PERSONAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16037, 23 January 1918, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Bombardier J. C. Sumner, who has keen invalided to the Dominion, is expected to reach Wellington on February 2. He is classified as unfit for service for six months.

The Christchurch Sun s states that H. L. Lucena (formerly of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School) obtained his first-class ticket for flying at the, Canterbury Aviation School at Sockburn last week. Major Morrison was the examining officer. A London cable states that Captain Eric Crofts, late medical student in Dunedin, who was engaged to marry Miss Iris Jardine, daughter of Mr. Ernest M P., fractured his skull on the eve of hie wedding by falling down the staircase in a hotel. He died in the Charing Cross Hospital. He wore the Military Cross, and had been twice wounded. The latest casualty list contains the names of the following Taranaki men; — Wounded, admitted to~ hospital: W. Rosewarne (J. RoSewarne, Whangamoraona, mother), F. Castlo (0. L. Castle, Manaia, wife). In the hospital and progress report the following names appear:—Severe cases: D. Hannan (Whangamoraona), A. Hay (New Plymouth). Not severe cases: Lieut. N. 6. Sutherland, C. W. Goodwin (Midhirst), and J. P. O’Sullivan (Opunake). Mr. J. C. Tennant, who has been on the staff of the Bank of New South Wales since April, 1865, and for the past few years manager ,at Invercargill, retires next month. His successor will probably arrive early in .February, and Mr. Tennant hopes to be finally relieved before the end of that month ; Ho joined the staff of the bank at Nelson, and in all probability will settle thereto enjoy a well-earned rest. Three of Mr. Tennant’s sons have been or are serving with the British Army, two of them having seen service in East Africa as well as on the Western front.

The principal of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School, Mr. W. H. Moyes, received a telegram on Tuesday advising that H. H. Goss, one of tho pupils at tho school, has gained » staff cadets’ scholarship at theMioval Military Gollege* Duntroon, Australia. Ten scholarships ar6 offered annually for New Zealand and last year about one hundred candidates entered for the examination. The course at Duntroon extends over four years and on. completion of training at the college, at the age of 20 or. 22 years, the cadets join tho New Zealand Staff Corps with the rank of lieutenant. Goss’s elder brother-;' Lieut, L. G. Goss, who is now serving with the Expeditionary Forces, has been through Duntroon College, he also entering from tho New Plymouth High School. ./ A well-known citizen of Wellington in tho pex-son of Mr. John Black passed away at Miramar on Saturday afternoon, after a protracted illness. For many years deceased was Controller of Stores in the Post and Telegraph Department, and his many friends heard with regret the sad news of his death. He was a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, and went to sea when a boy. .In 1864 he-joined the General Government Telegraph Con-* struction Party at Dunedin, and for four years was in charge of constructing -parties in the South Island, being subsequently transferred to the North Island, where, among other works, he completed the line from AVanganui to Hawera, Patea ancl Qpunake. For several years after that he was paymaster and telegraphist at Hawera, afterwards constructing the line from Hawera to New Plymouth. " In 1878 he was appointed Controller of Stores at Wellington, which position he held until his retirement on superannuation dn June, 1909.