< Previous14 T H E R I F L E M A N June, 1943. (2) That shooting should take a more practical aspect. I suggest that while by all means continue classes of competitions to cater for the expert, make the majority of your future competitions dependent on more practical skill. So enlarge your carton to enable highest possible scores to be made with these cheap rifles. Your experts can still enter these competitions with their super-accurate weapons, but they will ^ore no more if they put all their shots through an eight inch hole in the centre than the man with the cheap rifle who spatters his hits all round a half inch carton. (3) Consider the introduction of four position shooting—lying, sitting, kneeling, and standing. Introduce snapshooting targets, more breakable targets, and where there are TOO yards ranges, perhaps realistic fire with movement embracing realistic hunting targets, out lined silhouettes of small game, etc., would not be beyond the bounds of possibility. (4) Make the sport attractive to other members of the shooters' family. We are honoured today by having Dr. Edith Summerskill with us, but f would like to say with all due deference that it is the weaker sex or the fair sex, our family, who have in the past been a deterrent to us " boys," shall we call ourselves, attending the local rifle club, because madam wants to play tennis or take the children for a walk. Any place where there is a rifle range it is generally dusty and dirty and is considered no place for ladies. Perhaps by some method we may be able to change that viewpoint in the future. (5) Let us make a survey of all existing ranges and the possibility of their alteration to accommodate four position shooting. (6) Make a survey of all the new ranges that have been built for the war period, particularly those that have been built or are being built for use by the Home Guard! For instance, there is a full bore range at SCO yards being built in Richmond Park. Is that going to b e c l o s e d d o w n a f t e r t h e W a r ? C a n w e o b t a i n t h e v i e w s o f t h e authorities concerned as to the possibility of these ranges being kept open after the war and take them over and run them by the S.M.R.C. in conjunction with the N.R.A. (7) To get down to hard facts with regard to the cost of shooting and availability of localities of rifle ranges and the cost of transport t o a n d f r o m s a m e . (8) To consider the amalgamation of the S.M.R.C. and N.R.A. into one parent organisation. If you like call it " The National Rifle Shooting Association of the British Empire." (9) To consider the possibility of setting up a similar liaison between this national body and ordnance such as they have in the U . S . A . . n a m e l y, a D i r e c t o r o f C i v i l i a n M a r k s m a n s h i p . I f s u c h a position was in existence today, there would be your answer to what would be possible to arrange with regard to the availability of all these thousands of five dollar rifles about which 1 have spoken. Also the r e l e a s e o f t h e h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f s m a l l a r m s a m m u n i t i o n • 'of all calibres. (10) Consider the embracing of all other shooting bodies and weapons fom air rifles, revolvers, automatic pistols and shot guns. (11) When all the above has been set down on paper and factual information obtained, the evidence of what will be possible to offer to the man in the street can be drawn up as the policy of approach or shall we call it the Sales Promotion of selling the idea to the man in the street to take up rifle shooting. It must be remembered in this connection that it is possible that the leisure time of the community will be increased and therefore expenditure on leisure time will increase too. Those sports which pay dividends in health, amusement and relaxation, their following is in direct relation where the competitive spirit is existing of possible achievement, because there is ample evidence that no one indulges in a sport for-long at which he is a dutter or in which all the humble go to the expert few or those with the longest pockets. Therefore it will not be the question of the shotgun competing with the revolver enthusiast, or again the full bore rifleman with the smallbore rifle clubs, but with all the other sports which in the past have been more active with their sales promotion and adver tising to the public—tennis, cricket, dog racing, etc.. etc. Has not rifle shooting, as I fear, by hiding its light under a bushel in the past, enabled these other sports to get the hog-bite of the domestic budget of the man in the street ? There are two glaring examples of which there has been ample evidence, namely the success of ice skating and horse riding. Neither of the.se sports can be classed as cheap in r e l a t i o n t o o t h e r s , b u t t h e y s u c c e e d e d i n d r a w i n g a v e r y l a r g e patronage and following because of their advertising. You may say—what has rifle shooting to offer. It has much to offer, A manufacture of small bore weapons in America based the theme of his advertising, for instance, on obtaining the support of psychologists and eminent physicians who openly recommend the sport of rifle shooting as one of the few sports that because of its very nature enable the tired and worried individual to indulge in complete mental relaxation. It is rather like golf in this respect ; if you and 1 take the eye off the ball for the moment and think of something you forgot to attend to in the office the previous day, the result is calamity. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not intending to stiggest that we take our eye off the ball with regard to pursuing energetically and effectively the present job of work we have to do—to keep our eyes on the ball to see this War through, but 1 do feel we should know what we are going to do with our clubs and rifles and ammutiition in the immediate postwar period so as to ensure that all shooting movements in this country go ahead.- These are only headings, Mr. Chairman, that 1 have put forward today, and, of course, there is much detail involved in them, but 1 do suggest they are all within the bounds of possibility. 1 would stress that 1 consider that this parent body should be directive. They have ample evidence and opinions at their headquarters and without any further going back to the secretaries or the committees or the County Associations or rifle clubs, I believe a committee could be set up, with, if you like, representatives from the trades, the police, the Youth Movements and so on, and the railway authorities, to get down to this question here and now as to vvhat can be done not only during the war but especially in the after war period. The Chairman: That address gives us a lot of good stuff to con sider and you may be quite sure it will be considered, but the trouble is this :—As I wrote in The N.R.A. Journal " If the democratic system of voluntary service is continued, without any system which carries with it a state aided or State managed scheme whereby youth is taught to shoot, then we are back to where we were in 1914 and 1939. If any form of National service is instituted, then the problem takes a new angle and it may be much easier for the N-fv-A. and the S.M.R.C. to exist in a lesser degree of difficulty. So jar as rifles and ammunition are concerned, there will be hundreds of thousands of S..M.L.E. which will be out of date and there will aLo be No. 4 rifles, and that would rather meet your second point about catering for shooters who would be content with' a rifle which would be very cheap but not so accurate. You can be quite certain that we vvill miss no opportunity of bettering conditions of rifle shooting so far as .22 are concerned. Mr. Polden: 1 frankly think that again the question is being approached from the wrong view point. You py, sir, that you are- in touch with the authorities with regard to training. In other words, you hope there will be something like they have in Switzerland, where every man is given 100 rounds to fire in the course of the year and every man of military age hangs his own rifle over his drawing room