VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11781, 10 October 1901, Page 3

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

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The Mar.-de Mounted Rifles intend challenging the Whangarei Rifles to a friendly 1 rifle match. ! Steps are being taken for the orgam&n- ' tion and training of mounted infantry in j India. The scheme provides for the estab- ; lishment of five schools of instruction with ; the requisite training staff. j Why do not some of our local companies ; arrange route marching competitions? A j year or two ago two or three such competi- j tions were carried out, and were attended j with considerable interest and rivalry. ■ j There will be 110 shooting at either the { Government (Mount Eden) or Akarana rifle J ranges on Saturday week, October 19, owing j to the Government inspection of arms of all companies of tiie garrison being fixed for that date. I would be very much obliged if some of my volunteer friends would supply me with the various shooting records made in competition on Auckland rifle ranges, for publication. It would be very interesting to have a complete and authentic list ot the be.st; on record. I hear that Lieutenant-Colonel White, officer commanding the No. 1 Battalion, Auckland Infantry (Countess of Ranfurlv's Own), contemplates arranging for a fieldfiring competition among the companies of the battalion, on November 9, when the Countess of Ranfurlv's cup and Dr. ,T. Logan Campbell's money prizes will be fired lor. Of this more anon. The officers and members of the No. 1 I Thames Rifles (late Thames Naval?) have kindly extended me a cordial invitation to be present at, and take part in the ceremony of depositing the colours of the company in St. George's Church, Thames, on Sunday next, October 13, at half-past two p.m. I trust the ceremony will in every way prove a success. There was some talk a few months back among the companies of the No. 1 Battalion, Auckland Infantry, of adopting the sear?et tunic for full-dress purposes, and one or two of the corps adopted resolutions in favour of the new dress. Since then no steps hive been taken to give effect to the resolutions, but it is to be hoped that the proposal has not been entirely lost sight of. Under the coaching of Captain Stead man some of the younger members of the Whangarei Rifles are making good progress in rifle-shooting. The members of the company are fortunate in having such a good tutor and keen enthusiast as Captain Steadman, who has for years past been one of the leading marksmen in the province, and thoroughly understands the use of the rifle. A shooting team from the Ohinemuri Rifles No. 1 will tour the Waikato district, leaving Paeroa on Saturday next. They will fire matches against the Hamilton, Pirongia, and Cambridge mounted companies, and should come through with a good record, as there are several first-class marksmen in the corps. A similar team toured the Waikato district last year, and met with considerable success.

Captain Parker made his first appearance in his new captain's uniform at the Devonport Submarine Mining Corps' social on Friday evening last, and was the recipient of hearty congratulations on his promotion by several fellow officers of other companies present. I trust this popular officer will be long spared to wear the uniform of a branch of the service to which he has always been a credit.

The Gordon Rifles and Ponsonby Navals will fire a match at the Mount- Eden range on Saturday afternoon next. The conditions are 12 men a-side, 10 highest to count, firing to commence at half-past one o'clock. The following will represent the Gordons: Martin, Sherratt, Cairns, Knox, Cumming, Gibb, Graham, Olson, Rees George, Woods, McLeod, Saunders, Morey, Mcintosh, Torbett.

A meeting of the members of the newlyformed Auckland Garrison Non-commis-sioned Officers' Club is to be held in one of the orderly rooms, Wellesley-street, this evening (Thursday), when the rules drafted by the committee for the government of the club will be submitted for discussion and ultimate adoption. Other business affecting the club will also be brought forward, and it is to be trusted that there will be a large attendance. A committee meeting will be held subsequent to the general meeting.

The committee (Captain Bartlett, Battalion Quartermaster Dormer, and Lieutenant Cox) appointed to carry out the arrangemehts in connection with the teams' match against the No. 2 Battalion have communicated with the companies of the No. 1 Battalion, asking for nominations of men considered fit for inclusion ».n the town team. The nominations have not been coming in very fast, and, as the committee are anxious to complete their duties and communicate further with the No. 2 Battalion at the earliest possible date, it is to be (hoped that companies will submit their nominations without delay.

I'have to thank the hon. secretary, Bat-talion-Sergeant-Major Mcintosh, for an invitation to the social to be held at the Choral Hall on the evening of Wednesday, October 16, under the auspices of the re-cently-formed Auckland Garrison Noncommissioned Officers' Club for the purpose of celebrating the opening of the club. The new commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Davies, is to be among the guests invited, and there appears to be every indication of a most successful function. A strong committee is at work carrying out the preliminaries, and tickets are being rapidly disposed of.

