BISLEY RIFLE MEETING

Otago Witness, Issue 3618, 17 July 1923, Page 47

BISLEY RIFLE MEETING

W LONDON, July 8. The most important innovations at Bisley this year will be the introduction of competitions between light automatic guns (Hotchkiss and Lewis). This step clearly indicates that we are on the threshold of changes in the musketry training of troops and in the organisation and equipment of cavalry and infantry. The General Army Staff regards light automatic efficiency as an urgent necessity, and it lias laid down new regulations for weapon training, which will shortly be explained in a new small arms training manual. The soldier of the future must be expert with the light automatic guns as well as with the rifle. The new competitions have added interest to the Bislev meeting. July 12. Lord Derby, at a prize-giving at Bisley, said it was something to have reached bedrock in the reduction of the Army. The margin of safety, considering Britain’s commitments, was exceedingly small. The Army today must be as highly trained as the Expeditionary Force when the war broke out. ENGLAND WINS ELCIIO SHIELD. LONDON, July 1-i England won the Elclio Shield at Bislev with *1620 points, Scotland was second with 1501, end Ireland third with 1051.