MACHINE-GUN PRACTICE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3441, 10 March 1932, Page 5

MACHINE-GUN PRACTICE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —I cannot allow “Fair Play’s” letter in your last issue to pass without some comment. The local ma-chine-gun platoon was formed last year under the present* voluntary system of training. I can assure “Fair Play” that an efficient machine gunner cannot be produced at a moment’s notice. The science of modern machine gunnery is highly technical, requiring a degree of efficiency and skill which can only be acquired by an adequate course of training. The evening parades only comprise three hours per month. Any system of ma- . chine-gun training which fails to teach the gunner how to effectively fire and handle his gun in the field is worse than useless. Such training can only be obtained on full-day parades, too much time being taken up proceeding to and returning from the range to permit of Saturday afternoons being availed of. Therefore, unfortunately, Sunday is the only available day. I would draw your attention to the fact that all members of the platoon give their time and services entirely on a voluntary basis a'nd without any remuneration. “Fair Play” suggests that because the Territorials are now on a volunteer basis these parades should be arranged on a week day. In other words, your correspondent, while not willing to forego his Sunday’s rest (if such rest was really disturbed), hastens to suggest that the Territorials themselves should lose a day’s waces and their employers their services. Your correspondent would have -shown more courage had he written his letter over his own name, but he has been particularly unfortunate in the choice of a nom de plume, as if the above suggestion is his idea of fair .play I can only say that it hardly coincides with the usually accepted British article. Possibly, however, “Fair Play” hails from other lands. The Supreme Court recently decided that the picking of peas by a Chinese gardener on a Sunday was a work of necessity. Surely most people will agree that if it is necessary that green peas should be provided ‘on Monday as well as on other days of the week, then it is at any rate equally necessary that this country should maintain at least a nucleus of a defence force—l am, etc,. . E. M. MACKERSEY.