JOTTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 52

JOTTINGS.

The Public Service Commissioners apparently arc taking a hand in the recruiting campaign by discouraging applicat’ons for positions in the public service for men fit to join the Expeditionary Force. In adve-' sements inviting applications for a certain position it is expressly stated that appnea* tions from single men of military ago will not be entertained.” London papers relate the following:—A party of New Zealand wounded from Wal-ton-on-Thames, and another from St. Thomas’s Hospital, were taken for a drive to Leatherhead recently. At tea a soldier recognised another who had carried him wounded off the field at the Dardanelles. Until that day ho had never since seen his rescuer or known his name, and the meeting was most touching, the rescued man, with tears in his eyes, shaking the hands of his fellow colonial and thanking him most heartily. The Primate has appointed the Rev. Canon H. D. Burton, of St. _ Michael’s. Christchurch, to the hospital ship Marama (says the Christchurch Press). Canon Burton was a chaplain in the South African war, and holds the rank of lieutenantcolonel. The Defence Minister has signified to the Primate his consent to the request of the bishops that a second Anglican chaplain be appointed to the camp at Trentham. Private advice has been received (says the Waverly Press) that Captain T P. James, of the 2nd Queen Alexandria’s Own Mounted Rifles, who was reported killed in action at the Dardanelles recently, was, like the late Colonel Malone, killed through a shell, the missile shattering his thigh. A trooper of his regiment, who happened to be a scnool-fellow of Captain James, asked as he lay wounded if he could do anything for 1 Im, and was met with the reply: “ Don’t trouble about me, you have orders to attend to. Don’t neglect them.” Thus died another of Britain’s gallant sons, of whom the nation is, as it should be, justly proud. Sapper Coyle, of the Now Zealand Engineers, who returned to Wellington from the Dardanelles' last week, said that in the early days on Gallipoli some rather startling discoveries of German spies wore made. He told of how suspicion eventually foil upon a member of an Australian battery, who ■was responsible for the timing of the shell fuses. The shells frequently fell short, with disastrous results for the British in the front trenches. His officer watched and caught him in the act of shortening the fuses, and unhesitatingly shot him dead. Papers found upon him proved him to have been a spy. Another day Sapper Coyle saw a dark, beetle-browed man in a khaki uniform marched away along the beach and shot. He had been discovered signalling to the enemy. , The ladies of the Green Island Nursing Division are forwarding to Queen Mary’s Guild, Clerkcnwell, London, a case of comforts for the wounded soldiers, containing articles made from the material bought with the proceeds of the gift afternoon, at which £55 was realised. The Bishop of Auckland announced at the Anglican Synod (says the Herald) that, as most of the eligible students at St. John’s College had volunteered for service, it had been decided to close the college during the continuance of the war. Mrs Elamires, of Wanganui, has received a cable message from London stating that her husband, the Rev. H. L. Blamires, who left as chaplain with the Main New Zealand Expeditionary Force, is now convalescent. Mr Blamires recently underwent an Operation at Alexandria. A Napier committee is issuing tiny silk badges to the men who are about to proceed to the front (says the Telegraph). The badge boars the British and the Now Zealand flags end the following inscription : “ New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Napier Reinforcements. Answered his country’s call.” The Rev. Father Maloney, of Wanganui, has been appointed Roman Catholic chaplain on the hospital ship Marama. “ One third of the ordinary students at the universities and training colleges have enlisted,” said Mr Robert Lee, of Wellington, speaking of his visit to the-Old Country, “ and many of them are acting as privates.” The father and only son of one Inglewood family have volunteered to serve their country at the front. A few weeks ago the son was accepted and went into camp. He has since been followed by his father, who journeyed to Trentham on Monday. Mr T. Bullock’s offer, at Saturday’s patriotic meeting at Ashburton, to insure the lives of five soldiers is regarded as a most generous and practical suggestion (says the Guardian). The offer involves an expenditure of over £7O. Mr Bullock is hopeful that other residents will join in in this scheme Responding to the toast of “Our Boys at the Front” at the Masterton Foresters’ Lodge social last week, Mr William Dixon, of Masterton, stated that hie seven sons had all donned the King’s uniform, and he was sorry he had not more sons to do the same. Some of the boys had fought in the South African war, while the others were now at the front. Mrs N. Balston, of Kanieri, has boon notified by the Minister of Defence that her husband, Henry Love Balston, of the 13th Battalion of the Australian Forces, had be m killed in action at the Dardanelles on August 9 (says the West Coast Times). Nine of the Late Mr Balston’s family are in service. Three hundred and seventy-six men have enlisted at the Wellington Town Hall (says the New Zealand Times) during the last few days. Mr Cecil Leys, associate editor of the Auckland Star, has volunteered for active service, and has been accepted as a member of the Automobile Corps. A member of one of the recent reinforcements, in writing to a friend in Palmerston, states (says the Times) that there is a large shed at Alexandria full of parcels addressed to New Zealand soldiers, some of which have been lying there since the Main Body left. It is understood that several members of the Christchurch quota of the. Now Zealand Rifle Brigade who went into camp last week (says the Press) were roiected upon examination in Wellington on the ground that they wore unfit for service. Mr R. Berndtson, one of the proprietors of the Western Star, has for the front. Mr Berndtson is one of Riverton’s most prominent residents, and as secretary of numerous local societies he has rendered valuable work ungrudgingly. A Wairarapa station owner came to Masterton one day last week and offered to enlist for service abroad on condition that ho could find somebody to look after his property im his absence. A neighbour promptly offered to arrange matters for him, and lie proceeded forthwith to the recruiting office. *-Ago.