door, but, sir, that is not the position we are faced with at the moment. Let us face the facts. We have no such support; vye have no such subsidy; so let us plan in accordance with the position as it 'S. I suggest there are plenty of business brains that could go into this question as a business proposition. Tennis and horse riding did not wait for subsidies. The average intelligent healthy boy would lilce to shoot with a rifle. There are thousands of them who go through the preparatory schools. They shoot in the St. Patrick Shield. When boys leave public schools they are not approached by the parent bodies. Could you not collect their names and write to the boys telling them where their local club is. Here is one suggestion, for instance. You are getting at the moment a lot of new entries from the youth movement for your competitions. Suppose you make it necessary for the entry to come back with the bcjy's name and address and age on it ? You are beginning to start a mailing list ot new blood. You know from the boys" age whether he has one or two years' actual schooling in front of him. Could you send him a leaflet on rifle shooting and how he would bo welcomed at the local club and suggest that he gets into touch with the local secretary, so he can carry on rifle shooting during the holiday period and auer he leaves school. All these points should get directive from the S.M.R.C. or the N.R.A., and again 1 would like to ask the direct question: Is there anything in the way of our having one body with a unified purpose instead of two as at the present moment. • These are points 1 would suggest should be definitely and seriously considered. The Chairman: 1 think you know quite well there is such a thing as paper control, and it is very difficult to get paper for any purpose, but we are in touch with the three growing youth movements, and I think myself we are making as much progress as we can be expected to under existing circumstances. As to having one body, we went into that question some time ago, and the e.xecutive decided it was not possible, practicable or desirable for the S.M.R.C. and N.R.A. to amalgamate. 1 do not want you to think we are sitting back waiting for something to happen; we are thinking about the future well being of the Society and its members all the time, but the war is the rather dominating feature of the public mind. Whenever the opportunity arises you may be quite certain we shall not lose any chance whatever. We have a lot of good friends everywhere—but 1 do not think there is much we can do at the present time e.xcept to prepare schemes ready WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK15 to meet various circumstances. That, 1 understand, is what the N.R.A. has done, and we can only do the same in our own way. The position in 1918 is not the position now. At that time all rifle clubs were practically extinct. We have almost as many clubs now as in the boom, so present circumstances are not comparable with what they were in 1918. Of course, one has to realise the dangers you have pointed out, but 1 am certain the authorities have the highest opinion of the work we are doing and will render all the assistance they can. I think we should all go forward together and then we will get .22 rifle shooting on a basis never before seen in this country ; of that I am convinced. Capt. W. Drew: There is one point I should like to see explored. ; As we have Dr. Summerskill with us it may be opportune to mention I it, and that is authority to local authorities from the Government ! to build rifle ranges at the public expense. It has been a bee in my ; bonnet for many years. 1 was a councillor for a number of years, i and whenever I raised this question 1 was told: " You cannot spend | money on a rifle range; call it a tennis court or anything else and you can ask for a loan, but not for a rifle range." Is it possible to do any thing to make it competent for local authorities to finance the building of rifle ranges, municipal or otherwise ? The Chairman: 1 think that is a very good idea, but there is a prejudice against rifle ranges. A bullet may perhaps kill one person and they want the range closed. 5,000 people a year are killed on the , roads, but you never hear a threat to close the Great West Road. ' The question of rifle ranges is wrapped up in what is to be the type | of defence of the country. The Government has to justify its e.x- penditure (it has a lot of expense at the moment), and I do not think it would be justified in financing ranges just now, however much they are needed. Mr. Cecil Mack: Mr. Chairman, when I came into this room I was asked to propose a formal vote of thanks to the Chairman, but 1 decline to do anything of the kind. 1 am going to ask you all ! to join me in giving a very hearty vote of thanks to our Chairman, who, as you know, is chairman of the Council of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs. Since Sir Lionel Fletcher has been in the chair the Society has been through some anxious times. Soon after the Hun dropped his card on our offices in Blackfriars Lane and demolished the whole place we had an Executive Committee meeting, and one of the questions asked by a member, ; and a very proper question, was " What are we going to do now ? Are we going to suspend operations for the remainder of the war ?, All our records have gone. Shall we shut up or shall we continue ?" I think that was a right and proper question. It was decided that we should go ahead, and if those sufficiently interested will compare the state of this Society as it was at that time, or even at the beginning of the war, and the state of affairs as shown in the balance sheet and report which appears in this moiith's Rifleman, you will, I think, consider that we were well justified in deciding to carry on. If I had been chairman of this Society during that time 1 should think I had done wonderfully well. No doubt some of the credit is due to the Council and Executive Committee, of which I happefi to be an insignificant member. We keep Sir Lionel in order and he tries to keep us, in order ! Anyhow, we are fortunate in having Sir Lionel Fletcher as chairman. He is a- very busy man; he holds the commission of Lieut.-Colonel in the Royal Marines. What his duties are 1 have not the foggiest notion, but 1 know he runs about the country a great deal. A few days ago 1 read he had been elected chairman of the London Board of an Australian Bank, and I have no doubt he has other interests of which 1 know nothmg. He is a very busy man, but he finds time to give us a great deal of attention, and under his chairmanship, as 1 said before, this Society has prospered and is prospering.' Some of the suggestions" which were made by our friencT here have already been considered by him, and I know perfectly well that i t h e o t h e r s w i l l b e c o n s i d e r e d a n d t h a t w e s h a l l b e n e fi t f r o m t h e t i m e and attention which Sir Lionel Fletcher, assisted by the Committee, will give them. 1 now ask you, madam and gentlemen, to join with me in passing not a formal vote of thanks, but a hearty vote of thanks for the way in which our Chairman has presided over this meeting and for the time and attention he has given to the affairs of this Society during the past year. He succeeds some very good men in the list of names of people who have been chairman, one being our very good friend and president, Lt.