AN APPRECIATION

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 10

AN APPRECIATION

LATE CHARLES VICTOR LE GALL. (Contributed). One who never turned his back but inarched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph, Held, we fall to rise, Are baffled to fight better, Sleep—to wake. How fittingly applicable these words of Browning are to the late Charles Victor Le Gall, a son of France, only those friends of his know who are now mourning his recent death in Invercargill. A man of many parts, he was of endless resource and versatile adaptability, of dogged determination, as a brief sketch of his life will show. He arrived in New Zealand by the s.s. Marie from Boulogne in 1910 and took a position with Messrs Turnbull and Jones, electrical engineers, in 1911. He could not speak English and surely it is a coveted record that, at that age when the mind is beginning to lose the retentiveness of youth, he began to study this, to him, foreign tongue and in a short time became not only a proficient speaker, but a gifted letterwriter and a great lover of our English classics. He was a student of Latin and spoke Spanish fluently. In his mother tongue, naturally, he was completely and perfectly versed. He was adso very interested in everything musical and was himself the possessor of a fine trained voice. In 1911 he moved to Tarakohe, Golden Bay, as assistant, installing generator and motors in the cement works there. On completion of this installation he was appointed electrician for the works.

In 1915 he came south to Waipori headworks, but after a brief period there he enlisted with the New Zealand forces for service overseas. On the termination of the war he returned to Waipori and from there he later moved to Lake Coleridge power station, Canterbury, from which place he secured the position of foreman switchboard attendant at Monowai, where he remained until illness compelled him to retire. In his chosen occupation he is said to have been brilliant, some of i his accomplishments in marine and electrical engineering being classed as outstandingly remarkable. Educated, by books and travel he had been in China, America and England, apart from countries visited during the war; the world was his playground and he was always eager to glean further knowledge. He was big in the qualifications and attributes that go to make a man—a soldier and a man. He scorned all that was petty, base or mean. He possessed indomitable courage as was proved during his illness—long days of acute suffering passed without a shadow of complaining or gr6uching. He was a loyal friend in trouble; believed m fair play, being a noble character himself, and though always expressing his own definite ideas he never forced his opinion on his fellow men; a man who could ill be spared. Truly, New Zealand might well be proud of her late adopted son. His friends were many and sincere, and their sympathy is extended to his widow and small son, his young mate as his father lovingly called him. The funeral service, which took place in Invercargill, was conducted by the Roman Catholic Church, many R.S.A. members being present to honour their late comrade. As the casket, draped with the colours, was lowered his soldier friends silently filed past dropping in popp'oe—Flcnders popples--•thelr final tributes of admiration and affection. The Last Post was sounded by Sorgoant-Maior E. Huntw-a fitting farewell to a fine soldier and a gentle-