A successful test of a machine gun fitted up at the Government Workshops, Petonc, was made on Thursday. The weapon is said to be >.cU up to military requirements. It is stated that J he discs which were imported were so acc: ratoly fitted that the use- of the file was not found necessary. At the end of May last a cabled message of sympathy was sent by a Foilding father to Malta, whe, 3 his soldier son was in hospital, wounded. The father has just received word from his son that the cablegram reached the latter when he had been back some time in the trenches at Gallipoli. The cablegram left Feilding on May 29, and was delivered on August 26 or just three months late! Under date of September 14, Lieutenant Donald M‘Curdy (Assistant-Director of the Army Post Offices) writes from Alexandria: “ The work here is still on the increase. The last mail numbered hist on 2000 bags. Wo average from 2000 to 3000 parcels per week from New Zealand. I now have a staff of 23 men at the Advance Base Army Post Office, but half of the men are untrained. I am expecting some post office men from New Zealand in a week to repla 3 them. In July we handled 2380 bags, besides parcels ; for August just on 3000 bags, and this month it will nrobably roach the 4000 mark.” Writing from Gallipoli on August 23 to Mrs K. Gird lor, of Dargaville, Private F. W. Bullott, of the 15th (North Auckland) Company, refers to a gallant exploit on the part of Sergeant W. Brydon, who is now invalided in the Auckland Hospital. He states that Australians arc never tired of reciting a brave deed of Brydon’s, and the manner in which he led an attacking party of them. They consider that only Biydon’s bravery saved them from annihilation, and aver that when they sec him again they will carry him shoulder high. An interesting relic of the war was shown a Mataura Ensign reporter recently, in the shape f a much-battered Havelock tin, which was rendered in this condition when carried in Private G. Lamb’s (Waikaka) hip pocket. A bullet passed through the tobacco tin and struck Private Lamb in the hip, hut what would otherwise have probably meant a broken hip bone resulted in a comparatively slight wound. The bullet, which is considerably flattened out, is now in the possession of Private Lamb’s father. Private Lamb, in his last letter, reported that he was making good progress towai-ds recovery. A Feilding family which has written regularly to their son and brother, and who have grieved over his oft-expressed lament that he wished there was “an inward mail sometimes,” received a delightful surprise this week (says the Star). Their soldier boy wrote from the trenches, under date August 27; —“I got a whopping big mail after four months' lack of it—43 letters, four postcards, and two newspapers, all in a heap! Everybody guyed me, but they all wore wistfid expressions. Yesterday afternoon and this morning my right section commander took on my duties, and I sat down and read. I read until dark yesterday and from daylight this morning.” At a concert given by the Trinity Methodist Church Band of Hope last week, the sum of £3 was raised for the purpose of purchasing Christmas comforts for the troops.