PERSONAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25364, 23 October 1943, Page 4

PERSONAL

Mr R. S. Allwright, who has been stationmaster at Wellington since 1940, has retired after 42 years’ service with the Railways Department. He is to he succeeded by Mr A. W. Jackson, stationmaster at Tauranga. Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in New Zealand accompanied by Lady Batterbee, will visit Christchurch from Thursday, 4 to Monday, November 8, and Dunedin from Monday, November 8, to Saturday, November 13. Mr S. F. Williams, manager of the Invercargill branch of the New Zealand Insurance Company, has received advice of his transfer to South Africa as manager of the company’s Johannesburg branch. Mr Williams was for 25 years in the employ of the company in Dunedin, being chief clerk for 12 years, and he went to Invercargill six years ago. He will leave for South Africa as soon as transport can be arranged. Passengers who left for the north by the airliner yesterday were Miss G. Hinton, Miss J. Hinton, Mr H. D. Hinton Mrs E W. Henderson, Mr N. I. Jones, Mr A. E Greensmith, and Mr A. J. Webb for Christchurch, Mr H. H. Henderson for Wellington, the Rev. Mr Curran and Miss G Gunn for Auckland. Passengers who arrived by the afternoon plane were Mr and Mrs Wilson, Mr McLeod, Mr H. Brown, and Mrs M. B. Bollons from Wellington, Mrs Brown, Mr E. H. Hankins, Mr J. D. Sutherland,, and Mr J. Johnston from Christchurch.

Major-general A. S. Wilder. D. 5.0., M.C., has returned to his property at Wallingford, Hawke's Bay. He is on " going out leave before relinquishing his position as officer commanding the Northern Division and his retirement from the army. Majorgeneral Wilder has had a distinguished military career. He was one of the " Four Colonels" who were posted to the retired list because of their criticism of ,the New Zealand territorial system shortly before the outbreak of the present war. He was placed on the active list againj in 1940 and commanded the 25th Bat- 1 talion in the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Later he became commander of the Maadi training camp, and early in 1942 he was promoted to brigadier and given the command of the sth Brigade, in succession to Brigadier J. Hargest, who had been taken prisoner in the Libyan campaign. When it was decided to bring senior officers back to New Zealand to assist in the reorganisation of the home defence forces, he was one of those chosen. In May, 1942, when changes were made in the higher command of the New Zealand Army, his appointment as divisional commander in the Southern Military District. with the rank of major-general, was announced.