MAJOR MASSEY RETURNS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16980, 14 October 1918, Page 4

MAJOR MASSEY RETURNS.

Major F. 0. Massey, D.5.0., M.C., youngest son of the Prime Minister, returned to Auckland on Saturday by the Niagara. Major Massey, who is regarded as one of the most brilliant officers in the p New Zealand Expeditionary Force, has | been invalided home. Although he is'still I suffering from a severe wound in the lungs ■ received in the early days of the German offensive last March, he expects to completely recover in the course of a few weeks. When Major Massey was wounded he was serving with tho British army in command of a battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. The regiment was making a stubborn fight against overwhelming ; hordes of Germans. Battalions on both ! sides of the men under hie command were pressed back, and at an early stage Major Massey was shot through both lungs and fell. Word being sent to headquarters, the colonel came up to tako command, and was captured by tho Germans shortly afterwards. The official notice in reference to the deed that won Major Massey his D.5.0., appeared in the London Gazette on September 16. It reads:—"On March 22 and 23, although severely wounded, this officor commanded the battalion in a most efficient manner. It was largely due to his resource and good grip of the situation that his battalion in its retirement inflicted such heavy loss on the enemy at a small cost to itself in the vicinity of Beaumetz-les-Cambrai By his contempt of danger and cheerfulness he set a good example to all ranks." Major Massey won the Military Cross at Messines in June, 1917. Ho has been twice mentioned in despatches. Major Massey was born in the Auckland Province and educated at the Manners school, the Auckland Grammar School [ and the Auckland University College. He j entered the legal profession and served his articles with Messrs. Hes'ieth and Rich, m ° nd - He passed his solicitor's exam, when 19 years of age, and was subsequently in the office of Messrs. Earl and Kent. Later, ho commenced practise on his own account. He left New Zealand as second lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade He went to Egypt and to Franco with' the first of the New Zealand forces. After serving for a time as adjutant to his battaion he was appointed to the divisional headquarters staff, with promotion to the rank of captain, attached to the Lanca. shire Fusiliers, and subsequently an. pointed temporary major,

DISTINGUISHED ARMY CAREER.