WELLINGTON NAVALS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 456, 15 March 1909, Page 9

WELLINGTON NAVALS.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT- , ITS HISTpUY. At Mirqmar, on Satiirijay nftefnoofl, tlie-AYel-linijton Nnvals concluded their series at competitions fqr the company's bolt, medal, una other tronhics. A very tricky soi)tli wind was blowing, ami only . fair slibotinp wn« reported. The present shooting sewpn has bepn a uiy BuocessCul one; ten matches were filed fo.tho belt, the best 'eight'-- to pmntM the highest wrcregate scorer- in these being tho *imieu The conditions for! the belt competition weie altered this year to iiielude two matches fued under Service conditions, a ve }7 , sl ,^ c novation; these conditions appl ed to tlio ptliei also. Gunner H. Boon has again won the championship, belt, and medal, th.j lieint! his third win in succcssion-nn excellent icooid, as he is a young man, and only joim-d the Nnvals three years ago. His aggiegate score was 503 points, an improvement oil his Inst year's score of 21 points, ihe conditions, of course, wore more difficult tlus year. Giinnei I),'iv was runner-up with an' aggregate score ot m pointsi P.O. 11'Ivay third with 430 ; Gunner Gihbs, 891; P.O. Ross, 821. Gunner Boon also won the special trophy awarded tor the belt winner, and n. "three log-in'' trophy ns well. In B Clnss P.O; Jaffray won the mam aggregate'competition with a total of 481 i a " r J a l so n "three leg-in" trophy; Gunner 1. E. Martin oame second with a total of 395, also wiiuiiug a "three leg-in" trophy; P.O. Steel was third with 358; Gunner, A. Burns, 205 points (Gminer Burns only fired in seven matches). In C Class, P.O. Bishop won the first aggregate with a total of 414 points, and the second "'special"; Gunner 'Atkinson won the second aggregate with a (olal.. flf, 3IM, and . the first ''special"; P.O.' Calnnn won the third nggicedtc with a total of 887,' t]ie claps 'three leg-: in" trophy, ami the third 'special ; Gnniier Hosie, the fourth aggregate, with 37-, and. tilts fifth "special"; Gnantr Murphy, the tittli aggregate with n totfil of >191, and the Gunner Clavdon,"-the sixth aftgregate, with Jjl points; P.O. Brindle the fourth special ; Gunner Croxton, the sixth "special Gunner Knight,-■ the eight' "special ; Gunner ,1. il. Williams, the ninth; Gunner Forsyth, .-he tenth; Gunner I' 1 . E. ATai'tm, three leg-m troDhy in this class. . . '.The object of tho C Class ''special tropli> matches was to indiico the younger shots ot the company to take an interest in the shooting. . This has improved the average attciulanne this year to 15.19; last year it was 10.5, and the year before 7.5. Gunner Hosie won ex-Gunner Roberts's gninea trophy for the highest, aggreento score in nine out ot the ten matches fired for first-year shots, his total being 391. Gunner Murphy was second with ' gyp. Gunner Ilosio also won Lieut. Denniston's challenge cup (to be held, by the winner for twelve months), for , the highest aggregate in three out-of the last five matches fired,-for first-year shots, with 10-1; Gunner Croxton was second with 162 points. T|io season will be closed next ■ Saturday, when the' Married _v. Single match will bo fired for the shield; t|ie "married" had their names' inscribed • oil the shield last year. The following are, the results of Saturday's shocting:— A/CLASS. J 700 J'ds. tGnnner Boon : ... ...' ... ... ... *11 •P.O. Jaffray , ' ... -27 Gunner. Gihbs ' ...; ... .;. ... ... 23 Gnnper' Bay _ ... ... 22 Gunner Martin ... ... ... ... ... J1 ■ ■ B CLASS. ■ - 700 yds. P.O. Steel ... ... 29 fG(inner A. Burns • 28 C CLASS. ; 700 yds. f**P.O. Calnan ... 30 Gnnner Hosie ... , ... . ... , 30 "Gunner Forsyth . ... >.„ ' ... ... 27 Gunner Cribb 26 Gunner Croxton ... 25 P.O. Bishop ; ... ■ .„ 24 P.O. AS'illiapison, 22; Gunner P. M. Campbell, 20; Gunner J. H. Williams, 19; Gunner Flowers, 13; fGunncr Atkinson, 16; Gunner Clnydon, 11. "Lcgs-in. tßadgc-holder. '■'Trophy outright. The following is a summary of the trophy matches, for the season:—, . - A . CLASS. Company's belt,' medal, and special (beltwinner).—G miner 11. Boon. Trophy presented by: Mr. John Duncan—Gunner H. Boon. Mr. Frank GrAdy-Gnmiev'-'W'.' Say." i '' 1 1 Tho company—P.O. M'Kay. Ex-Capt. Biss—Gunner Gibus. The Dominion—P.O. Ross. B CLASS. Mr. Flptcher—P.O. Jaffray. Mr. John Duncan (No, 2 trophy)—P.O. Jaffray. ... Staples and Co., Ltd. (No. 1 trophy)—Gnnner F.VE. Martin. - . • The- company—Gunner F. E. Martin. , Capt.