-General Sir Alfred Codrington, to whom this Society is much indebted. Sir Alfred Codrington is now advanced in years, but he still takes a keen interest in the affairs of the Society, and when we want, may I say, " a little something that the others hven't got," or when we want a little assistance we always find Sir Alfred Codrington willing to do anything he can to help this Society. Many years ago he told me that he had two chief interests in life—the Coldstream Guards and the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs. However. I am not here to talk about Sir Alfred Codrington, but to propose a vote of thanks to our chairman. I have much pleasure in doing so and perhaps Dr. Edith Summerskill would kindly second the motion which I have proposed. Dr. Edith Summerskill, M.P.: 1 have great pleasure in seconding this vote of thanks. I believe that this is the first occasion on which a woman has attended one of your annual meetings, and it is quite obvious to me that I ha\e caused some embarrassment to some of the speakers, but I hope in time you will become accustomed to the presence of what I regard as the complementary sex—not the weaker sex and not necessarily the fair sex, but let us say " complementary sex because woman is complementary to man. I think the fact that you have asked me to support this resolution is significant of the change that has come about in the relationship between men and women during this war. I very much regret that I was a few minutes late and that I did not ha"/e the opportunity of hearing the very kind remarks which you made concerning myself and the Women s Home Defence. 1 want to thank you for them and 1 want to thank Mr. Pethard for the great help he has given to Women;s Home Defence during this year. Women's Home Defence came into being at the time when it was felt that invasion was a practical possibility: indeed, it still is, but you will agree with me that there was a time when we felt invasion was imminent, and certain women got together with a view to remedying the ridiculous state of affairs that if invasion came to the country the men were prepared and the womeii completely unprepared, and we know that statistics prove that women are indeed the tougher sex. (Laughter.) We felt that was an anomalous position, so Women's Home Defence was formed and it arose from the demand of women to prepare themselves. We did not ask for arms because we are practical and we knew they would not be forthcoming: we simply asked that women should learn to shoot. We formed our own Association on free and easy lines and it has proved very successful. Of course, we could not have done anything unless there was a Society such as yours ready to help us, and in this connection I do want to pav a tribute to Mr. Pethard,who has been a tower of strength to us; our organising secretary is always telephoning Mr. Pethard about rifles, ranges or ammunition, and I do want to thank him for the help he has given us. Women's Home Defence now comprises something like 30,000 'women. We have rifle ranges up and down the country; we have now a first-class rifle range in Bond Street, and we are very proud that the War Office comes to us and asks for the loan of it. so virtually we are in the position of teaching the War Office how to shoot. Mr. Chairman. L onlv want to say this. You reminded us that the Society was founded by Lord Roberts. You will remember that Lord Roberts called upon the country for a citizens' army in order they might defend their rights and privileges. When Lord Roberts called upon the country for a citizens' army women had not obtained full citizenship. It was after that that women obtained full citizenship and today, having obtained full citizenship, we are also willing to shoulder full responsibility. We always anticipated that we should eventually be merged with the Home Guard, and yesterday we got our foot in the door—we were accepted for certain non- combatant duties wjfh the Home Guard. 1 know it is a fact that women are already "in the Home Guard doing signalling, cooking and so on, but 1 hope the day will come when the Government will realise that women should be used as a part of a comprehensive citizen army. (Applause.) The resolution was carried with acclamation. The Chairman: Thank you very much, Mr. Mack and Dr. Summerskill. I am sure we are greatly indebted to you for what you have said. I would like to stress the work which has been done by the staff more than anything else. Mr. Pethard and the staff have had a very difficult job, but they have carried on their duties in a way that is beyond all praise. So fiir as 1 am concerned the first and only ticket I have ever fired in a .22 conipetition was in the year 1893, when L was second in the Morris Tube Competition, but it does not follow that 1 am out of touch with the movement now. There is no doubt about it, we can have some influence in the national defence of this country, and if we go about it the right way and ask for the things which we think the movement should have, we shall get them in reason and you can all rest assured that the Executive coin- mittee will leave no stone unturned to bring that about. Once more 1 thank you. It is nice to feel that you recpgnise what the Executive Committee has done and as their spokesman on this occasion 1 am sure they are just as grateful as I am. There is just one other matter 1 would like to mention. It is with respect to the S.M.R.C. Home Guard competition, won, as you know, by the No. 15 Platoon D Coy., 71st West Riding Bn.; the Executive Coriimittee considered it essential that 1 should attend WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK16 June, 1943. the presentation of the prizes at Staincross near Doncaster, on Sunday, 18th instant, not only to supplement written congratulations sent by our President, but to mark the importance attached to the com petition by the Society, which had promoted it. The battalion paraded in great strength, with its Cadets and its excellent band: it was minutely inspected by the Commander West Riding District, Major-General J. P. Shears; it then marched past, proceeding direct to the Rock Cinema, where the presentation took place. Prior to this Major-General Shears, in a crystal clear address, impressed upon all present the extreme value of accurate rifle fire, only possible by constant and intensive training. He attached the greatest importance to this competition and to the incentive given to accurate rifie shooting by it not only in his command, but throughout the Home Guard. Then 1 had the opportunity of making a few remarks, in the course of which I al.'uded to the sporting side of the rifle movement, the interest all could get out of it after the war, mentioned the S.M.R.C, Central Meeting at Bisley, the N.R.A. Bisley Meeting and the fact that service in H.G. was in fact a qualification to shoot for H,M. the King's Prize. One could not fail to be immensely impressed by the determined spirit of all present on parade, the cadets were just wonderful, j I can only say that the journey was well worth while, all arrange ments made for me were perfect, and T especially wish to thank | Colonel L, Hallam, Group Commander, and Lt.-Col. G. L, Sims, O.C. 71st Staincross Bn., for their kindness throughout. Jn conclusion, may I say that Major R. W, Gleadow, well-known to you all as a member of the Council, had intended to be present, but not having been well for some time, decided it would be wiser not to come. But I had a long talk with Mr. Lay wood in Doncaster, when much ground was covered. The proceedings then terminated. B o o k R e v i e w Borne Guard Pocket Book, by Brig.-Gen. A. F. U. Green, C.M.G,, D.S.O., p.s.c.. Is. net. Obtainable from the publisher. Major J. W. Whitlock (for Sussex H.G.), West Dean Park, Chichester," o r f r o m t h e b o o k s t a l l s . This is a hardy perennial and every year more hardy. It was originally published in 1940, when comprehensive instructions to the Home Guard on all aspects of their duties were scarce, and though it has been reprinted seven times with little amendment and the second e d i t i o n i s s i x m o n t h s o l d , i t s t i l l h o l d s t h e fi e l d a s t h e H o m e G u a r d vade-mecum, which covers in pocket size most of the subjects which a Home Guard ought to know-and understand. This edition contains new features dealing with administrative matters, such as organisation, co-operation with other services, and the conditions for feeding and compensation for loss of earnings on "Muster," and the next edition should bring up to date much information on the status, duties and financial aspects of Home Guard j service which are embodied in all the Army Council Instructions and handbooks to which the rank and file do not have easy access. Much '■ of this book has appeared in The Rifleman and, on the other hand, some i of General Green's contributions to The Rifleman find their