OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 9

OBITUARY

CAPTAIN F. A. HESLOP The death took place at Dunedin on' Sunday of Captain Frederick Albert Clayton Heslop, master mariner, R.N.R., in his fifty-second year. He was until lately in command of the Athelregent, one of the United Molassess Company’s steamers. During the war he held the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve and served in the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Adriatic. At an early age Captain Heslop went to sea on one of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company’s steamers trading between Australia and New Zealand. After 10 years ho joined the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., and became well known in the coastal trade. He was one of the officers sent Home in 1913 to bring out the express steamer Wahine. Shortly after the outbreak of war Captain Heslop enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and, after training at Trentham, was transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve. On arrival in England he was appointed to the command of a division of armed trawlers under Admiral Colville. For six months lie was stationed at Scapa Flow, where the work, especially during the winter months, was arduous and nerve-wrack-ing. The service of the trawlers consisted of patrolling mined areas and submarine zones and escorting vessels through these dangerous regions. Late in 1915 the division was sent to perform similar service in the Mediterranean, with Malta as the base. The submarine warfare became'intensive in this area,, and during the period it lasted the Malta patrol rescued over 10.000 lives. After the Armistice Lieutenant Heslop returned to England and volunteered for service with, the ‘mine-clearing section in the North Sea, where the dangerous task of harvesting' the mines sown by the Allies and the enemy alike had to be carried out before the sea routes were safe for normal trade. He returned to the service of the Union Steam Ship Company in New Zealand for a period, but, about 14 years ago, he joined up with the United Molasses Company and commanded several of its oil tankers. His last command was the Athelregent, which visited Wellington in January with, a cargo of crude oil. At this time Captain Heslop was not feeling in good health, and, following medical advice, he resigned his command and came to Dunedin, where he had since lived with old friends. Captain Heslop never married, and he had no relations in this country. MR W. R. PIDDINGTON The death took place at Dunedin suddenly, yesterday, of Mr Walter Russell Piddington, aged 67 years. Mr Piddington was born in London, and as a child came to Dunedin with his parents on the Jessie Readman. He was [educated at the Gaversham School and later joined the staff of the Victoria Insurance Company. After some time he joined the local branch of Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., and was associated with that firm until he retired in-1918. He was at* that time secretary of the local office. Mr Piddington was keenly interested in sport, particularly in bowling. For many years he was a member of the St. Clair Club and had various successes in local competitions. He was a member of the old Caversham Band and of the Caversham Rugby Football Club. He was also a member of the Carisbrook Cricket Club. He is survived by his widow and a family of three daughters and one son—Mrs H. McDonald (Wellington), Mrs S. Cooke (St. Clair), Miss Phyllis Piddington (St. Clair), and Mr W. A. Piddington(Bluff). MR F. ELLIS The death took place at Waitahuna on Thursday of Mr Frederick Ellis, who for many years had been a resident of the district, where he carried on the business of general blacksmith. He was a justice of the peace and was a man of high character and a kindly disposition. He is survived by his widow and a grown-up family of one son and two daughters. The funeral took place at the Waitahuna Cemetery on Sunday, when the funeral procession was a large one, testifying to the esteem in which Mr Ellis had been held in the community.