PERSONAL

Temuka Leader, Issue 7674, 22 January 1918, Page 2

PERSONAL

Lieut. Cionel M. Dixon, .who is well known bolli in South, Canterbury and in Auckland, where his wife resides, won the Military Cross in Belgium during- the last week in October. A Koine newspaper has just come to hand in which Lieut. Dixon’s conduct is described us '‘most gallant, daring, and brave.” lie waS commanding Ids • company, which wins suffering greatly owing to a particular machine-gun/) Ho rushed on it, killed the gunners, ' and captured it straight’away. Ilcturning to his company bo led it straight into a bad breach in the lino, whore, but far the cool courage of himself and his -men, there 1 might have been a disastrous break. | On October —1 th last Mr Jj Pol aschok, 0 f 11, Byron street, Sydenham (lute of Teimuka); was advised hv the Minister of Defence that his brother, Private IV. Polasche'x, had been killed in. France on the 13th of that month. Last Wednesday Mr Polaschek received the following letter from LieutI Ivor George . Prichard; “France, 10/11/17. Dear Mr Polaschak-,—l foci 1 must .write to you ,to say how sorry I am for you all on the death of your brother on the 13th of last month. He was in my platoon, and, 'although never too strong; was al- ■ ways the first to do his bit of any work; and, however, tired, would keep going till a job was done. Ho ' went with us right through the 12th safely—the day on which we had, the advance and the casualties. On the Kith he was one oi those who volunteered for stretcher-bearing, and all that day helped to carry his wounded comrades through mud, in places up to his waist. He arrived back, ;to us in the support lino about 5 pan., ' and, having scraped his puttees, was ■ in the act of putting them on a tree to become as dry as possible, when a slid I lauded near him, killing him instantly by the concussion. We could not carny his tody out. so, we buried him in ‘iVo Man's Land,’ now our j territory. Wo all regret deeply the loss of so line a character, whom ' both his comrades and I esteemed, so ! highly. Will vou please accept our deepest sympathy at ' the sad loss.” (The late Private Polaschek, was a native of Temuka, and had many friends here ;who will be glad toi read (ho above tribute to ids worth.) • The golden wedding of Mr and Mrs J. It. Sianseli was celebrated at (heir residence, Lyall Bay, Wellington, last Wednesday. There was a large gathering of relatives and friends present, and telegrams and good wishes ; were received from all over the Dominion. Mrs Shansell, who was then Miss Cecilia Maria Popplewcll, arrived in Lyttelton in Idol in one of the first four ships that brought the early colonists ' to Canterbury. Mr Stansell came to I Lyttelton from the Old Country in 1358, and he and Miss Popplewcltl were married at Geraldine fifty years I ago. For many years, Mr Stanscll had business, interests in Tinvarm Ho has taken an active part in local politics, and Ims, been Mayor of several to 'mis. At one lime ho owned a newspaper in Timaru. He is an enthusiastic bowler, and on his Vdth birthday was presented with a gold bowl by the Lyall Bay Club. Mr Stanscll had p large family of seventeen children, and has also eighteen grandchildren.