way into : s u c c e . s s i v e r e p r i n t s o f t h e b o o k . | The author has had many years' experience of army training and administration, and since the birth of the Home Guard he has ; specialised on firearms, weapon training and ammunition which had p r e v i o u s l y b e e n h i s h o b b i e s . ' The Home Guard Pocket Book has for long been on our Recom mended List and also approved by more official authority. For those riflemen who have not read it we would quote one impartial reviewer — out of many equally favourable—who gave an opinion to this effect ;—" I had a surprise on receiving a copy of this book, and, learning that only some twenty thousand had been sold, I understand that there arc somewhere about two million Home Guards, and I would have supposed that there would have been at least a million copies in circulation." The author's forecast of the ultimate duty of j the H.G. in shouldering the principal burdens of the land defences of ; these Islands to free the regularsfor invasion, was written in September, 1940, and might claim to have anticipated by three years the Prime Minister's broadcast to the H.G. on their third birthday. It may be added that though this book is a contribution to the serious study of Home Guard problems and duties, it is written in clear and readable language and—so different to the usual run of manuals and text-books—it is very entertaining. . Any profits from the sales will go to Home Guard funds. W o m e n ' s H o m e D e f e n c e (Continued from page 10.) There are now urgent demands for lost nurses and midwives, for home helpers, and, it appears, for Home Guards, There are, at the same time, many older women able and willing to devote all or part of their time to these services who complain that they are apparently unwanted. Man-power has been allocated by a Cabinet Committee according to priority needs. Women-power should now be subject to a similar consideration, W . H . D , I N T E R N A T I O N A L . 2 2 R I F L E M A T C H , The ten-a-side match between teams representing S c o t t i s h W o m e n ' s H o m e D e f e n c e a n d E n g l i s h W o m e n ' s Home Defence resulted in a win for Scotland by 12 points. In the Scottish side were six Edinburgh members and four members from Stirling. For a ten-a-side their average of over 95 was very good. The English team was drawn from t e n d i f f e r e n t u n i t s . T h e s c o r e s : — Scottish Women.—Mrs. Thomlinson (Edinburgh), 100 ; Mrs. C. A. Crossland (Stirling). 98 ; Miss Dodds (Edinburgh), 98 : Miss Spence (Edinburgh), 97 ; Miss English (Edinburgh), 96 ; Sister Findlay (Stirling), 95 ; Mrs. A. B. McKenzic (Stirling). 94 ; Miss Maclew (Edinburgh), 94 ; Miss Peace (Edinburgh), 94 : Miss J. Weir (Stirling), 88—total, 954. English Women—Miss O. V. Gainher (Kerne Hill), 99 ; Mrs. M. Simmonds- (Aylesbury), 99 ; Miss M. M. Wilson (Worsley), 98 ; Mrs. Starke-Page (Watford),. 98 ; Miss S. T. Atkinson (Liverpool), 98 ; Mrs. J. Carpenter (Bristol). 97 ; Miss Sargent (London). 93 ; Miss Massey (Lincoln), 91 ; Miss Geernaert (Colchester), 88 ; Mrs. Martin (Lincoln), 81—total 942. A happy gesture was the sending of a telegram by Mr. W. W. Birrell, London, who organised the English team,, to the organiser of the Scottish team. It read;—"Greetings,. Captain McKenzie, 2, Forrest Road, Stirling, The English team congratulates the Scottish team on its victory. A n o t h e r B a n n o c k b u r n . B i r r e l l . " H O M E G U A R D ROCKET BOOK SECOND EDITION by Brig.-Gen, A. F. U, GREEN, C,M,G., D,S,0., p.s.c. This book, which has enabled thousands of members of the Home Guard to obtain the high state of proficiency recognised as necessary in this force, has been completely revised by the author in the light of all modern developments, OVER 26,000- SOLD' ORDER YOUR COPY NOW Price ONE SHILLING—postage extra O b t a i n a b l e f r o m a l l B o o k s e l l e r s o r d i r e c t f r o m Major J. W. WHITLOCK Z O N E D E M O N S T R A T I O N U N I T S U S S E X H O M E G U A R D WEST DEAN PARK. CHICHESTER WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKJune, 1943.T H E R I F L E M A N 17 S.M.R.C. Home Guard Competition PRESENTATION OF THE MACKWORTH PRAED CHALLENGE CUP ' I "*HE presentation of the Mackworth-Praed Cup, a I handsome trophy given as the premier award in the Home Guard .22 rifle shooting competition to the winning team. No. 15 Platoon " D " Coy., 71st Batt. West Riding (Staincross Group) Home Guard, was made the occasion of a ceremonial parade on Sunday morning, 18th April. The full battalion were inspected on Shafton football field by Major-General P. J. Shears (Commander, West Riding District), who afterwards t o o k t h e s a l u t e i n f r o n t o f t h e C u d w o r t h H o t e l a n d presented the cup in the Rock Cinema, Cudworth. Officers, N.C.O.s and men of the Companies and Cadets made a very effective turn-out, the esprit de corps of the youngsters being particularly noticeable. Staincross 71st Batt. Home Gua'rd band, with soldierly qualities as well as good musicians, played. It is worthy of note that not one of the winning team was a member of any rifle club before joining the Home Guard, and they trained outside drill hours with ammunition they bought themselves. Accompanying Major-General Shears at the inspection and afterwards on the stage were Col. A. C. Hughes (G.S.O. 1, West Riding District), Col. L. A. A. Alston, D.S.O., M.C. (Commander Sheffield Sub-Area), Col. F. A. Neill, D.L., C.B.E., D.S.O. (Hallamshire Sector Commander), Col. L. Hallam, J.P. (Staincross Group Commander), Lt.-Col. M. H. Young (Assistant Group Comjnander), Lt.-Col. G. L. Simmons (Commanding 71st Batt.), Lt.-Col.,H. S. Jackson, D.S.O. (Commanding 70th Batt.), Lt.-Col. J. B. Hall (Commanding 72nd Batt.), Lt.-Col. Sir Lionel Fletcher, G.B.E., R.M. (Chairman of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs). Lt.-Col. Simmons, who presided at the presentation, read a telegram from Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Eastwood, D.S.O., M.C. (G.O.C., Northern Command), conveying hearty congratulations and a congratulatory messaae from Lieut.-General Sir A. E. Codrington. G.C.V.O.. K.C.B. (president Society of Miniature^Riffe Clubs). ' Lt-Col. Simmons said he hoped the success of the team would be an incentive to the whole battalion to perfect their use of weapons. VALUE OF WEAPON TRAINING Major-General Shears said he was grateful to have been invited to share in doing honour to the team of No. 15 Platoon "D" Company, 7Ist Battalion. It was one of his happiest moments when he was informed that team had won the competition. Durina all his service he had been very keen on weapon training. He had considerable exp>erience as an instructor at a small arms school and that had always kept him keyed up. ' To me, being an infantryman," he continued. " the rifle has been and always will be the premier weapon. Our training has one object, to be successful in battle. All battles consist of two things only—fire and movement. For movement to be possible against a well-armed enemy you must first make the best use of. the ground, and secondly the supporting or covering fire rnust be well directed and truly aimed. " If you happen to be defending, the enemy is moving; if your fire is .not well aimed it is a waste of ammunition and will not stop the enemy's movement. Therefore the enemy can advance right up to your position and conse quently you will lose the battle. It therefore proves success in battle depends on accurate shooting, and no matter how well organised you may be, how good your communications are, and how good the administration, is, all that is valueless if all ranks are not absolutely efficient in the use of their personal weapons. ^ Major-General P. ). SHEARS, C o m m a n d e r W e s t R i d i n g D i s t r i c t , p r e s e n t s t o L i e u t . H . ' I . L i n d l e y ( c a p t . ) t h e Mackworth Praed Cup. With M a j o r - G e n e r a l S h e a r s i s L t . - Col. G. Simmons. O.C. 7ist Batt. Photo, Sheffield Newspapers Ltd, WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK18 June, 1943. NO SHOR T CUT T O EFFICIENCY " How are we going to get