PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1919, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The latest list of honors awarded New Zoalandcrs on active service includes the name of Lieut Douglas Goodall Cody, M.C. (Mrs D. G Cody, Hawera wife.) Major Corrigan, who commanded t.ha Wellington City and suburbs group for three and a-half years, has resigned, and Capt. W M Bell, who recently returned, succeeds him.—Press Assoc.

Mrs G- Taylor, of Smart road,'received a letter by the last mail from the Chaplain with the Ist B Wellington Regiment giving particulars of her son Leslie's sad death by accident on Dec. 2nd. lie was riding on the trailer behind a big lorry and the roughness of the road threw him off- He was struck by a passing lorry. His head was badly crushed, death being instantaneous. In his eighty-third year, there died on Friday last at Auckland Mr Ranulpli Dacre, a very old resident of Auckland district. Deceased was the second son of the Jate Captain Ranulpli Dacre, who arrived in New Zealand as far back as IS2O, coming in a mission schooner to Whangaroa- Seven years later Captain Dacre returned to Hokianga for spars for the British Admiralty Some years later Captain Daere settled in Auckland, and bought a block of 4000 acres of lani at Omaha. Mr Ranulpli Dacre lived fttfc many years at Oknra. Mr J Sutherland, of Te Kuiti. who had nearly completed his 01st year, died last week Mr Sutherland, who was born at Mount Morven, Caithnesshiriv came to New Zeaiand m ISSG, and resided in Otago for many years .For some time he was in the employ of runholders, and it i* claimed that he was thfi first white man tc take sheep over, what afterwards proved to be, the richest alluvial gold deposit found iu New Zealand. Mr Sutherland's sheep crossed, at the identical place, where, in 1801, (inbriol Reed, the discoverer of Gabriel's Gully, gathered up the gold off the bed of the creek. Mr Sutherland afterwards engaged in farming on his own aceourt. and was very successful. The late Mr Sutherland, who leaves a widow, three sons and seven daughters, was an ardent worker in the Presbyterian Church.

The late Mr Hill (killed at Qhriitcliurch a few days ago in an aeroplane accident) was an Knglish aviator, and prior to his engagement with the Canterbury Company lie was chief instructor at the Hall Flying School, at Hendon, where he had been training pilot* froea the beginning of the war. His releaee from service at Hendon to take up the Xew Zealand appointment was a piece of very good fortune for the Canterbury Company, ns he had the highest testimonials both as an aviator and mechanic, and was strongly recommended by tlie High Commissioner. At Sockburn he had the complete overalftt of all the activities in tho workshoPß and hangars. Air Hill had a brother at ■Hendon, who is also a flying instructor. Mrs Hill, for whom Dominion-wide sympathy will lie felt, came from England with Mr Hill and their little daughter, then just a few months old. Mrs Hill and her little girl had both flown with Mr Hil! over Christchurch. Mr Hill arrived in Christchurch on May 3rd, 191'7, and the first flight at Soeklmrn was made m June The first pupils, however, did not qualify until August 24th, I!H7 Tlip first hundred qualified well within a year, and the school record of pilots at the time of the Armistice was IS2. Mr Hill was undoubtedly the leading pioneer of flight in New Zealand, and lie was the first aviator to carry an aeroplane passenger in the Dominion. His name was well known throughout New Zealand, and his wonderful record with his pupils had done more than anything else to inspire confidence in tlie safety of aeroplaninj*. He was thirty-four years old at the time 'it his death. <