6/2192 Private Thomas Stanley (8/10/1889-7/8/1915) and 528 Private George Hewish (28/2/1892-8/8/1915) Logan. ""

Mr J. Logan has received word that his son, G. H. Logan, is now convalescent; but he has no information as to his son's whereabouts.  -Timaru Herald, 17/6/1915.

The parents of Private G. H. Logan, of Timaru, who was in Australia when war broke out and joined the Australian Force, have received a post-card from him dated Alexandria, May 12, in which he says: —“Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well. I get three feeds a day and a good bed to sleep in, to say nothing of a cup of cocoa at 8.30 at night. I hope to be discharged soon and sent back to the Front. I have a lot to make up. My head is better now, and I am quite fit to go back, but they don’t seem to think so. We can’t go outside the grounds. I am beginning to think I am a prisoner. There are a lot of us slightly wounded, fit to go back. It was bad luck for a man to stop one the first day. But better luck next time.’’ Mr John Logan has two other sons on the way to the Front with the Fourth Reinforcements.  -Timaru Herald, 2/7/1915.

Private Thomas Stanley Logan, 24 years of age, was the third son of Mr John Logan, coal dealer, resident in Wilson Street. He was a native of Timaru. He had been employed at Radcliffe's furniture factory, but at the time of enlisting he was residing in the North Island, and joined the Fourth Reinforcements. Mr Logan has two other sons serving at the Front, one of them with the Australians.  -Timaru Herald, 28/8/1915.

Thomas Logan.

Mr John Logan, Wilson Street, was informed yesterday that his son, private G. H. Logan, second Australian Battalion, was wounded a second time between 7th and 14th August.  -Timaru Herald, 8/9/1915.

A Court of Enquiry eventually found that George Logan was last seen at Lone Pine, having been struck in the stomach by a bullet.

Statement from 534 Sergeant C. MADDIGAN, B Coy, 2nd Bn, 23 February 1916: 'Logan was killed in the charge at Lone Pine on 6.8.15. He was struck in the stomach by a bullet. Witness was present and actually saw him. He was pretty bad and could not speak. He lay down on the ground and witness did not see him after that.'

Timaru Cemetery.

7/18 Sergeant Stanley Joseph Bowker, (31/1/1896-21/8/1915). "an exceptionally fine type"

Sergeant S. J. Bowker.

Mrs C. Bowker, of "The Pines," College road, Timaru, has received advice that her son, Sergeant Stanley Bowker, had been killed at the Dardanelles. The late Sergeant Bowker was an exceptionally fine type of young man. He was born in Timaru and was 22 years of age. He was educated at the Timaru Main and High Schools, after which he went to Lincoln College, having decided to follow agricultural and pastoral pursuits. On leaving the College, he accepted an engagement with Mr John Withell, working first on the latter's Otipua and Ealing properties, and when the war broke out he was in charge of Mr Withell's Wairoa Estate, Hawke's Bay. Prior to going to the North Island he had been a member of the South Canterbury Mounted Rifles, in which body he held the rank of corporal, When the war broke out he lost no time in informing his employer that he considered his place was at the front, though he had no personal desire to go apart from the desire to do his duty. He accordingly came down to Timaru and joined his old regiment, leaving Timaru as a corporal, but subsequently gaining promotion to the rank of sergeant. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 21st. In his last letter to his mother he wrote: "If this war is to be over quickly, we must have more men. The more men we get, and the quicker we get them, the sooner will it be over,"  -North Otago Times, 16/9/1915.

An artillery bombardment had been promised, but at the last moment it was decided that the Anzac guns should assist the Suvla Bay attack. Punctually on time, 3.30 p.m., the men jumped from the trenches and raced down the hill. Casualties were numerous till comparative shelter was reached in the bottom of the dere. Then came the climb up the other side, a moment to gather breath, and the rush for the enemy trench 200 yards to the front. It was simply a ease of get there, and during the last part of this rush most of the casualties occurred. Major Hutton was wounded, and Major Hurst of the 1st Squadron took command. The Turks in the trench were killed, and a machine gun was captured and immediately turned upon the Turks by the two Harper brothers of the Machine Gun Section. Though the Australians managed to cross the ravine, they could not reach the enemy trenches; and on our left, despite the fact that the New Army troops had seized the Kabak well with a splendid charge and captured the long trench on the eastern side of the hill in their first rush, they failed to hold the ground they had won. The Canterbury Regiment with the Otagos were now holding about 120 yards of enemy trench with both flanks in the air, and with no means of communication across the exposed valley. Both regiments had lost over 60 per cent. of their number in the space of a quarter of an hour. With the depleted numbers it was impossible to go any further, and orders were received from General Russell that the trenches gained were to be consolidated and held. At dusk the enemy fire slackened, and the Regiment was able to get into touch with the Indian Brigade who were holding the captured wells on the flat.  -Official History of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.

