NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21985, 21 June 1933, Page 11

NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

FROM MESS DECK, PARADE GROUND, AND RIFLE RANGE

By Bull's-eye,

OTAGO DIVISION, R.N.Y.R, (N.Z.D.). Sub-divisional Parades

No. 1 Sub-division was last week fitted with the kit available at headquarters, while other details will be supplied later from H.M.S. _ Philomel. On Thursday evening this division will be divided into classes for instructional purposes. No. 2 Subdivision paraded on Wednesday evening last week and was kept interested by Lieutenant-commander P. G. Connolly, who delivered a lecture on the new type of gas mask used in the Navy, and on the various gases and their effects. Further classes will be /given this course during the later half of the training period. OTAGO MOUNTED RIFLES. Adjt. Lieut. Sugden Farewelled On Thursday evening last, at the R.S.A. Club rooms members of the, Otago Mounted Rifles held an enjoyable dance. During the evening Major A. S. B. Smith took the opportunity, on behalf of the members of the regiment, to express their gratitude to their adjutant (Lieutenant A.-H. L. Sugden), who, he regretted, was being transferred to the North Island. Major Smith referred to the good work of Lieutenant Sugden, in building up the regiment under the voluntary system to the position of being the strongest mounted regiment in the southern command. He wished Lieutenant and Mrs Sugden every success in the future. Lieutenant-colonel A. Holland, the commanding officer, spoke in a similar strain. • ARTILLERY NOTES. 12th Field Battery ; The parade of the unit was held at Central Battery on Wednesday last, when a fair attendance was registered. After the battery went to divisions, recruit gunners were drafted on to one gun and drilled in elementary gun drill, while the remainder went straight to fire discipline, preserving the line of fire by means of the paralleloscope. The battery will parade again on Wednesday next at 1 Central Battery at 7.45> p.m. 14th Medium Battery, N.Z.A. The 14th Battery held its weekly parade at Central Battery, St. Kilda, on Monday evening last, when there was again a good attendance of all ranks. The work for the evening was continued along the same lines as on the occasion of last Monday's parade, .with the exception that the n.c.o.’s and senior gunners spent the evening in the study of the working and mechanism of the buffer and recuperator which comprise the recoil system of the six-inch HOwitzer. In heavy guns of this nature, the recoil and run-out is worked on a system of compressed air and oil, which involves a somewhat complicated mechanism, and it is therefore imperative that all gunners should have a thorough working knowledge of the mechanical construction of their weapon in order that repairs whilst in action can be carried out with the minimum of delay. A number of series were fired on the miniature range, targets of various tactical , natures being, engaged. A recruit squad has been formed into which all recruit gunners have been drafted, and for the next few parades their work will consist principally of gundrill and a study of the weapon with; which 'the battery is armed. „ On the occasion of this parade another recruit was attested and signed on to the strength of the unit. There .will be the usual parade on Monday evening next. OTAGO UNIVERSITY MEDICAL COMPANY. Annual Ball

Arrangements are well in hand for holding the Otago - Medical Company’s annual ball in the Allen Hall on Tuesday next. Opportumty will be taken to present the prizes and trophies won in the various competitions carried out during the company’s annual training camp held at Sutton in March last. OTAGO OFFICERS’' CLUB. Lecture by Major Mead . Major O. II. 1 Mead, D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C., addressed a fair attendance of officers on Thursday C evening last at the club rooms, Moray place. The subject dealt with was, “Preparation of : the Fire Plan,” with special reference to the attack. . , . With the aid of large-scale maps the lecturer his remarks .interesting. Major Mead will conclude this lecture tomorrow, evening. T Dance A dance is to. be held in the club rooms on Thursday, June 29. Lecture t Mr A. Gj Neill will talk to members of the club on the subject‘of his recent trip abroad on Thursday, July 13. RIFLE SHOOTING. Otago Rifle Association From June, 1863, to February, 1865, the Otago Rifle Association appears to have suffered a period of inactivity. In those days the chief difficulty in lidding the members’ interest was the, matter of a suitable rifle range. One can hardly imagine a number of riflemen remaining keen when there were no facilities for them to indulge in their pastime. That the association existed at all under such circumstances .'speaks well of'the enthusiasm of the members in past years. It appears that several did not spare themselves in endeavouring to secure a rifle range, as the following extract will show; “On February 18, 1865, a meeting of the Otago Rifle Association was held in the Otago Hotel, Mr Albert Devoir occupying the chair. Mr W. H. Henningham (secretary) detailed the reasons why the association had been practically dormant for the past two years. The principal reason was that, notwithstanding strenuous endeavours of several members, it was found impossible to obtain a suitable rifle range. The position in which the O.R.A. now stood was that 39 members had paid subscriptions of fl Is, and there remained at present in the bank a credit in favour of the association of nearly £3O, besides a silver cup which was to be shot for. The balance between money in hand and that paid had been spent in printing and lithographing rules and members.’ tickets. ' It was unanimously resolved that it is desirable to reorganise the O.R.A. and to procure enrolments of new members, and it is hereby resolved that al) those members who have already paid subscriptions shall be entitled to cards of membership from this date. A number of new members was then enrolled, including Captain-adjutant Graham and the meeting adjourned to Monday next, when new officials null be elected to fill the vacancies which have occurred during the last two years.” It has been recorded that a severe slump hit .New Zealand in the early ’sixties, and this fact might have been responsible for the falling-oiT in membership of the O.R.A. Then, again, there was the feeling of antipathy shown to the association by the volunteers of that period. The want of a rifle range also was a deterrent to securing new members. To combat the above disturbing factors the annual subscription was reduced from £1 Is to 10s 6d, arid that of life members from £5 5s to £3 3s. A ropo’rt.of March 4, 1865, gives particulars of the reduction in subscriptions and also the election of new officials, as Col- - lows:—

