AT THE FRONT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9998, 15 June 1918, Page 3

AT THE FRONT

RECENT CASUALTIES CAPTAIN I'. W r . SKBLLEY. Advice has been reeci%-ed in "Wellington of .the death of Captain Forty William Skelley, who died as the result of wounds received while on active service in France. Captain Shelley, v,iio leaves a widow and three children, was ajnember of the D Battery, N.Z.F.A., for a nnmlior of years before ho became a staff officer. Starting as a gunner it was 13 years before, he accepted a commission, which lie held for two yoars. On Starch 17th, 1911, .ho was appointed lieutenant and adjutant of the 9th East Coast Regiment on July Bth, 1911. In 1913 he was appointed officer In charge of No. 7 Group Area, and was promoted to captain on April let, 1914. In November 26ilij_ 1914, ho was appointed assistant adjutant-general at General Headquarters ; and left New Zealand on December 6th, 1916, with the 20th Reinforcement. Captain Skelley was attached to the Rifle Brigade, and was promoted to the rank of major (temporary) on March 31st, 19i7, while employed on administrative staff as officer of .the Infantry Reserve Group. On December 30th, 1917, he relinQuished the. positions of D.A.A. and Q.M.G., and was a. member of the Brigade Staff when wounded. Captain Skelley was a popular officer and belonged to a. well-lcnown "Wellington family. His brother ([Lieutenant Claude H. T. Skelley, went away with the lOtli Reinforcement on March IBth, 1916, and was attached to tho N.Z. Rifle brigade. On returning to the Dominion in September, 1917, he was appointed assistant provost marshal of the Otago district on November 12th, 1917. DRIVErX RAMSEY. Driver Ales. Kanisey, Killed in action, in France, on April 17th, was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs D. Ramsey. He was bom and educated in Rangiora, and subsequently entered; the tailoring trade. He volunteered early in the war, and after being several times rejected left with tho sth Reinforcement. He never experienced amy ilness dwrilng the whole 'time of his service, and went to France with the first of the New Zealauders. LIEUTENANT A. J. R. CRAWFORD. Information of the death of wounds of Lieutenant A. J. R. Crawford has been received at Wellington. He began his military career in the present war as a member of the 9th Reinforcement in New Zealand, and on his securing a-.commission ho was transferred to the 16th Mounted Rifles. While in Egypt he was transferred to the Camel Corps. Before enlistment ho followed Ihe occupation of tea-planter in India, but at a later period came to New Zealand and took up farming in the Pahiatua district.