efficiency ? There are two things necessary. First the will and determination of everybody to attain to an efficient standard, and secondly by sound, hard and progressive training. There is no short cut to efficiency. It is not one of those things we can leave to chance and delude ourselves by saying ' it will be all right on the day.' Unless the determination is there and that determination is backed up by sound training all will not be well on the day. '■ The fact that the winning team scored 987 points out of 1,000 was not the result of any fluke. It could only be the result of many hours of patient training, of first- class instruction, ^nd the fullest co-operation of every member of the team. Everybody concerned is worthy of the very highest praise. Your team has set a standard of rifle shooting for this district, and my hope is everyone in this district will reach that standard or, at least, have a jolly good shot at it. What one man can do another can do, and it is within the capabilities of all to reach that high standard. It requires two things: one the deter mination and the other training. It is the duty of every Company throughout the Home Guard to train sufficiently to be capable of being first-class instructors." HANDLING OF ARMS Continuing, he said the object of the Home Guard was to defend this country in the event of invasion. " If the enemy ever does try to invade," he added, "we must make it a point of honour that any German who lands in this country will never leave it again. Every bullet fired by the Home Guard has got to kill a German, and that can only be done by training. Training gives knowledge. Knowledge that you are efficient gives confidence, and confidence born of that knowledge spells victory. 1 think your team winning this competition as it has proves my statement. To win the competition against 2,335 other Jeams is a great feat and one which every member of the team can feel justly proud of." After congratulating the winners Major-General Shears complimented the battalion on their appearance and steadiness. He thanked them for the loyal and cheerful way they always accepted the orders and directions regard- mg the Home Guard, and he assured them all the hard work they had put into their training and the fact that they had sacrificed a great deal of leisure time to do it was fully and highly appreciated. WINNING TEAM ■ handed the cup to the captain, Lieut. H. I. Lindley, and a small replica of the trophy to each member of the team. Here follows each man's name, civilian occu pation, and his score in the competition :—Lieut H I Lindley, works clerk, 99; Sergeant 1. Sanderson, colliery winding engineman, 100; Cpl. H. Hoult, miner, 100" Pte A. E. Milner, miner, 98; L.-cpl. L. Lockwood, miner, 97; L.-cpI. W. Hill, miner, 97; Sgt. S. Middleton, engineering draughtsman, 97; Sgt. A. Pearson, miner, 97; L-cpl J Alderson, colliery washer-hand, 97; Pte. T. Bedford plumber's labourer, 96. A small cup as a memento was also presented to the reserve man, Pte. G. Skidmore, this having been subscribed for by members of the team. . Lt.-Col. Sir Lionel Fletcher, R.M., said the first 50 teams averaged over 90 per cent points. The Staincross team took second place in the first round, an indication of their consistent shooting. (His full report follows the A.G.M.). Col. Neill and Col. Hallam added their congratulations on a history-making achievement in the Staincross area. The story behind the winning .of the Mackworth Praed Cup, premier award in the all-Britain Home Guard .22 rifle shooting competition, by a Staincross platoon was revealed at the presentation of the trophy. The winners—No. 15 Platoon "D" Company, 71st (Staincross) Battalion, W.R. Home Guard—shot against 2,336 other teams, and in the second and final stage made a score of 978 out of a possible 1,000. Not one of these men had ever had a rifle in his hands before joining the Home Guard, and they trained outside drill hours with ammunition they bought themselves. Then, on the eve of the " shoot," Corporal H. Hoult was working in the pit when four bones were broken in one of his hands. He refused to give up his place in the Major-Gcneral P. ). SHEARS_ Commander West Riding Bn . D i s t r i c t , i n s p e c t s 7 1 s t B n . ( S t a i n c r o s s ) W . R . H o m e Guard prior to presenting the Mackworth Praed Cup. won b y 1 5 t h P l a t o o n " D " C o m p a n y i n t h e A U - B r i t a i n HomeGuard .22 rifle shooting competition. With the General are Lt.-Col. G. Simmons, O.C. 7Ist Bn. and Colonel L. Hallam, S t a i n c r o s s G r o u p C o m mander , with Lt.-Col. Sir Lionel Fletcher, C.B.E., R.M. Chairman of the S.M.R.C. (extreme left). Photo, Sheffield Ne//s}3opcrs Ltd WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKJune, 1943. the rifleman 19 team and scored the full 100 in the event. The reserve man, Pte. G. Skidmore, thus narrowly missed a chance to shoot, but every other member of the team subscribed to buy him a small cup as a memento of the occasion. Colonel L. Hallam, whose spare time is divided mainlv between public work on the West Riding County Council and commanding the Staincross Home Guard Group, recalled to us an exciting incident in the history of the Home Guard's forerunners—the Volunteers of the Napoleonic Wars. On 15th August, 1805; somebody fired some straw after thrashing. The blaze was seen by the keeper of Woolley Beacon, who mistook it for the Pontefract Beacon and fired his. This signal of Bonaparte having landed ran into Scotland, where Sir Walter Scott placed himself at the head of the Selkirk Volunteers. It was three days before the mistake was discovered In the meantime the Staincross Volunteers had marched to Ferrybridge; Sheffield Cavalry had reported at Doncaster and the Volunteer forces from Rotherham and Ecclesfield marched to a rendezvous at Pontefract. The magnificent turn-out so impressed the authorities that each Volunteer received two golden guineas from a grateful Government. "RECTIFORM" SHOOTING SPECTACLES ESPECIALL Y DESIGNED FOR T ARGET SHOOTING. Optically worked lenses in White or Chromes coloured glass, contoured to give distinct vision at all angles with an unobstructed line of vision Mounted in incorrodible metal frames. From £1.15-0 according to needs. We specialise in testing tin eyesight for sl*ooting and recommend HOME GUARDS TO CALL FOR ADVICE. Write for leaflet S.H. of Shooting Spectacles. L E N S A T T A C H M E N T F O R . 2 2 E Y E P I E C E FEATURES—Urge eyecup cutting out all side light and fitting orbit of eye comfortably . CpN Provision for correcting white, or tinted lens, easy to clean, with no danger of change in position. "Chromos" coloured glass is recommended as designed especially for shooting in bright light. Container for own 6-hole eyepiece, j^eured by screw-ring P r i c e o f a t t a c h m e n t o n l y . . . . J 5 / - ( P o s t 3 d . ) Price with piano Chromos lens .. .. 19/- (Post 6d.) Correcting lens extra according to the Prescription 6-Hole eyepiece if needed .. S/S O B T A I N A B L E F R O M T H E S J V f . R . C . J. H. STEWARD LTD., 406, Strand, London, W.C2 Official Opticians to the Naiional Rifle Association E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 5 2 T E M P L E B A R 1 8 0 7 Disappearing Target Device A device used by a Hampshire Home Guard Unit for desUner^'lfeur^T' T effective, and the gs r S-Ju. ■ S--S but that an old motor tube or rubber pad also helps, be of target can be fitted and the back b?ard can be painted to contrast with the colours of the target or to merge, according to training requirements of targets can be set up in front of an ■ c o S i . - " " " " " The essential dimensions of the apparatus are ~ " A " Base (approx.) 2ft. 6in. X 9in. X lin. " B " Lower Arm (approx.) ^ Jft. X 2in. X-|in." C " Upper Arm (approx.) 2ft. X 2in. X |in. D " Target Arm (Backed with 3-ply) " E" Stop Block (approx.) 