The members of the Akarana Rifle Club will fire the following competitions at the Avondale range on Saturday next:"A" and "B" class championship and medal, presented by Mr. F. Ivearsley for winner of shield; "B" class, Mr. J. G. Buchanan's medal. Conditions: Five best scores out of eight competitions to count towards the aggregate ; ranges, 300 yds, 600 yds and 700 yds, seven shots and two sighters at each range. In the event of the weather proving unfavourable, the captain of the club may postpone championship matches and substitute next trophies on programme. A train leaves Auckland at a-quarter-past one p.m.

Now that the Government have secured the site at Penrose for a rifle range for the Auckland district, it is to be hoped that the work of construction will be hurried on wit!: all possible despatch, and that the range will be thoroughly equipped, and with ample targets to meet the utmost requirements of this large and important volunteer centre — half-measures, please! Provision should be made foi 18 to 20 targets: the ranges should be extended up to 1000 yds; and the trench for the markers should be at least twice as wide as that at Mount Eden, where considerable delay is caused through the men not being able to get far enough back to see where the hits of the marksmen have been put on the target. The authorities would be also well advised if arranging for the use of a few movable targets, to allow of the marksmen shooting at moving objects.

The Auckland Mounted Rifles held their third annual social at the Public Hall, Otahuhu, en Friday evening last, when about 70 couples, including a number of friends, were present. The interior of the hall was lavishly decorated with bunting and evergreens, and the function proved most enjoyable, dancing being kept up with great zest until about two a.m., to excellent music supplied by Meredith's band. A warm word of praise for the success of the social must be given to Acting-Quartormaster-Sergeant Browning, who carried out the secretarial duties in a most efficient and painstaking manner, assisted by a committee, consisting of Major Holgate, Lieutenants Wynyard and White, Sergeants Thode and Salmon, LanceCorporals Howden, Till, and Menzies, and Trooper Gilbert. A capital supper, catered for by Mr. R. Barber, was served in the Masonic Hall.

After inspecting the Seddon Horse Mounted Rifles at Takapuna beach last Saturday, Lieutenant-Colonel Davies, C.8., commanding the Auckland volunteer district, expressed himself much pleased with the physique and appearance of the members of the corps, but rather disappointed at their backward state as regarded drill. The company has, of course, been recruiting for some time past, and tho presence of comparatively new men in the ranks must have nad a detrimental effect on the corps as a whole when drilling, but as the members are all willing and anxious to improve themselves, I have little doubt but that Colonel Davies will, ere long, find a marked improvement as far a3 drill is concerned. Being a mounted man himself, the new commanding officer may be expected to quickly bring about a higher state of effioienoy in the companies of this branch of the volunteer service, not at present up to the required standard.

The first class for officers at the Military School of Instruction, Wellington, was Commenced on the first of the present month. .Major Owen is in charge ami has with h'inas assistants Sergeant-Majors Russell slid Kean. recent arrivals from England. Thirteen officers have been attending the class, i wo from Auckland district, three from Canterbury. one from New Plymouth, and soven from Wellington. They are all living in barracks, and Captain Mcintosh, of Auckland. has been elected president of the officers' mess. The hours of class are halfpant six to half-past seven a.m., nine a.m. to half-past twelve p.m., and two p.m. to five p.m., in addition to which they study during the evening. To-day (Thursday) the class goes into camp at Trentham, to do he practical work in topography, range-finding, camp duties, guards, outpost duty, etc. The members will afterwards return to the school to finish their course, and for the examination on the 25th. The brothers Cox (Lieutenant R. G. Cox and Private Cox) were to the fore in tho shooting again last Saturday, the formercarrying off the competition for the VictoriaRifles Company's belt with 96 of a possible 105 points, while the latter, for the third time in succession, headed the figures in the '• R" class matcn at Avondalo with 87 points of a i>ossible 105. With a handicap of three points, Private Schofield. a son of Majo. Schofield, and one ot our young shot-, carried off the "IV class competition in the Victoria Rifles (net score, 60 or ;> possible 70. with handicap 63), besides shooting well in the belt competition; while Mi- M. Atkinson. at one time a member or the Auckland Rifles (disbanded during this year) filled second place in the " A" class competition at Avondale with 92 points, a really good score. lie is also a comparatively new man, and it is certainly very gratifying to sec some -of the young-' mis coming on. Let us hope that their example will to followed j by other of our younger volunteers, many | of whom have not up to the present shown any decided inclination to make themselves proficient marksmen.