The assault on Hill 60 in August, 1915, was the last assault in the August Offensive at Gallipoli.  Its failure saw the end of offensive operations and the arrival of heavy trench mortars from Germany, which could not be countered by the flatter trajectory of naval shelling, was the beginning of the end on the Peninsula.

13/2001 Major Adam George Mahan, (20/7/1879-4/10/1917). "promoted in the field"

Captain Mahan, who is leaving for the Front with the Auckland Mounted Rifles (Sixth Reinforcements) is an old Timaru boy, and a brother of Mr Mahon, stock agent, Timaru. Captain Mahan was very well known in this district, being for many years in the employ of Messrs Ballantyne and Co., which firm he left for a position with the Canterbury Farmers' Association at Oamaru. He subsequently removed to Auckland from which centre he joined the Forces.  -Timaru Herald, 17/6/1915.

MARRIAGES.

MAHAN — AIKENHEAD. — August 10, at Wellington, by the Rev J. Kennedy Elliott, Captain Adam George Mahan (6th Reinforcements), to Isabel, youngest daughter of the late Andrew Aikenhead, of Oamaru.  -Lyttelton Times, 30/9/1915.

Advice was received at Oamaru yesterday that Captain Mahan was admitted to the stationary hospital at Boulonge on March 4th. The case has not yet been diagnosed. This is the third time for Captain Mahan to be wounded.  -North Otago Times, 14/3/1917.

The leading companies of 1/Auckland, the 15th and 16th, had a bitter fight for Winzig. The garrison of this strong point were very brave men, and fought with desperate courage. It had been impossible to hide from them the preparations for attack. All night their machine-guns had been active, and as the Aucklanders closed in upon them they rattled in burst after burst of destructive fire. Men went down fast. "Come on, you fellows, follow me!" cried Lieutenant White, as he rushed straight on to the enemy guns. He fell, riddled with bullets. Major Mahan and Captain Parry were killed. But now the flanks, meeting with little opposition, had got round to the side and rear of the German post. Corporal Speakman brought his Lewis gun into play. Lieutenant Lang and his platoon were within bombing range. Captain Coates sent forward men of the 3rd Company to reinforce. The Germans commenced to lose heavily, and their numbers were thinned. From all sides the Aucklanders closed in. Hinchco, Brewer, and many another did gallantly. They rushed in, and Winzig fell.  -Official History of the Auckland Infantry Regiment.

At last night's meeting of the Oamaru Borough Council, on the motion of his Worship the Mayor, seconded by Councillor J. Mitchell, a motion of sympathy with Councillor Mahan, in the loss of his brother, Major A. G. Mahan, news of whose death in action in France had been received yesterday, was passed in the customary manner. Councillor Mahan was also asked to convey the sympathy of the council to the widow of the late Major Mahan,  -North Otago Times, 13/10/1917.

PERSONAL NOTES.

Major Adam George Mahan, of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, whose death in action on October 4 is announced, was a native of Temuka, and was thirty-seven years of age. For a number of years he was in the employment of Messrs Ballantyne and Co., and later joined the firm of Messrs Millen and Choice, Auckland. As a private Major Mahan took part in the South African War and was promoted to sergeant, during the campaign. He left New Zealand with the Eighth Reinforcements with the rank of captain, and was promoted in the field. Major Mahan’s father was an old identity of Canterbury, and was for many years employed in the teaching profession in South Canterbury. Major Malian leaves a widow, who resides at Oamaru.   -Lyttelton Times, 15/10/1917.

Timaru Cemetery.

Charles Frederick Melton, (1869-13/7/1906). "any sort of innocent fun"

SUDDEN DEATH

A telephone message from Cricklewood to Timaru yesterday morning conveyed the tidings of the sudden death of Mr Charles Frederick Melton. The deceased, a man of 37 years, and apparently in perfect health, was out shooting with his nephew Dr Gunn and Mr McBeath. They were walking some distance apart in pursuit of hares, and his companions noticed that Mr Melton had sat down. For a time they supposed he had done so to light his pipe, but hearing him groan they went to him and found him unconscious. Dr Cooke was sent for from Fairlie, and meantime efforts were made to restore consciousness, but in vain, and Mr Melton was dead before Dr Cooke arrived. Deceased was the youngest son of the late Mr John Melton, an early settler in Timaru, and a brother of Mr John Melton, a well known officer of the Timaru Post Office, but now in the Dunedin office, and Mrs Wm. Gunn is a sister of the deceased. He was master of a dredge in the Cardrona district, and the dredges there having to cease work on account of the frosty weather, he had come up to Timaru for a few days of his enforced holiday, while his wife went to her friends at Winton, and was there confined of her third child a few days ago. The cause of death is supposed to be heart disease, but the case is unusual, as the deceased had never been ill in his life, and appeared to be a strong and healthy man. Deceased was familiarly known in Timaru years ago as "Tat" Melton, and his friends of those days will remember him as a young man of particularly cheerful disposition and fond of any sort of innocent fun. An inquest will be held at Cricklewood this morning.  -Timaru Herald, 14/7/1906.