3in. X 2in. x 5in. " F S t i ff W i r e L i n k . " G " String to firing point. HI and H2 " Hinges. " J "Strip Motor Tubing (to p u l l t a r g e t d o w n ) . t a s o c t X u V (A coil spring could be »tNC'£ substituted.) -C STfdt The method adopted in Lieut. Tappenden's Unit is for tfiree men to form in " arrow-head " formation about 100 yards from the targets, each man having five rounds in his pocket. They are then given the order "Advance," with rilies at the cant and at the 80 yards point they are given Under fire " when they go down, crawl, observe and load. The targets are then exposed and the men fire one round. Again they are given "Advance," and this is repeated every 10 to 15 yards until their five rounds are expended. They then examine rifles before proceeding to the targets to learn the result of their practice. I'or safety no rifle is loaded when on the move. Long Service Awards Specially designed and engraved Badges are awarded by the S.M.R.C. taries with a minimum of five years service. Additional bars for subsequent periods of five years are issued. Owing to supply limitations the Badges are being awarded and service be issued when available. Afiiliated Unit. Embankment Cummersdale We s t R i d i n g C o n s t a b u l a r y M e t . P o l i c e B D i v i s i o n Dunfermline f L e e d s P o s t O f fi c e R . C . ) I L e e d s a n d D i s t r i c t R . A . ) " Additional service bars have been awarded as follows :— E . ^ h o l e s C o u n t y o f L a n c a s t e r A s s o c i a t i o n R. C. Smith Hartlepool R.C. C . G . P . H a i n e s S w a n s e a R . C . Name. J. E. Lister J. Ryan P,/Sgt. W. Patterson P/c. H. Burden •J. W . Wilson G. B. E. Burnell to secre- b a r s w i l l Y e a r s o f Service 5 5 5 10 5 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK20 T H E R I F L E M A N June, 1943. Home Guard Miscellany Major-General Viscount Bridgeman's Comprehensive Statement COMMANDOS are not Home Guards and Home Guards are not Commandos," said Major- . Gen. Viscount Bridgeman, Director-General at a recent conference. Speaking of references he had seen to " Commando training " for Home Guards, he said ; " I would like to make it quite clear that Commandos train for certain special duties which the Home Guard does not share with • them." Questioned regarding elderly Home Guards being asked to do battle drill, he said ; " Battle drill was not introduced as universal. It is for units which might have to deal with parachutists, and should be undertaken by younger people. Common sense should be the guiding prineiple, and the local commandos should not assign such roles to people who were not fitted for them." PROFICIENCY BADGES On the question of which came first, Home Guard duty or production he said : " The solution is one of compro mise and common sense, for the Home Guard is a dual personality. The Home Guard is not asked to take on any extra commitment unless the War Office is convinced that there is no one else to do the job. " Home Guard training definitely helps a man when called up for the Army. A proficient member starts his Amy career many weeks ahead of a raw recruit. Pro ficiency certificates are to be issued to men gaining pro ficiency badges, and these will be accepted by Army authorities as indication of the standard of training obtained. " Home Guard officers with proficiency certificates will be passed to O.C.T.U.'s without having to go through the full period of training usually required. Officers and men of the H.G. enter the Army on the same footing with equal chances of promotion. " U N N E C E S S A R Y P A R A D E S " " The parades of May 16 are not an indication that the authorities intend Jo alter the general poliey about cere monial parades," he said. " We shall continue to stamp on all unnecessary parades which come to our notice." During the past year, he said, there had been improved co-operation with the Civil Defence services, which would increase during the coming year. But no one would be called upon to exceed the maximum of 48 hours in four weeks. " The Home Guard cannot however be used for civil defence if the local military commander considers that such use would be detrimental to military requirements," he added. " One man will not be called upon to do two jobs if there are two to do them." " L I K E N O R T H A F R I C A " The main operational role of the Home Guard, he said, remains the aggressive defence of their towns and villages' Certain of the defences which may be held by the Home Guard would resemble the defensive positions held in North Africa when things were going badly or in France in 1940, r athe r tha n the tre n ch war far e of the las t war. Regular officers appointed as adjutants would take a c o u r s e i n w h i c h t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e Regular Army and the Home Guard would be explained. About five thousand five hundred regular soldiers have been allocated to the H.G. for training and administrative work. There are now three G.H.Q. schools, 26 travelling wings, and one town fighting wing. " Great progress has been made in forming H.G. A.A. units. Batteries in London and the provinces have been in action with very good results," he added. ".Over 100 motor transport companies have been formed, and the Home Guard now possess more than 9,000 W.D. vehicles. Wireless sets are being issued to improve H.G. commu nication systems." W O M E N A N D T H E H . G . " He also spoke of women nominated for service with the Home Guard. " They will not be enrolled in the Home Guard," he said. " Their names will be placed on a list by the Home Guard commander whose unit they would be helping. There will be no uniform, but only a badge of service. There is no question of forming women auxiliaries into a special corps. They will work as individual volunteers and may remain members of any women's voluntary organisations." Problems of the Home Guard TRAINING IN RURAL AREAS. F r o m A C o r r e s p o n d e n t , i n T h e Ti m e s . The Home Guard has passed through many vicissitudes since the call to arms was sent out in the dark days of the Battle of France. Then the problem to be solved was not man-power but the arming and equipping of the 1,500,000 men who had hastened to join the Local Defence Volunteers. This great army was formed without any ad hoc organisa tion or staff. Its administration was carried out by com manding officers of areas and units. In those early days, arms, ammunition, bombs, equipment, and denim clothing arrived at battalion H.Q. at all times of the day and night. Toil and good will gi-adually reduced chaos to order, but the historian of the Home Guard will observe that the L.D.V., like Kipling's ship, " found itself." In August 1940, the name was changed to the Home Guard ; a paid administrative assistant was allowed to each battalion with a strength exceeding 800. Thanks to the Territorial Asso ciations, understaffed though'they often were, clothing and equipment began to reach units in large quantities. It was the distribution which emphasized the difference between the problems that confront the commanding o f fi c e r s o f u r b a n a n d r u r a l H o m e G u a r d b a t t a l i o n s . I n towns it presents no serious difficulty. Many of the widely seattered country battalions cover a broad stretch of country with six or more companies. Most battalion c o m m a n d e r s h a v e t o f i n d t h e i r o w n t r a n s p o r t — n o e a s y matter in war-time—for the delivery of stores. And the WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKJune, 1943. T H E R I F X E M A N 21 contrast between town and country units extends into the fields of training and administration. USE OF DRILL HALLS. Most urban battalions have the use of drill halls with their invaluable miniature ranges. Tramcars and omni- buses rnake it easy for rnen to get to and from parades. The drill halls also provide centres of meeting and com radeship. In the country suitable halls for parades in winter are hard to find, and there are hardly any indoor miniature ranges. Many men have to cycle from three to five miles to drills and parades and then home again during the black-out. In many villages there is no electric lighting and instruction by cinema is thus ruled out. Storage provides another serious difficulty. Common to all battalions is the spate of correspon dence. As an old soldier once remarked, " The curse of the Army used to be drink ; now it is ink." Orders