ARMY RIFLE MEETING

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1929, Page 6

ARMY RIFLE MEETING

YESTERDAY ’8 CONTESTS. NORTHERNERS SHAPE WELL, KING’S PRIZE DAY. (Per Press Association. —Copyright.) THE NTH A(M, This Day. ’Pile chief feature of Thursday’s programme at the Army Rifle Association’s* meeting was the battle practice ground, which covers ranges over 500 yards in extent, mechanical figures being exposed at intervals at different distances. The teams consisted of 8 men, with the addition of a loader, points being given for fire command and control, judgment of distances, as well as target hits. The meeting will conclude today, when a separate match will be fired by the qualified 100 for the King’s Medal. The Prime Minister will present the prizes.

New Zealand Service. Match, teams of 8 men, open to all arms of the New Zealand Forces, 200 yards moving target, 300 yards snapshooting, 300 yards rapid, and 500 yards slow fire; 240/, Challenge Shield and silver spoon to each member. —New Zealand Permanent Forces, 710; 160/- . and silver spoons.:—Central Command, Territorials, 702; 80/ —New Zealand Division Royal Navy, 646. Five teams competed.

Cadet Teams’ Match, 200 yards, individual tile competition, 200 yards moving target, 300 yards snapshooting, and 500 yards slow fire.—-480/, C.A.C. Challenge Shield and silver spoon to each, member. —Central Command No, 1 team, 132; 90/, and silver spoons—Northern Command No. 1 team, 405; 45/ —Southern Command No. 2 team, 372. Six teams competed.

Lewis Gun Anti-Aircraft Match, possible 80 points; 60/ —First Battalion Auckland Regiment, 34; 50/ Northern Depot Engineers, 33; Northern Depot Army Service Corps and Now Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, 27, equal 3. Fifteen teams competed. Hotchkiss Gun Anti-Aircraft Match (possible 50 points).—6o/—NelsonMarlborough Mounted Rifles, 29; 40/ —•'East Coast Mounted Rifles, 27; North Auckland Mounted Rifles and Canterbury Yeomanry, 24, equal 3. Seven teams competed.

The Battle Practice Competition was* won by Central Command with 305 points and Northern Command team, 118, was second. F. Jane, Napier, won the Cadet Badge Aggregate with 346, taking 60/-. Machine Gun Competitions, direct fire orders, for team leaders, taking 40/ each: —Vickers gun—Sergeant Adams, First Battalion Auckland Regiment. Lewis Gun—Corporal Green, First Battalion Canterbury Regiment. Hotchkiss Gun—Corporal Bee, Well-ington-West Coast. Mounted Rifles.

'Machine Gun Competitions, stoppages and fire orders. —Lewis Gun— New Zealand Divisional Royal Navy, first, 40/. Vickers Gun—First Battalion Southland Regiment. Hotchkiss Gun—East Coast Mounted Rifles, 30/. Vickers Gun Challenge Trophy and silver spoon for each member of first and second teams, highest aggregate. —First Battalion Hawke’s Bay Regiment, 198/; First Battalion Auckland Regiment, 197. Lewis Gun Challenge Trophy and silver spoon for each member of first and second teams.—First Battalion Nelsonv-Marlbohough-West Coast Regiment, 253; First Battalian Hawke’s Bay Regiment, 252 f. The 'Stafford Shield, awarded for aggregate scores in the Regimental Teams Rifle Match and Machine Gun Matches.—(First Battalion Hawke’s Bay Regiment, 110£.

. KING’B MEDALLIST. ST AFF-SERGT.-M AJ OR KEARNEY. MEETING CONCLUDED. (Per Press Association..—Copyright.) TRENTHAM, This Day. The Army Rifle Association’s meeting concluded today in fine weather. The only competition fired being the King’s Medal for the 100 highest scorers in the Army Charapilonshi]? series. The match was won by Staff* Sergeant-Major Kearney of Hawke’s Bay, with an aggregate of 155. Commissioned Gunner Pryce, -Royal Navy, 153, was scco-nd and Artificer Jepson, Ordinance, 150, third.

PRIME MINISTER PLEASED, PLEA FOR RIFLE CLUBS. (Per Press Association. —Copyright.) „ TRENTHAM, This Day. The Prime Minister at the prize giving and also General Young eoni gratulated the competitors on the exI cellency of their behaviour, on and off the mounds, and expressed the hope that when their training was completed the Territorials going out would join the Rifle Clubs in their respective districts and become more efficient marksmen. The Prime Minister also emphasised the value of rifle shooting teams during peace. Ho .said there were on the horizon, but “preparedness was the means of keeping difficulties further away.” The meeting had had done : a great deal of good: and he would be pleased to see even a larger gathering in the future.