FIGHTING FAMILIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16373, 30 October 1916, Page 6

FIGHTING FAMILIES.

FOUR BROTHERS SERVING.

Foto sons of Mrs. H. G. Blackie, of Sentinel Road, Ponsonby, are serving in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Sergeant Allan S. Blackie is engaged in training troops in Egypt, after having first taken part in the expedition to Samoa, and then re-enlisted in one of the contingents for Europe. In tho Gallipoli campaign he received wounds which laid him aside for some time in a hospital at Malta. Corporal Owen Blackie was lately reported as having been wounded in France; Private Walter P. Blackie was also named in a recent list of wounded men; and Private Bernard Blackie is so far unscathed.

Private A. Murray Eraser, who was reported wounded a few days ago, is another representative of a family which has three sons serving the Empire. At the time of enlisting he was in the employ of Briscoe and Co., Customs Street. He celebrated his 21st birthday in Egypt in January last. His elder brother is engineer on a transport, while his younger brother is in camp at Salisbury Plains, England. Private J. R. Bradshaw, who went with the tenth reinforcements, and is at present seriously ill at Brockenhurst Hospital, was one of seven sons. Their mother, Mrs. A. E. Bradshaw, lives at Mataura. The eldest went with the Main Body, and went through G:illipoli without a scratch. Two are at present lying wounded in the above hospital, two others sail with the next reinforcements, while the sixth son has been rejected twice. The seventh boy is under age.