have been issued that correspondence should be reduced to a minimum, but there are no obvious signs of an improve ment yet. Military commanders are the worst offenders with constant requests for returns of strength, dispositions and map references—which they., usually have received already. The weight of this work bears heavily on batta lion commanders, but they have a staff to help them. On company and platoon commanders most of whom have their days fully occupied with their civilian tasks, the burden is overwhelming. In 1941 the administrative assistants were superseded by adjutant-quartermasters, and a permanent staff instructor was allotted to each battalion. To improve efficiency a larger trained staff is required. The adjutant should be free to assist his commanding officer in training, and a quartermaster or administrative assistant should be added to each battalion headquarters. A regular n.c.o.. should be attached to each company in a scattered batta lion, since the battalion permanent staff instructor cannot possibly do the work. N.C.O. INSTRUCTORS These n.c.o.'s should be highly qualified instructors. Now that great physical fitness is required of the mobile lorces, there is a large nucleus of n.c.o.'s who are not* up to the high standard of physique required by the field army, but are quite suitable for training the Home Guard. Indoor miniature ranges should be provided. Command pools, of instructors in the new weapons should be formed since many n.c.o.'s in the Home Guards fuTi! schools. Finally, might it be suggested that the directorate would be well advised to attach to their staff m London Home Guard officers who have served m town and country battalions. In spite of the difficulties outlined above, the Home Guard has found its feet. Most of the slackers have been or are being eliminated. New problems will arise. The atest call-up will dimmish numbers. Substitutes will have to be found for the specialists who will be lost and their rapid training is essential. All ranks realise the importance of their task. They dislike propaganda but reve m good sound training ; they take their work seriously and know what they may be up against. Here then is a citizen army m being, eager to learn how to fight. This human material deserves the best instruction and no effort should be spared to provide this. TRADE 1 MARKS RSA < € The Day will come . . . While at present the whole of our skill and resources are devoted to work of national importance, the day will come—soon, we hope- when all the experience, develop ment and improved ideas gained in the present cause will be placed at the service of the Club Rifleman." B.S.A. GUNS LTD., Birmingham. 11 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK22 T H E R I F L E M A N Colonial Matches, 1942 These postal matches for teams of eight shooting with .22 rifles over ranges of 25 yards, and each team representing some one Colony of the British Empire, have continued to maintain the invisible but none the less precious link between our people overseas. Despite the grave difficulties of the Empire a year ago it will be seen that no fewer than • 12 Colonies entered the Aperture Sight Section and 11 Colonies for the Open Sight Section. That we did not receive back six sets of cards from the former and six sets from the latter excites one's imagination as to what happened to those cards as they had to run the gauntlet of the U boats both going and returning. Whilst some may have been sent to the bottom there are two alternatives, either of which might account for their iion-return, the first being the lack of .22 ammunition in certain Colonies and the other being that the personnel were so busy on defence work that they could not assemble a representative team. Whatever the cause the fact that the numbers above-mentioned did enter and thus intended to shoot in this sporting event must be regarded as typical of the Empire spirit to "carry on " in any circumstances. Kenya, with a record score of 1580 out of 1600, has won the 1942 Colonial Miniature Range Shoots Competition for Aperture Sights, and British Guiana are the victors in the Open Sights section with a score of 1433. Both Colonies are heartily congratulated upon their respective successes. The results were announced on Wednesday, 9th June, in London by the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, and accepted by the B.B.C. for All Empire broadcasts. Trinidad, with a score of 1573, were second to Kenya.T In 1941 they'were the winners with a score of 1579, which equalled the previous record made by Jamaica in 1939. T h e c h i e f i n d i v i d u a l h o n o u r s o f t h e m a t c h w e n t t o a m e m b e r o f the Kenya winning team, Mr. H. C. Condon,''who''scored a double possible of 200 out of 200, to earn the warm congratulations of us all. The results fully detailed are given below, together with lists of the Colonies who have entered the respective matches since the inception of the Aperture Sight match in 1932. The comparative scores of that,section are given from the year 1937, as that year the conditions changed from teams of ten to teams of eight persons. A P E R T U R E S I G H T S E C T I O N Teams of eight, 20 shots each competitor, 10 each at two S.M.R.C. Match cards. J. Kenya (the challenge cup and eight silver medals) (record score) .. 1580 2. H. J. Condon . . 100 100 J. A. Orchardson 99 100 K . O . S a n d s . . 1 0 0 9 9 A . A . B l o w e r s . . 9 8 1 0 0 Trinidad (eight bronze medals) P. L . A g o s t i n i , . 9 9 1 0 0 A. Nuttall .. 100 99 J. Cambridge .. 98 100 C . T . O . S p r i n g e r 9 8 1 0 0 3. Jamaica 4. Basutoland 5. Bcchuanaland 6. Barbados 200 199 199 198 199 199 198 198 R. Congreve J. O. Neil W. W. Simpson . J . R . C . D a v i s , 99 98 98 96 99 99 99 96 198 197 197 192 T. B . L a u g h l i n . . 9 1 9 8 1 9 5 G. C. Mardall .. 98 97 195 W. W a r r e n . . 9 6 9 9 1 9 5 C. Camps.. .. 94 100 194 1573 1569 1548 1529 1478 N o c a r d s r e c e i v e d f r o m C e y l o n , U g a n d a , t h e G a m b i a , B a h a m a s , S i e r r a L e o n e and St. Helena. SUMMAR Y OF RESUL TS, 1937-42, inclusive. Aperture Sights. 19371938 193919401941 1942 P. S .P. S .P. S .P. S .P. S .P. S . F a l k l a n d I s l a n d s . . 4 1 5 5 43 1 5 6 3t4 1 5 4 7tt Tr i n i d a d6 1 5 5 05 1 5 5 83 1 5 7 0 2 1 5 6 6 i 1579 2 1 5 7 3 Kenya1 1 5 7 62 1 5 6 84 1 5 5 9tt1 1 5 8 0 Fiji 2 1 5 5 96 1 5 4 6 2 1 5 7 7 ttt Ceylon 11 1 5 0 59 1 5 3 4«5 1 5 4 45 1 5 4 5* Barbados 5 1 5 5 211 1 5 2 4 t 7 1 5 1 8 6 1 4 7 8 Jamaica3 1 5 5 64 1 5 5 91 1 5 7 9 1 1567 2 1 5 7 33 1 5 6 9 Bahamas13 134515 14197 1 4 6 26 1 4 3 99 1 4 7 1« Nyasaland .. 10 15176 1 5 4 6tt tt F e d e r a t e d M a l a y S t a t e s . .* t t t . i - t G i b r a l t a r . . ** t t t Basutoland ..+10 15265 1 5 5 83 1 5 5 94 1 5 4 94 1 5 4 8 Singapore ..t 8 1 5 3 6* t * t Bcchuanaland * t ' «t8 1 5 0 15 1 5 2 9 Sudan + t ■ t t t t Bermuda7 1 5 4 71 1 5 7 0* t 3 1 5 5 8t Gold Coast 8 1 5 3 0** tt t Hong-Kong 9 1 5 1 9 t t«6 1 5 3 4t S t r a i t s S e t t l e m e n t s 12 1502 t1-t .t Northern Rhodesia 14 13-34 12 1506 t ttt Gambiat 16 13836 1 4 8 7 * 10 1428* St. Kitfs, B.W .I.t 13 1496 , t t tt Palestinet 14 1464 t +t t Uganda tt + ^ t +* Sierra Leone t t +t - - • t * St. Helena tttt. t To t a l e n t r i e s 17 18 14 ~SIT 12 D i d n o t r e t u r n c a r d s . P P l a c e . S S c o r e . t D i d n o t e n t e r T h i s c o m p e t i t i o n w a s instituted in 1932, when the team was composed of 10 competitors. .. O P E N S I G H T S S E C T I O N • Teams of eight, 20 shots each competitor, 10 each at two S.M.R.C. Tin-Hat cards. British Guiana (eight silver medals) R . R i d l e y . . ■ 9 6 9 5 1 9 1 T. I b b o t t . . 9 5 9 5 1 9 0 G. Sandiford .. 93 93 186 L. B. Thompson.. 90 90 180 Jamaica (eight bronze medals) W. B. Sangster .. 92 94 H. A. Hins-Cheong 88 K. Ridley .. ' ..91 F. D ' A g r e l l a . . 8 4 A. 1. Zitman .. BO 179 178 165 164 B. Machado 90 94 186 184 L. E. Messado .. Cpl. O. K. Cham b e r s . . N. A. Douce K. D. DcCasseres 90 86 176 1433 1418 171 171 164 1412 1359 1286 C.H.Grace .. 91 92 183 C . G . M o r r i s . . 