A NOTABLE MAN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10848, 14 March 1921, Page 3

A NOTABLE MAN

RETURN OF MAJOR JOHN WHITNEY.

Major John Whitney and Miss Whitney are among the passengers arriving by R.M..S. Corinthic at Wellington this morning. 'Major Whitney is returning to New Zealand after an absence in England, Scotland, and Ireland of about (two years. Major Whitney enjoyed some excellent covert shooting in the South of England, and his last shoot at Tichborne Park, Dorsetshire, seven gang, resulted in a mixed bag of 643 birds, including pheasants, partridges, woodcock, hares and four sundries. At one drive, the guns were posted sixty yards from the covert and the birds were flying very high down wind. Major Whitney, who wan using two guns with a keeper to load for him, dropped fourteen out of fifteen birds fired at, and the fifteenth was picked up dead some distance behind the line after the drive had finished. This was a wonderful performance for a man of eighty-six years of age! While in England, Major Whitney completed toe purchase of the Colonial Ammunition Company’s New Zealand works and business. This will in future ibe carried ou by . his own Company, which will be known as toe Colonial Ammunition Company, New Zealand, Ltd. It will be remembered that Major Whitney started the ammunition, industry in New Zealand in 1884-5, thirty-six years ago. This was the date of the. Russian war scare. In 1887 he turned his industry into a company, and after a period of thirty-six years he has repurchased the works and business, and his new company will be composed of himself and shareholders residing in New Zealand. During Major John Whitney’s stay in England, the United Service Club, Pall Mall, London, made him a life member of the club as an acknowledgment of hiservices to the Empire, first in starting his ammunition industry in New Zealand in ISBLS, and subsequently by valuable work done an the Boer War and the Great War in regard to the supply of war materialWithout “C.A.C.’’ cartridges it would have been nearly impossible to send hoops from New Zealand and Australia to these wars, because .303 Mark VI- was the only ammunition, that could be usei. in the New Zealand and Australian rifles, and no other rifles were available. In the Great War the British forces, on the ether hand, were armed with rifles taking the .303 Mark VII cartridge, and it was those that were so urgently required during the first eighteen months or two years of the contest.

The two ammunition factories at Auckland and Melbourne were kept going at lop speed to prevent a failure in the supply of ammunition required for the New Zealand and Australian, troops. Towards the latter part of too war. when there was an abundant supply of Mark VII. available, troops from the Dominion and the Commonwealth were armed -with the rifle to take .303 Mark VII cartridges. Moreover, large quantities of metal made from Australian minerals at the Colonial Ammunition Company’s roller and refining mills, were sent to England to assist in turning out small-arms ammunition, there being a considerable shortage in England at the time. Before leaving for England tivo years ago. Major John Whitney sold bis home at Waiwera, a most picturesque property, stuns thirty miles iron Auckland, wherhe had resided for over thirty years, in futuie he will live in Auckland.