Automobiles at Aldershot, for the use of the staff superintending field manoeuvres, form a new feature, which evidently will immediately become a permanent institution (says an English writer). It is only quite recently that our military authorities realised the value of means fo* rapid locomotion, which lias long since found & recognised place in some Continental armies. So lately as three months ago, if is said that a proposal to the War Office to employ motor cars was pooh-poohed, but now that the experiment has been tried with the greatest success, there is every expectation that they will become almost immediately recognised as necessary adjuncts to the army. During the cavalry manoeuvres between Aldershot and Salisbury, they enabled the staff to supervise the operations in a manner otherwise impossible. More recently during the present week, they have been utilised again with marked results, in conneciTon with tho experimental corps of voluiiter cyclists. On all occasions they have carried out their work so well, and with such speed, safety and absence of accidents, that there appears to be no question as to their suitability and extreme utility for military work.

While pleased to hear that the transference of Captain W. 11. C. Walker to Cambridge means promotion to him. in the teaching profession —he goes to take charge ci the Cambridge public schoolvolunteers, and ticularly members of the Auckland Engineer Company, will regret tho departure from their midst of so capable and enthusiastic a volunteer officer. During his term of office as captain of the Engineers, Captain Walke; has done much to improve the efficiency oi the corps, and has been unceasing in hisi efforts to obtain the necessary material from the Government to allow of the men training, themselves in tho particular class of work pertaining to this important branch of the service. He has also kept a close watch ever the company's finances, and will retire from the command, leaving the corps in possession of no less than three uniforms— scarlet tunic, for full-dress parade, the blue uniform, orginally adopted by the corps, and the khaki dress, for working purposes very satisfactory state of affairs for a comparatively young company. With the conation of a battalion of the up-country mounted corps, Captain Walker's services shoul I bo eagerly sought after, as a staff officer, a position ill which lie would prove invaluable. C wish Captain Walker success in his now sphere of labour, and trust that ho will continue to take an active interest in volunteering.

Some fine shooting was done at tho Akarana Rifle Club's Avondale range on Saturday afternoon, particularly in the case of Mr. E. G. Buchanan, who put on the splendid score of 100 points of a possible 105, iu the competition for " A'' class shots, the conditions being seven shots each at the 500 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds ranges, with two sighting shots. Although we- often hear of tall scoring in practice, this is, I believe, a record competition score with the .303 rifle for Auckland; if not, I should be very pleased to be corrected by any local marksman, as such important records aro always worthy of preservation 1 for the sake of comparison when occasion arises. The only other better score X can call to mind in this colony with the .303 weapon is Bandmaster King's (Oamaru) 100 points of a possible 105 at th<j last New Zealand Rifle Association's meeting at Wanganui, the ranges fired over by the Southern marksman in compiling his fin; score being 300 yds, 500 yds, and 700 yds (unde; similar conditions), the longei range, 700 yds, instead of 600 yds, as in Buchanan's case, making the score 01 Bandmaster King more meritorious than that of the Aucklander. Mr. Buchanai has for some Saturdays past been showing that he is back tc his best form, and he is to bo heartily congratulated on his latest performance. It is no uncommon thing to hear some of the old hands on t-hr-Akarana range bemoaning the fact that they have seen their day, but it seems pretty clear that more than one of them can still show a good many of the younger men points in marksmanship. The score under notice is 21 points better than inners, and only five points under bull's-eyes, for 21 shots, which means that Mr. Buchanan must have found the bull's-eye on 16 occasions.

There is a list made out of officers who are supposed to attend at the Mount Eden Rifle Range to superintend the firing. This list is posted at the marker's cottage on the range, and if an officer is very zealous in the matter he will journey up there to' see whether or when he ought to be on duty. I understand there is no notification made to the officers concerned, and consequently if an officer does attend it is not that the duty list takes him there. Surely the least that whoever is responsible for such list can do is to notify the officer for duty so that he may at any rate be made aware that his services are required. I would also suggest that a copy of the list might very well be forwarded to me, and I would publish the same, as it is a matter of general interest to the men themselves to know what officer ought to be on the range. The secretary to the Range Committee should, in like maane,. forward me a copy of the range timetable each month. J. have meanwhile procured a copy of the time-table and duty-list, which I now give. The range dates may, however, be a week later after next Saturday owing to a general parade of all troops being called for that day. According to the list the following officers have been nominated to superintend the firing at the Mount Eden Range on the dates opposite their names:—Saturday, October 12, Lieutenant Earle; Wednesday, October 16, Lieutenant Robinson; Saturday, October 19, Captain Bartlett; Wednesday, October 23, Lieutenant Lipscombe: Saturday, October 26, Lieutenant Biss; Wednesday. October 30, Lieutenant Lees; Saturday, November 2, Captain Clemens; Wednesday, November 6, Lieutenant Tapper. The range timetable is as under:—October 12: Coastguards, Newton Rifles, and Victoria Rifles. October 19 Nos. 1. 2. and 3 Native Rifles. October 26: "A" Battery, Engineers, Cycle Corps. November 2: Auckland Navai Artillery, Devonport Submarine Miners, and Ponsonby Naval Artillery.