8 9 9 4 1 8 3 3. Bcchuanaland 4. St. Helena 5. St. V incent No cards received from Dominica, Ceylon, Uganda, Barbados, Trinidad and Sierra Leone. . . . SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 1938-42 inclusive.' Open Sights. 1938 : 1939 1940 1941 P. s . P. S . I P. s . p . s . British Guiana Bermuda Gold Coast Kenya Barbados Nyasaland Northern Rhodesia Gambia Ta n g a n y i k a Buchuanaland St. V incent Gibraltar Tr i n i d a d L o c a l F o r c e Penang (S.S.) .. Kedah (Malaya) Jamaica Aden Ceylon . . Dominica Hong Kong Seychelles Falkland Islands Mauritius St. Helena Uganda Sierra Leone .. To t a l e n t r i e s I 1416 1406 1379 1375 1346 1340 131 1 1277 2 1 3 7 5 5 1 3 0 9 1391 1372 1369 1002 1405 1373 1054 1378 1223 1321 » 1333 1434 1378 1418 1347 1942 P. S . 11 1433 1412 1286 1418 1359 • Did not return cards. ' P Place. S Score. + Did not enter. ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR 1943 MATCHES IN BOTH SECTIONS Browne Martin Competition (London Area). Teams of four, 20 shots each competitor, 10 each at two cards. Postal conditions. _ FOUR TH ROUND. Ham and Petersham A 797 beat Hcston and Hounslow A 787. Embankment 792 beat West Ham and District A 791. FIFTH ROUND. Ham and Petersham A 798 beat Hamiltons A 791. Alexandra Palace A 794 beat Hendon and Cricklcwood A /8b. Ham and Petersham B 793 beat Embankment 787. Lyons 790 beat Hamiltons B 782. SEMI-FINALS H a m a n d P e t e r s h a m A Gilbert .. .. 100 99 S. Batten .. . . 100 99 L . S a u n d e r s . . 1 0 0 9 8 Stemp .. .. 99 99 T. G o w . . L. E. Greenaway Mrs. Greenaway J. A. W right . 1. 794 beat Ham and Petersham B 199 A. Batten 199 W . J. Peach .. 198 H. J. Donovan 198 A. Neville Lyons 792 beat Alexandra Palace A 790. 100 100 200 G. A. Blumson 99 99 198 F . Huckle 98 99 197 F . MacRae 98 99 197 P . Knight FINAL. A (the cup and four silver mcda^ls)^ V. G i l b e r t E. Stemp R. L. Saunders L y o n s ( f o u r b r o n z e m e d a l s ) ■ ■ T. G o w . . . . ■ • ■ • ■ • ' * n - j Q Q L . G r e e n a w a y n , M r s . G r e e n a w a y V ^ J.W right S.M.R.C. witness of both finalists: Mr. G. Pethard, 787. 100 100 200 100 97 98 97 97 98 197 195 195 100 99 199 100 99 199 100 98 198 97 97 194 H a m a n d P e t e r s h a m E. S. Batten V. G i l b e r t 100 100 100 99 200 200 200 9 198 196 193 193 M.B.E. 799 780 WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKJune, 1943. \ T H E R I F L E M A N 23 The S.M.R.C. Junior Training Corps Small-Bore Rifle Match, 1943 I n a i d o f t h e C o m f o r t s F u n d f o r W o m e n a n d C h i l d r e n o f S o v i e t R u s s i a . (50% of the Entrance Fees will go to the fund.) T o b e s h o t a t e i t h e r 1 5 , 2 0 o r 2 5 y a r d s . P r o p o r t i o n a t e c a r d s s e n t . 1 s t p r i z e - 8 S i l v e r G . C . M e d a l s . 2 n d p r i z e - 8 S i l v e r M e d a l s , 8 medals will also be awarded to the contingent that makes the highest score of those whose strength is under 100. Those contingents who come in this category must state so on their entry forms. No team may take two s e t s o f m e d a l s . Open to teams of eight from any Unit of the Junior Training Corps. Members of the A.T.C. may be included. 10 shots each competitor. Each competitor must be under 19 years of age on the first day of the Michaelmas term. The competition will be fired at either 15, 20 or 25 yards. Units may enter as many teams as they wish ; but no competitor may shoot for more than one team. TWO ST AGES. The competition will be shot in two stages. The best five teams in the first stage will shoot a set of cards in the second stage under the supervision of special Witnesses appointed by the S.M.R.C. The conditions will be the same as in the first stage. CONDITIONS. Distance.— Either 15, 20 or 25 yards.The Captain, Adjutant and each member of a team must be serving in the Unit for which they shoot. S p e c i a l " T i n T a r g e t . — C a r d s s u p p l i e d b y S . M . R . C . The 15 yards card has 10 targets and one shot should be fired at each. The 20 and 2 5 yards cards have five targets on each and two shots should be fired on each target. Cards for practice may be obtained from the S.M.R.C. as per price list. Entries must be forwarded to, and cards for practice may be obtained from. The Secretary, Society ol Miniature RlQe Clubs, " Mayleigh," Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey. Rifle.—A Government issue, any metallic sights, windgauges allowed ; sandbags or any other support not allowed. Telescopic sights not allowed. Slings may be used. Coaching and spotting allowed. A m m u n i t i o n a n d N u m b e r o f R o u n d s p e r M a n . — A n y b r a n d of Government issue .22 Rim Fire Ammunition; 10 rounds each competitor, at an S.M.R.C. "Tin Plat " Target card. ' E n t r i e s c l o s e 1 s t O c t o b e r , 1 9 4 3 . E n t r a n c e F e e 1 0 / - p e r T e a m . Position .—-Prone. Time.—All the cards of a team must be shot on one day and on the same range after the cards are received. The last day for shooting is Saturday, 30th October, 1943. C e r t i f i c a t e . — A c e r t i f i c a t e t h a t a l l m e m b e r s o f t h e t e a m a r e p r o p e r l y q u a l i fi e d a n d t h a t r i fl e s a n d a m m u n i t i o n c o n f o r m t o instruction above must be signed by 0.0. Unit and forwarded with targets to S.M.R.C. Supervision.—^The shooting must be supervised by an officer of the J.T.C., who will sign the cards to certify that all conditions have been observed. R e t u r n o f C . ^ r d s . — C a r d s m u s t b e d e s o a t c h c d t o r e a c h Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, at above address bj- Tuesday, 2nd November, 1943. Junior Summer Competition, 1943 i n a i d o f t h e C o m f o r t s F u n d f o r W o m e n a n d C h i l d r e n o f S o v i e t R u s s i a ( 5 0 % o f t h e E n t r a n c e F e e s w i l l g o t o t h e F u n d . ) ' To ' t h e w i n n i n g t e a m i n t h e M a j o r S e c t i o n ; To t h e - w i n n i n g t e a m i n t h e M i n o r S e c t i o n : T H E M R S . E . B . C A I R O C H A L L E N G E C U P " T H E H A R V E Y H A D D E N " C H A L L E N G E T R O P H Y, N o . 2 The following prizes will be awarded to each section :—Winning team, 4 Spoons. Second team, 4 Spoons. IN TWO SECTIONS MAJOR SECTION :—Open to teams of four under 18 years of age. MINOR SECTION ;—Open to teams of four under 15 years of age. Teams to be drawn from Companies or smaller units of the Army Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Air Training Corps, Junior Training Corps, School Cadets, Lads Brigades, Boy Scouts, Boys' Clubs, and Rifle Clubs, and any other approved organisation affiliated to the S.M.R.C. More than one team from each body may be entered if desired. A competitor may only shoot in one section and in one team. The date of birth of each competitor must be written on one of his cards. To be shot at either 15, 20 or 25 yards, not later than 31st July. AND THE H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught*s Challenge Shield Competition Open to Troops of Boy Scouts affiliated to the Boy Scouts' Asscciation. IN TWO SECTIONS SENIOR SECTION :—Teams of four Scouts or Rover Scouts not holding warrant rank and under the age of 25 years. JUNIOR SECTION Teams under the age of 15 years. PRIZES SENIOR SECTION ! JUNIOR SECTION Winning team ;—^The Challenge Shield and 4 Silver Medals. | Winning team ;—The Challenge Shield and 4 Silver Medals. S e c o n d t e a m : — 4 B r o n z e M e d a l s . S e c o n d t e a m : — 4 B r o n z e M e d a l s . Teams of Boy Scouts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be eiigiblefor prizes in the S.M.R.C. Junior Summer Competition on the same cards, but they must conform to the age regulations of that competition. The age of the competitors must be written on the cards. Units affiliated to the S.M.R.C. other than Boy Scouts'Troops may not compete for the Duke of Connaught's Challenge Shield and Prizes. D i s t a n c e e i t h e r 1 5 , 2 0 o r 2 5 y a r d s . F u l l c o n d i t i o n s o n a p p l i c a t i o n . E n t r a n c e F e e , 2 s . 6 d . p e r t e a m . E n t r i e s c l o s e 2 8 t h J u n e , 1 9 4 3 . WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >