PERSONAL

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14144, 22 July 1916, Page 4

PERSONAL

~l ;_""::.:: iron-: in formation rccfivpd that Trooper R. G. Cooke, rej)orted as having died from wounds, is not the son of Mrs Copke, of Richmond, but another soldier -with the same initials. There ha;.been some confusion as to the identity of the soldier concerned, Taut Mrs Cook© has now received the assurance of the Defence authorities that it is not her son, whose last letter was despatched from Egypt.

Lieutenant E. J. Fawcett of-Tad-mor, is among those reported Avounded in a recent casualty list.

News has been received from London tl'.at Lance-Corporal A. N. Field, son of Mr T. A. H. Field, M.P., who was wounded in the thigh a month ago, is now able to get about on sticks.

Among the latest promotions in ths New Zealand Army are the following: Lieutenants to be captains, 0. H. Mead F. Starnes, L. J. Ford, and H. S. Harley; second-lieutenianjb to be lieutenant, J. B. Le Mottce ; non-commissioned officer to he second-lieutenant, Sergeant F. G, McKee. The promotions date from March Ist, 1916. Captain H. S. N. Robinson (New Zealand Staff Corps) to fee major, from March 21st, 1916. .

Captain v . Starnes, who was in the trenches with Private Hawksworth when., he was shot, has written to Miss' Hawkswcrth, of Nelson, giving details of the occasion. He st'otes that Private Ha-vrkrsworth was shot by a sniper at 4.45 a.m. on May 21st. He was shot in the head, and^never suffered, as he died about a quarter of an hour afterwards without regaining consciousness. Captain Starnes adds: "His death is much regretted by all who knew him, for he was looked upon as a conscientious, reliable, and brave man/ th© like of whom we can ill afford to lose."

The Gisbovne Patriotic Committee, which sent Sister Kerr to Egypt, has received cabled advice that Sister Kerr with Sister Mildred Stephens as assist^ ant, is being sent to Salonika in conr.ection with the Scottish women's unit under Dr. Jessie-Scott.

Private Lauritz Victor King (died of v-mr.cis) wss a son of Mr and Mrs A. V. Kiug, of Oiautou, Mr King holding the position of postmaster there. The late Private King, who was 'bora at Dunedin, left New Zealand with the Seventh Reinforcements. He was employed as a cadet in the Wallace County Council's office, and was a prominent member of the Otautau Foofiball Club.

A student of great promise has laid down his life for his country and the cause of freedom in the person of Lieutenant Athol Hudson.. His mother, Mrs Hudson, of Tapawera, has been adj vised that lie has made the supreme sacrifice. Lieutenant Hudson was for I ■some time a pupil afc Nelson Colleae. jHo entered the ' Waitaki Boys' High j School, Oamaitj, in February, "1908, and ■left it in December, 1911, "after packing ia_ great deal of all-round service into : his •stay," to use the words of the . school magazine. He took a prominent i part in footb&li, swimming, boxing, and track athletics, showing up prominently in all long-distance events. He finished up at Waitaki'l)y taking the duxship. He was sixth on the list of New Zealand Junior Scholars, and made his mark 113 science at Victoria College, "Wellington. In order to enlist with the First Samoan Contingent he broke off his ■ University' course, and on his return from Samoa he joined the Ninth Reinforcements and proceeded to the main theatre of the war. Out of sixty candidates for commissions, he topped the list. He had the satisfaction of sitting for and winning both the B.Sc. degree jand his Senior -Scholarship iv Science prior to his departure from New Zealand. In 1915 he was elected to the New Zealand Rhodes Scholarship for that year.