People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 11 February 1915, Page 41

People We Hear About

A London correspondent informs us that the Rev. Father Tigar, 0.P., well known in the Auckland diocese, where he labored for some time, has been appointed one of the chaplains to the Expeditionary Forces at the front.

Mr. John Swinnerton Phillimore, M.A., Professor of Humanity in Glasgow University, is the fourth son of the late Admiral Phillimore, K.C.8., D.L., being born in 1873. lie had a distinguished career as a student at Westminster School, and later at Christ Church, Oxford. lie was received into the Church in 1905.

The London Tablet 111 its list of Catholic officers killed or wounded at the front, mentions the name of Lieutenant A. C. Montagu, R.N., who went down with the Bulwark. Midshipman Bartlett, who perished in the same catastrophe, was also a Catholic. Among Catholic officers lately killed at I lie front was Lieut. John Denis Shine. Other Catholic names in recent casualty lists arc those of Captain Callaghan, Connaught Rangers ; Lieutenant Harter, Lieutenant Reynolds, Irish Guards ; Lieutenant Grattan-Bellew, Royal Flying Corps, and Lieutenant Maunsell. Recent recipients of the D.S.O. include Lieutenant Vincent Feilding, Captain Charles Vincent Fox, and Lieutenant Kelvin Martin, Royal Engineers. In Sir John French’s despatches, Major John Bulfin, a distinguished Catholic officer, receives repeated mention, Sir John French saying that until wounded ‘ his services continued to be of great value.’

The death is reported of Major-General Sir Luke O’Connor, V.C., C. 8., who was born in Elphin in 1832, and at 16 years of age enlisted in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He became a sergeant in 1850, ensign in 1854, and major-general in 1887. He, served in the Crimea, Indian Mutiny (being present at the relief of Lucknow), and Ashantee. He was one of the centre sergeants at Alma, and advanced between officers carrying the colors. When near a redoubt, Lieutenant Anstruther, who was carrying a color, was mortally wounded and fell ; O’Connor, though shot in the breast, snatched up the color and carried it to the end of the action, though urged to relinquish it and go to the rear on account of his wounds.- For this he received his commission, and the thanks of Sir G. Brown and General Codrington on the field. It was in the Crimean war also that he received the V.C. He retired in 1887 with the rank of Major-General. He was among the first to receive the V.C., and was one of the few holdersof this distinction who have risen from the rank of private to that of general officer.