An inquest on the body of the late Mr Charles Frederick Melton was held on Saturday morning at Cricklewood before Mr R. L. Banks, J.P., and the following jury: - S. Kidd, D. O'Connor, D. Hosie, J. Bain, A. Kennedy, and D. McKay. The verdict was in accordance with Dr Cook's certificate that death was due to heart disease.   -Timaru Herald, 16/7/1906.

Timaru Cemetery.

40362 Private Donald (26/10/1896-1/10/1918) and 89128 Private James (21/7/1875-8/10/1918) Purdie. "sincere sympathy"

Mrs. J. Purdie, Waitara, has received the sad news that her son, Private Donald Purdie, has been killed in action in France. This is the second blow which Mrs. Purdie has received within a few days, as it was only last week that another of her sons (Private J. Purdie) died in camp in New Zealand. The sincere sympathy of everybody will be extended to this mother in her loss. Private Donald Purdie, whose age was 22 years, resided at Mahoenui prior to leaving with' the 22nd Reinforcements.  -Taranaki Herald, 14/10/1918.

Within a week Mrs. J. Purdie, of Waitara, has lost her two soldier sons. Private J. Purdie died in camp in New Zealand a few days ago and Private Donald Purdie was subsequently killed in action.  -Evening Post, 17/10/1918.

Donald Purdie was serving with the Auckland Infantry Regiment in its attack on the approaches to the French town of Cambrai and was killed in the heavy fighting there. James Purdie died in the camp hospital at Featherston of cerebro-spinal meningitis.

Waitara Cemetery.

39833 Private Arthur Ruben Lehndorf, (26/9/1895-4/10/1917). "particularly popular"

 

The Wairarapa Caledonian Society has decided that the send-off to Messrs Arthur Lehndorf and Arthur Robins, two members of the Pipe Band who have enlisted and who are leaving with the 23rd Reinforcements, shall take place on Monday, 13th inst., all details to be left in the hands of Messrs B. R. Rayner and J. B. McKenzie.  -Wairarapa Daily Times, 4/11/1916.

Arthur Lehndorf was killed in the Battle of Gravenstaefl, a hard-fought slogging match against a prepared and entrenched enemy.

Private Arthur Lehndorf, born July 19, 1895, was the youngest sou of Mr A. Lehndorf, the county overseer. He enlisted in Masterton, and went away with the second part of the 23rd reinforcements. Arthur was a particularly popular, bright fellow, and very well known here, having remained in Woodville almost up to the time of his enlistment.  -Woodville Examiner, 19/10/1917.

On Wednesday three more families were plunged in grief by the receipt of sad news from the front. Privates Thomas Power and Arthur Lehndorf have been reported killed in action, an also Private Chas. McClymont. All were educated at the Woodville school. Pte. Lehndorf is but 22 years of age, and left with the 23rd Reinforcements.  -Manawatu Times, 19/10/1917.

Waitara Cemetery.

Margaret Beck, (1851-7/5/1875). "oil of almonds"

 Clyde, May 8. 

Mrs Beck, wife of Mr C. P. Beck, of this place, poisoned herself yesterday afternoon with oil of almonds. At the inquest today, a verdict of temporary insanity was returned.  -Evening Star, 8/5/1875.

On Friday last, a painful sensation was experienced in Cromwell owing to a rumour that Mrs Beck, wife of a respected resident of Clyde, had died very suddenly. Later, the correctness of the assertion was confirmed, and with the confirmation came the statement that the deceased had met her death by poison. At an inquest held on Saturday, it was found that Mrs Beck had died from the effects of essential oil of almonds, taken while in a state of temporary insanity. The deceased lady was widely known and held in much esteem, and her sad and untimely end is deeply regretted.  -Cromwell Argus, 12/5/1875.

It is with deep regret that I have to record the death of the wife of Mr. Beck, of this place, through taking some oil of almonds. An enquiry was held before W. L. Simpson, Esq., the Coroner, when a verdict of temporary insanity was returned. Great sympathy is felt for bereaved friends. At the funeral on Sunday about 150 persons attended. The service was read by the Rev. Father Walsh. -Mount Ida Chronicle, 15/5/1875.

Clyde Cemetery.