SHOOTING CONTESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21209, 15 June 1932, Page 11

SHOOTING CONTESTS.

* AUCKLAND BOYS' SUCCESS.

FOUR TROPHIES WON. RECORD SCORE FOR EMPIRE. The outstanding work performed by the cadet units of secondary schools in the Northern Command during the year ending .December, 1931, is well exemplified by the success obtained in various Empirewide and Dominion-wide competitions, the final results of which are now to hand. There are four main competitions for which cadet units throughout the Dominion arc eligible. Two of these are open to cadet units and similar organisations throughout the Empire, and two are for competition within the Dominion. In each of the four, a unit of the Northern Command has been successful.

The outstanding success of the year was that of the 2nd (Cadet) Battalion, North Auckland Regiment (Mount Albert Grammar School), a team from which won the Earl Roberts Trophy, with the remarkable score of 306 out of a possible 320. This competition was instituted in December, 1907, and was competed for annually until 1913, when a break occurred owing to the war, and the competition does not appear to have been resumed until 1929. Last year's winners were the 43/48 Battalion, Australian Military Forces (Senior Cadets), which unit, by a strange coincidence, is allied to the same British Regiment as the North Auckland Regiment. Mount Albert Scores.

The trophy consists of a handsome bronze shield on an oak background, bearing the inscription " For competition by Schoolboys within the Mother Country and in the Dominions beyond the Seas." It is fired for by teams of four cadets, under a cadet team leader, using the .30.5 service riile. There are five practices in the match, (a) five rounds at 500 yards; (b) five rounds from 500 yards to 100 yards, fire with movement, one round at eacli range, the time allowed for advancing each 100 yards and firing one round being 45 seconds; (c) five rounds rapid fire at 200 yards, to be fired in 30 "seconds; (d) five rounds "snap" shooting at 200 yards, target exposed three seconds each shot. The score made by the Mount Albert Grammar School constitutes a record for the competition, and this is the first time the trophy has been won by New Zealand.

The names of the winning team, and their scores, aro as under:—Fire director, Sergeant-Major R. Jones-Parry. Team: Corporal R. F. Wakefield, 73; C. J. Robieson, 78: W. H. Jenkin, 75; A. M. Jenkinson, 75; total, 306.

The trophy is to be presented to the winning team by Colonel J. E. Duigan, Officer Commanding the Northern Command, at a special parade of the school cadet corps, at Mount Albert Grammar School at 3 p.m. to-day. Each member of the team will receive a bronze medallion 6earing a replica of the bronze figure on the shield. Another Notable Success. Another notable success is that of No. 5 Platoon, 2nd (Cadet) Battalion, llauraki Regiment (Rotorua Voluntary Cadets), who have won the trophy presented by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe, when Governor-General, to the unit obtaining the highest score in New Zealand in the Imperial Challenge Shield competition. This competition is also Empire- wide, and is fired under the auspices of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain. The object is to encourage mass efficiency in rifle shooting with .22 rifle by the youth of the Empire. Consequently, all members of units competing are required to fire, and not more than 50 per cent, of the scores may be rejected. There are several trophies connection with this competition for award to the best units in the Empire, and in each Dominion there is a trophy presented by the Governor-General for the unit putting up the highest score in the Dorn-nion. It is this Dominion trophy which has been won by Rotorua. l'he Press (Christchurch) Challenge Shield is awarded for the best cadet unit (cam result for each island, v.ith .22 rifle. 'lhe shield for the North Island was won in 1931, for the second year in succession, by the 2nd (Cadet) Battalion, Hauraki' Regiment (Rotorua High School). Finally, the Islington Challenge Shield, awaided for the secondary school unit obtaining the best result in the Dominion with the .303 rifle, was won in 1930 by St. Stephen's College, Bombay, which has again been nominated by the Northern Command tor this trophy for 1931.