RIFLE SHOOTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 12 March 1926, Page 7

RIFLE SHOOTING.

THE KING’S MEDAL WON

(BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) TRENTHAM, March 12.

The hundred highest aggregate men fired four practices for the King’s Medal, with the result that StaffSergeant J. S. Thomson (Palmerston North) and Sergeant A. J. Howard (H.M.S. Diomede) tied with 157 points. As Sergeant Thomson had the best score at the last practice (fire with movement from 600 yards to 300 yards) ■he was declared the winner. The naval man is ineligible to take the medal, but deserves special recognition for his fine performance. i ARMY CHAMPIONSHIPS. WORK OP TERRITORIALS PRAISED. TRENTHAM, March 12. The work done by the Vickers ma-chine-gunners last night was highly eulogised by staff observers as a fine performance for the men, to most of whom the practice was quite new- The idea was that the guns were maintaining a barrage to cover the advance of a raiding party, and the job presented novel and interesting features which kept a considerable number of men watching. Fifteen teams were engaged till the end of the shooting, after ten o’clock, despite the fact that the air grew keen. Some of the teams did not get a single hit on the target, which was a very small affair, a 6ft. by 6ft. screen, placed in the dark 600 yards away, but as Major Wall ingford pointed out, they need not be discouraged, for their shots would be vyery near the target and would make unpleasant for the enemy if a party were there. The match was w r on by the sth Mounted Rifles (Otago Hussars, leader Trooper Logan), who take £lO. The Ist Canterbury Regiment (leader, Sergt. Forbes) were runners-up, and the Ist Auckland Regiment (leader, Sergeant Marriage) was third. In connection with yesterday’s demonstration of the effect of concerted rifle and machine gun fire, it should be noted that the party of sixteen riflemen were just drawn haphazard at the squadding posts, and was not in any sense a picked body. It might, however, have been selected and specially trained to judge by the cool and collected manner in which they went about the job and the effect of their fire on the “enemy.” It was a fine tribute to the quality of the instruction given to territorial forces. The’ King’s Medal match is being fired this morning by the hundred highest in the aggregate in the championship matches, using the same ranges and practices. THE WAIRARAPA MEETING. GREYTOWN, March 12. The Wairarapa Rifle Association’s meeting opened at Papawai to-day. A strong north-west wind with a rear fish tail and a dull light were the shooting conditions. The service match resulted: F. H. Sharland, 43, £2’ W. N Rummer, 42. £2; H. Hunt 42, £1; Pres. S. A. M. Elliott, 42, i£l • Pres. H. Marshall, 41. £1; T. ippodall, 40, £l. Six secured 10s each. match, 300 yards.—W. J. Feast, 49, £4; A. S. Ballinger, 48, £3- C. J. Nix, 48, £2; W. H. West, 47, £2; R. Piper, 47, £1; E. E. Donald 47, £1- There were 30 who received £1 each. Four tyros won £1 each, andi seven won 10s.