- Menzies—P.O. Steel, t The company—Gunner A. Burns, • C CLASS. ' ' ' '', Staples and Co., Ltd. (No. 2 trophy)—P.O. Bishop. The corapany~P.O. Bishop. . Hallenstein Bros—Gunner Atkinson. The company—Gunner Atkihson. Mr. Jenness—P.O. Calnhn. The company—P.O. Calnan. Tlio company—P.O. Galium., . The Hosie. 'The cpmpany (special)— Gunner Hosie. The company—Gunner Murphy. The'company (special)— Gunner Murphy. - Tho company—Gunner Olaydon. The company (special)—P.O. Brindle. The company (special)— Gunner Croxton. The company (special)— Gunner , Knight. The company (special)— Gunner J. H. Williams. The' 1 company (special)— Gunner Forsyth. ■ Ex-Gunner Roberts— Gunner Hosie. "Denniston" Cup—Gnnner Hosie. The company—Gunner F. E. Martin. THE COMPANY'S BELT. The Wellington Navals' Champion Belt, won three, times in succession by Gunner 11. Boon, has, been competed for by the Wellington Navals for 27, years. Captain Charles Johnston presented it for competition in 1881. Until lbi)3 It was fired for tince a year, since then the competition has been annual, the winner holding tne belt for twelve .months. It can never be won outright, but each. year the. winner receives a heavy gold medal in token of his . having secured'the trophy?' A silver plate; bearing the name and the successful competitors, together with the date ?f his win and his score, is riveted to the belt each time it is won. As there are now thirty-nine plntes, there is very little of, the leather portion of the trophy now to be seen. The belt is insured for JlYo. It is said to bo the oldest belt in the Wellington district, if not in the Dominion. The first winner was P.O. France, whose score was-73 points (January, 1881); five years laiw he' was again successful. Seaman A. .Dixon was the second successful competitor (August, 1881); Band-Sergeant H. Dixon iiad his name inscribed on the trophy in June, 1882, and two years later another plate bearing his name was added,- in September Seaman J. Kabe.-now of the Karori Rifle Club and late C.P.O. to the company, scored liis first win (June, 1885). Ten years afterward (April, 1895), Rabe, who had since risen to P.O. rank, again had his namo placed on the belt. Seaman C. France was the winner in June, 1883 (H. Z. Dixon and C. France, two of the belt-winners havo since joined the great majority). Seaman G. Jlowe, known in shooting circles as Bandsman Howe, had his namo riveted to tho belt in December, 1883; P.O. W. T. Leevers won tho trophy in December, 188-1. W. Harris, who was C.P.O. until last year, and is now of the Karori Rifle' Club, had his namo placed ■on the belt six times; his first win was in December, 1885; and four years later, when he had risen to the rank of P. 0., he was again successful. Another four years elapsed (December, 1893), before lie registered his third will. In the following June another plato bearing his name was affixed to the belt—after these two successive wins Harris was not heard of as a champion for nine years. He won the belt in 1903, and again in 190!!. The next winner was It. '1. Williams, whose name is inscribed ou_ the belt no fewer than ten times; he and W. Harris were tho most successful competitors. As a seaman Williams's first win was in December, 18SG. Holding tlio same rank he again won the belt twelve months later. In June, 1888, another win was placed to his credit, ana a"ain in December he was successful, two years later (December, I.BDU), during which time lie had been promoted to P. 0., he onco more gained possession of the belt, and in the following June another plato was fixed to the trophy. He won the belt three times in succession, from June, 1890, to Jnnc, 1893. Five years and in the interval Williams was raised to the , rank of C.P.0., the IS9B win being his last. PO Meek had his name riveted on the trophy in ISBO- C.P.O. Armstrong was winner in May, 1887- PO. Taylor in June, 1889; Seaman Batrombe in June. 1890;. Seaman Stilt in December, 1891; Gunner Bulford (IS9G), and ns 1.0. in 1901; P.O. Frederick in May, 189(; 1.0. /now C P. 0.) Martin in 1900; P.O. Ross in MO2 and 1901; ex-C.P.O. Harris in 1905 and jOOi). Gunner 11. Boon in 1907; 190-S, and again tins j^ar.