RIFLE CONTEST

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 75, 25 February 1938, Page 2

RIFLE CONTEST

SOUTH AFRICANS WIN. FINE MARKSMANSHIP. Per Press Association. TRENTHAM, Feb. 24. South Africa had an easy victory in the international teams match with Great Britain and New Zealand, which was fired over four ranges at Trentham to-day, with an aggregate score of 1831 out of a possible 2000. It representatives won the match by a margin of 28 points. The New Zealand team finished in second place, with a score of 1803, and the British team was third with 1801.

Definite superiority over the long ranges gave the South Africans their victory. Although the New Zealand team had a comfortable lead after firing at the short range, it progressively lost ground as the teams moved back for shooting over the longer distances. The teams consisted of ten men each and the conditions of the match were ten rounds each with two optional sighters at 300, 600, 800 and 900 yards. Two targets were allocated to each team. The South Africans adopted a different posture from the other teams, shooting in groups of four and two men firing alternately at one target. The South Africans used a short rifle of light pattern, and most of the British team used a specially bedded light barrel. A heavy cut-down long barrel was used by most of the New Zealanders. Tricky shooting conditions were experienced. For the greater part of the day the sky was overcast and dull, and a changeable light made sighting difficult. A fish-tail breeze blew from the rear. This was hard to follow and caused windage and elevation shots on many of the targets. Although the commander of the South African team, Colonel R. Bodley, has been shooting better than some members of the selected team, he acted as their captain and coach, feeling that he could be of more value to the team by serving in that capacity. Colonel Bodley has been at Bisley on several occasions, and in 1936 he finished third in the match for the British King’s Prize. Another members of the team, J. E. Johnson, of Durban, was second in the King’s that year. The GovernorGeneral’s Prize in the Union of South Africa, equivalent to the King’s Prize, has been won by Colonel Bodley eight times. His son, Captain R. E. Bodley, is also a member of tht team. Captain Bodley is the present holder of the Governor-General’s Prize of South Africa. The other South Africans have good club records to their credit and several have won minor championships. Most of the members of the British team have been at various times in the King’s Hundred, at Bisley and have shot in international matches for either Scotland or England, and Commander D. S. Swanston, who is a retired naval officer, has obtained ■ a place in the Hundred nine times. Last year’s British King’s Prizeman, D. L. Birney, is also a member of the team. Birney has the rare distinction of having won the silver medal for the second stage of the King’s as well as the King’s Prize itself. Other members of the team who are also silver medallists are P. R. T. Garnett and J. Andrews.

An interesting feature of the contest was the fact that the chief range officer for the match was Staff-Sergeant Major J. S., King, who refereed the second and third Rugby football Tests played between the Springboks and New Zealand last year. He is attached to the Army School of Instruction at Trentham. Colonel Bodley had the assistance of Captain Bodley and A. E. Spradbury as coaches for the South African team, but the latter two shot for their side as well. Commander Swanston was captain and coach of the British team and L. J. Milne assisted him with the coaching. IV. N. Masefield was captain and coach of the New Zealand team and T. H. R. Boon and H. H. Mawley also acted as coaches. RESULTS ANALYSED. An analysis of the scoring sheets shows that New Zealand had a ninepoint lead at the conclusion of the 300 yards range with a score of 471 over South Africa’s 462. The British team scored 456. Back at the middle distance range of 600 yards, the South Africans reduced the margin by one point. Here New Zealand scored 457, South Africa 458 and the British team 453. This brought the score of New Zealand for the ranges up to 928, that of South Africa to 920, and Great Britain’s score to 909. South Africa overhauled the New Zealand team at the 800 yards range and the shooting finished there with % margin of two points in favour of tlie visitors. The range score of the South Africans was 461 and that of the New Zealanders 451. At this distance the members of the British team did better than the New Zealand representatives, returning a score of 457. For the three ranges South Africa’s score was 1381, New Zealand’s 1379 and England’s 1366. South Africa further increased its lead at the 900 yards range, where it made a score of 450 to give it an aggregate of 1831 for the four ranges. New Zealand scored 424 at 900 yards and England 435. ; The only possibles of the dav were secured by the South Africans, M. Eksteen obtaining one at 300 yards and J. Hague another at 600 yards. Keen interest was taken in the contest, the visitors including the Gov-ernor-General (Viscount Galway) and the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones. The Minister congratulated Colonel Bodley on the success of his team, and cheers were given for tlie South Africans.