Personal

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 245, 16 October 1943, Page 4

Personal

Brigadier A. B. Williams and Colonel H. M. Foster, Commandant, Central Military District, left Wellington yesterday on a tour of the district. Mr. T. H. James was re-elected patron and Mr. P. Evans president at the annual meeting of the Wanganui Rowing Club.

Dr. J. H. Beaumont has left for America to attend a pan-Ameriean ophthalmological congress at Montevideo and do post-graduate work in New York and the Mayo clinic.

Mr. J. D. Tizard has accepted the invitation to sing the tenor solos in the forthcoming rendering of “The Messiah” by combined Wanganui choirs. It is expected that the chorus will comprise 100 voices.

Mr. H. A. Brider, in charge ot the circulation department ot the Herald since 185.3, has retired. He was presented by the staff with a silver cream jug and sugar basin, also a signed address regretting his departure. Tribute to his long and faithful services was voiced by several speakers.

Mr F. H. Brownhill, chairman of the works committee of the Papakura Borough Council, has been appointed deputy-Mayor in place of Mr. D. J. Graham, who has resigned on account of being away from the district on war service. Mr. P. Burgess has been appointed to fill Mr. Graham's place on the council. Mr. F. A. Robins, who has been superintendent of the telegraph office, Christchurch, for the last year, has received advice of his promotion to the position of chief postmaster, Invercargill. Mr. Robins joined the Post and Telegraph Department in Neison in 1906, and has filled the supervisory positions at Ashburton. Oamaru, Christchurch, and Invercargill. He was also superintendent of the telegraph office, Dunedin, in 1937, and inspector ot telegrams in 1941-42. Mr. Robins will take up his new position in December.

The death occurred on Thursday afternooji at the Lewisham Hospital (Wellington), ot Mr. Frederick Roffe, the superintendent and secretary ot the Wellington District Free Ambulance. Mr. Roffe, who was 59 years ot age, had been superintendent of this service since its inception on November 9, 1927, and in the opinion of its founder, Sir Charles Norwood, much of its success has been due to Mr. Roffe’s tireless energy and thoroughness of purpose. He was engaged in ambulance transport work in Australia before coming to New Zealand. It was when Sir Charles Norwood was visiting the Commonwealth that he first came into touch with Mr. Roffe, and decided that he was the man to initiate such a service in Wellington. It was in 1927 that he went to Wellington, where he soon made ffis presence felt both as organiser and executive head of the Free Ambulance service. He was a serving brother of the Order, of St. John, a member of the Sir Charles Fergusson Lodge (Masonic), and a member of the Victoria Bowling Club. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and one daughter.