NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 13

NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

FROM MESS DECK, PARADE GROUND, AND RIFLE RANGE (By Bull’s-eye.) OTAGO DIVISION R.N.V.R. (N.Z.D.). Evening Parades Attendances were good at last week’s evening parades and work of a progressive nature was carried out by both subdivisions. All recruits arc now fully equipped and are taking their place in the naval routine of the division at headquarters. A combined parade will be held tonight, when Lieutenant R. A. J. English, U.S.A.,’ of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, New Zealand unit, will give a lecture to the division on the nature of the expedition. He will illustrate his talk with the aid of a delineascope, anastatic maps and sketches relating to that part of the world. It will be remembered that on Admiral Byrd’s first visit to Dunedin he visited divisional headquarters and spoke sympathetically to all on parade and stated that he was reminded of his work in Norfolk when in command of the Naval Reserves of the United States. The •lecture should bo both interesting and instructive. Voluntary Training The visual signallers and wireless telegraph ratings continue to carry out voluntary training on Monday nights and good progress is being made.

Miniature Rifle Contest A match was held between the Imperial Ex-servicemen and the R.N.V.R. teams that have .been practising at the range. The result was a win for the Reserves by 30 points. After the match the evening was spent by all hands in community singing and supper. The president (Lieut.-Commander P. G. Connolly) welcomed the ex-servicemen and Air Lily replied on behalf of the Ex-servicemen, thanking the president for his hospitality and welcome. Other officers also commented favourably on the advent of the Ex-servicemen, whilst the commanding officer (Commander E. F. Watson) outlined the Palmer Cup Trophy and its influence on miniature rifle shooting, showing how it was responsible for. general efficiency.

OTAGO REGIAIENT, Satisfactory Parades

The Otago Regiment, less the transport section, paraded at the Drill Hall last evening, when there was an excellent attendance of each company and group. Work was carried out by subunits, the syllabus for the evening being completed in every case. D (S) Company’s syllabus called for work on elementary gun drill, instruments, dials aud signals. As their new weapons had just arrived, the men of the mortar platoou received their initiation in mortar drill. A Company’s programme was varied, covering squad drill with arms, while a iccturctte was given on the care of arms and Lewis gun mechanism, the points for note during and after firing being particularly emphasised. The signal section carried its work of the previous week a step further and some time was spent in brightening up equipment. The intelligence section devoted the evening to recognition of targets, map enlargements, messages and reports. The useful pioneer section had a change in its usual military routine and spent the evening re-tipping the billiard cues of the regimental room, an action much appreciated by all non-commissioncd officers and men.

Recruiting

The large number of recruits offering ■on the first few nights of tbo training year has not, as is to be expected, been maintained. There is, however, a satisfactory influx of new men of good type and the. strength of the unit is steadily increasing; There arc' still, vacancies in practically every sub-unit.

RIFLE SHOOTING Otago Rifle Association

The second match of the 1869 prizefiring was commenced at 2 p.m.,. states a report of December 13, and was for the National Rifle Association’s silver medal and money prizes; ; ranges 200 and 500 yards, 10 shots at each range. The number of shots prolonged the match so much that the last squad fired when it was so dark that the markers could not tell where the bullets struck the targets, some of the, competitors losing the advantage of a shot. Tim majority of the men present expressed themselves being strongly opposed to the number of shots in any future match exceeding seven at each range. The following is the order of the prize-takers with their scores:—

Medal and £5, Ensign Richardson, (ill, £4, Colonel-sergeant Taylor, 59: £3, Gunner Bcgg, 58; £2, Corporal Robertson, 56; £2, Gunner Wishart, 55; £2, Ensign Wilkie, .55,; £l, Corporal M'Grcgor, 55 ; £l, Captain M'Farland, 55;. £l, Colonel J. Hogg, 55; £l, Sergeant K. Wilson, 55. The range prize at 200 yards was won by Gunner M'Cartncy, sen., with _32 points; and that ait 500 yards by Lieutenant Dobbie with 33 points. Richardson made the same number, but in counting single shots backwards he lost the tie,. The weather throughout the day was oppressively hot, for the valley where the targets are placed is so great in that not the slightest breeze was felt during the day. The sun glaring right down on the.. men the whole time the matches were in progress produced a very puzzling mirage, giving the targets a waving appearance as if looked at through water, and making it difficult to take a correct aim. This, of course, was much worse towards the end of the day. The third match for the silver challenge cup . presented by W. M. Mason, Esq., commenced on Saturday morning. The weather was much cooler, and the light not- so trying to the eyes as ju the previous day. The cup was taken with a score of one point less than Corporal Treseder won it with last year, he having made 47 points, the present winner, Lance-corporal D. Buchanan, West Taieri, making 46. ,The scores of the other winners did not, however, tail off so much as they did last year, the average winning scores being slightly better than at the last competition. The ranges were 200, 500, and 600 yards, five shots at each; the other conditions being similar lo the former mutches. The following are the names of the winners and their scores: — Cup and £3, Lance-corporal D, Buchanan, 46; £4, Sergeant Wilson, 46; £3, Corporal Treseder, 44; £3, Corporal Robertson, 43; £2, Lieutenant Marshall, 43; £2, Colour-sergeant Douglas, 42; £2, Captain M'Farland, 42; £l, Sergeant R. Wilson, 41; £l, Gunner M'Cnrtney, jun., 41; £l, Volunteer Crcagh, 40. Gunners Wishart and M'Cnrtney, jun., made the only tic requiring to be shot off, scoring 16 at 200yds, firing shot for ■ shot. Two other scores of 16 ere made, but the men mentioned alwvo stand first. Captain M'Farland took the 500yds prize with IS, there being two other scores of the same number. Corporal Robertson took the 600yds prize with 10. Volunteer Miller, sen., was the best for the prize, but was disqualified, his rifle not pulling six pounds. The last match was that in which small bore rifles were allowed to compete, and, as it was the first match in which any number of them had engaged,

the result was looked forward to with interest. As might be expected, the small bores took most of the prizes, only one being taken by an Enfield. The short time the owners of small bores had been practising with them prevented their demonstrating as forcibly as they otherwise might the superiority of their weapons over the Enfield, but enough was done to show that it was only the want of practice that prevented brilliant scores from them being made. The number of rounds at each range had been fixed at 10, but, a, number of competitors having represented to the members of the council present the impossibility of concluding the match, seven rounds were agreed on, Wimbledon targets, any rifle, sights or pull of trigger. The scores arc as follows: — £5, Corporal M'Gregor, 45; £3, Lieutenant Dobbie, 45; £2, Sergeant Muir, 38; £l, P.O. Grant, 36; £l, Corporal Robertson, 35. Range prizes at 700yds Were won by Sergeant Muir, 23 points; Lieutenant Dobbie and Sergeant Wilson making the same number, the latter, who was unfortunate at 800yds, being only a point lower than Robertson. Corporal M'Gregor won the 800yds prize with a score of 24 points. The thanks of all members of the association are due to Captain Atkinson for the very able manner in which he superintended and carried out the necessary arrangements for making the matches'go off smoothly, and in such a manner as to give satisfaction to all concerned. In this difficult task he 1 completely succeeded, no one except an j occasional individual availing himself j of the Briton’s privilege of grumbling, having expressed anything but the greatest satisfaction with the arrangements. (To be continued.)