr. Nicholas Greenwell, Auckland, who obtained his commissioin in .the R.F.C. last April, has been compelled to give up t'.iat branch of duly. In June, while on a night flight, he had an accident 1200 ft up and narrowly escaped with his-life, and though now he is much improved in health, the authorities consider him medically unfit at present for further flying. He has heen made equipment officer in the R.F.C. and reports for duty at Heading in a few days. Lieutenant F. A. Hellaby, Auckland, has been promoted captain. Second-Lieutenant J. Evans (Auckland Mounted Rifles) has been promoted lieutenant for good service in the field. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Fabian P. Reeves, R.N.A.S., was accidentally in. jured a few days ago while flying. He is the son of the Hon. W. Pember Reeves. The irier/s of Mr. I'.. 0. Mousley, Auckland, who has been on the missing list for some months past, will be glad to hear that he is now officially reported to have been taken prisoner by the Turks with the garrison at Kut. Mr. Mousley was studying law at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and he went to Mesopotamia earl*- in 1915 with the Divisional A=till*r» of the 25rd livir-ion, in which lie was •;. second lieutenant. His friends heard nothing from him for many months, and bad not even been posted missing, mi the present announcement will be a great relief to them. Mr. Mouslev was formerly on the staff of King's College, Auckland.

Sub-Lien! enant (.'. V. Connolly, Auckland, has completed liis training in motorboat patrol duties, and has been sent to a North Sea natrol station.

Lieutenant W. 8. 11. Bloomfield, R.F.C., who was wounded at the front in February, has now been declared fit for active service again, and is at (iosport, expectin? to be sent to the front.

Lieutenant J. A. W. Roberton, son of Dr. Roberton. of Auckland, was recently rather seriously wounded in the head and chest by a band prenade. He is in hospital in France- His brother, Lieutenant J. B. W. Roberton, was slightly wounded about the same time.

Second-Lieutenant H. W. Butterworth. Auckland, who came to England more than a year aco, and got a commission, was promoted lieutenant on August 1. He is at present on the list of missing.

RHODES SCHOLAR'S DEATH.

CAPTAIN ALLAN MACDOUGALL.

[from OUR OWN correspondent.]

LONDON. Aug. 25.

Further information concerning the death of Captain Allan Macdougall, the New Zealand Rhodes scholar of 1909, shows that he was killed on August 4, apparently just when his battalion had relieved another in the trenches. The Mayor of Kensington has received a, letter from the adjutant of the 22ad Royal Fusiliers—which was raised in Kensington and known as the Kensington Battalion—in which ho st»ies that Captain Macdougail had just written a memorandum in his pocket-book: "O.C. 22nd Royal Fusiliers,—Relief complete." Before ho could sign it he was killed. It is apparent that the battalion had just taken over tho trenches from the previous occupants, and the customary notification was being sent hack to tho battalion headquarters. In the London Times of Saturday appeared a very striking poem by " P.HY-," the adjutant, on his brother officer's death, Colonel Barker, the officer commanding the battalion, writes to the Mayor of Kensington : — I cannot get over the loss of poor Macdougail, who was killed on the night of the 3rd-4th August. He was a great personal friend of mine, and or.o of my best officers."

During his sojourn at Oxford Mr. Macdougall made many friends and gave promise of a brilliant caretr. Dr. U. R. Parkin, C.M.Q., organising representative of the Rhodes Scholarship Trust, says: — "The poem in the Times is the most worthy* tribute to the splendid young fellow who did great credit to New Zea-land-tnd to our scholarship trust when lie was at Oxford. Ho will be deeply regretted by all who knew him at the university, and his death is a <?reat loss to New Zealand and to the Empire, as he was a man whom we all expected to work out a fine career. We had also noticed with great regret that young Hudson was one of those who had been called upon to give up his life in the service of the nation. He had only lately been awarded the scholarship, so that wo did not know him as we knew Macdougall. Macdougall makes the fourteenth of our scholars who has made the final sacrifice in response to the call of duty. New Zealand may well be proud of her share in this roll of honour."

The verse:? in the Times are as follows —

Not where in grey surge of unnumbered miles Rises the Coronach of the Hebrides: Nor far away where molten Bunlicht smiles On Southern seas: Not from the cloistered strife of Academe. Spent with its subtle warfare, bowed with years Of honoured labour, did'et thou pass, supreme Amongst thy peers: But in the blasting hurricane of the fray, Deaf to its roar, unheeding of its toll, Humbly Wore the altar did*st thou lay Thy splendid soul So thou art gone, but who that lives can mourn The promise of thy manhood, who by fir* Tried and accepted, did'st endure to scorn The world's desire? Rather we pray that we who hold the fort May with an equal courage pace cur beat, Till. unashamed, we can at last report, " Rolief CnmDlete."