LIEUTENANT GRANTS DEATH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14900, 2 May 1919, Page 6

LIEUTENANT GRANTS DEATH.

'-- .' i — >' . . .' j ACCIDENT ON BEN NEVIS.

By the mail from England details were received of the circumstances connected with the death of Second -Lieut. Alex. Campbell, second son of Mrs J.J. Craig, of Mountain road, Epsom. The fact was cabled last February that he had been accidentally killed- °n Ben Nevis; -It appears tliat Lieut. Craig, whilst staying Yat Fort William, Scotland, oh demobilisation leave, decided to . make ah ascent of Ben Nevis, accompanied by a comrade. They reached the top safely; and had lunch. On the return journeV Lieut* Craig was crossing a small ice crevice, whicii suddenly" collapsed and precipitated him head first for fully fifty feet. His companion started searching, but life was extinct when he found Lie.nt. Craig. Three days later the funeral took place. An impressive service was held in the parish church, after which the cortege left for the ancient Kilmallic cemetery at Corpaqh. . His brother was chief mourner. There were' also three friends of deceased, about a score of Highland officers. and men, as -well as a number of sympathetic civilians. A band playr ed the "Dead March," and while the casket was being carried by Highland soldiers* to the hearse some 500 yards away, the old church bell tolled a sympathetic note, which re-echoed through the valley and the surrounding snowclad mountains. The cemetery is three miles 'from the parish church. When the body was laid to rest in the grave three volleys were fired over the young soldier, who would have . only reached his 22rid: year next July. The "Last Post'*' i was sounded by a bugler, of the Cameron, Highlanders Regiment. The account of the occurrence ends : "There is an; old, quiet, pretty and historic churchyard, and in the presence of his brothers.^ a number of officers, nurses and soldiers, were laid' the remains of a fipe young New Zealand officer who volunteered to come and ficht for his King, his yiintry, and his freedom."