' “The adjourned meeting of the O.R.A. was held last night (March 3, 1865) at M'Cubbin’s Otago Hotel for the purpose of electing office-bearers for the ensuing year. Mr Murray was called to the chair. It was proposed by Mr W. H. Henningham, and agreed to. that in order that the association should be open to all the rate of admission be 10s 6d instead of fl Is as formerly, and the subscription for life members be £3 3s instead of £5 ss. Mr Henningham resigned the office of honorary secretary, and Messrs Murray and Devoir as members of the council. A vote of thanks was accorded the gentlemen retiring. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year wa s then proceeded with, when Lieut. M'Farland was elected treasurer and Sergeant Devoir secretary, and Messrs

Graham, Fish, Robertson, Murray, Moss, Jamieson, Preve, Mills, Kirkcaldy, Jenkinson, and Mathieson were elected members of the council. It was resolvcd_ to allow the election of president and vicepresident to stand over till an adjourned meeting to be held on March 10 in order to give new members an opportunity of voting, and a large number of new members was enrolled. A vote of thanxs to the chair terminated the meeting. The adjourned meeting evidently was not held on March 10, as a report dated March 14, 1865, quotes the following:— “ A second general meeting of the O.R.A. was held last night (13th) in M'Cubbin’s Hotel for the purpose of electing a president and vice-president for the ensuing year. Mr Fish, jun., occupied the chair, and there was a limited attendance of members. For the office of president Mr John Hyde Harris (the superintendent) and Mr John Cargill were nominated. On the ballot being taken his Honor the superintendent liras declared elected. For the office of vicepresident Mr John Cargill and Mr Mason were nominated; Mr Cargill was elected. There was no other business before the meeting. The chairman announced that the council had arranged a series of rifle riiatches to take place next month, the programme of which will shortly be published. The proceedings were brought to a close by a vote of thanks to the chair.” (To be continued.) i Bisley 70th Annual Prize-firing The writer has just perused the programme of the seventieth annual meeting to be held at Bisley from July 10 to 22, 1933. It is a most comprehensive book, containing 214 pages of rules and regulations, list of matches to be competed for, competitors’ engagements in tabulated form, index to competitions, and index to regulations. Interpolated between pages 106 and 107 is a map of the world, portraying in red ink the various parts of the Empire that have been represented at the rifleman’s Mecca since 1926. Canada, Channel Islands, India, and Federated Malay States have paid seven visits, Gold Coast and Nigeria (6), Trimdad. Falkland Islands, Sudan, Uganda, and Straits Settlements (4), Ceylon and Nyasaland (3),. Tanganyika (2), Kenya, South Rhodesia, South Africa, Treaty Ports, Johore, and Australia (1). If will be seen from the above statistics that practically the whole Empire has visited Bisley during the past seven years except New Zealand. Another informative inset after page 186 is a plan of N.R.A. gauges and camp, showing the respective firing points, accommodation huts, etc. An individual entry form is pasted in at the end of the book, and completes an excellent production both as regards information and workmanship. The book is of a very handy size, being 6J x 4 inches, and will fit any pocket. J . i •, . ■ . • Lee-Enfield Rifle Shortened i

Perhaps riflemen generally will not be aware of the fact that the only rifle allowed at-, Bisley, except where otherwise stated, is the present S.M.L.E. The following extract from the N.R.A. Journal will prove of interest to all followers of rifle shooting:— . “Riflemen in this country will envy their Australian brothers, «who can now use-the short rifle with a heavy barrel made either by cutting down the old long rifle or newly manufactured. In July, 1923, Mr George Fulton, G.M., had an article in the Journal about the cut-down long rifle. What Mr Fulton actually did was to cut down both the barrel and the woodwork of the old long rifle, making it the same length as the S.MX.E. He proved conclusively that the cut-down barrel shot remarkably well. Some years later there was an unfortunate incident at Bisley when two competitors were found to be using cut-down long barrels in S.M.L.E. stocks. There can oe no doubt that the cut-down barrel shoots remarkably well, and, being some five ounces heavier than the flimsy S.M.L.E. barrel, stocking-up difficulties almost entirely disappear.” There is no doubt whatever that a heavy barrel shoots more accurately than the present service rifle barrel as issued to the defence forces in this Dominion. It has been proved that the amount of charge contained in the present mark VII ammunition is too strong for the somewhat flimsy S.M.L.E., which requires an extensive amount of “ doping ”■ before it will shoot at all accurately. If we compare the weight of the .22, barrel with the .303, and also make a comparison of the charge of the respective cartridges, we find that the more pronounced accuracy of the smallbore rifle is easily accounted for. But the heavier barrel does, not obviate all difficulties; thebe are many that'can bo over-’ come only by repeated trials and the sacrifice of much thought and time.