Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 22, 26 August 1899, Page 5

Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Volunteers and Rifle Club members are invited to contribute to this column. Items of news, diagrams of targets, reports of matches, meetings, and all events of interest to volunteers and shooting men will be received. Address : “ Magpie,” Southern Cross Office.

Parade nights of local corps ; Garrison Band, Mondays and Thursdays ; City Guards, Mondays, regularly ; Oreti Rifles, Tuesdays, regularly; Awarua Rifles, Fridays, regularly; Gore Rifles, Tuesday; when ordered. NOTES BY MAGPIE. The visit of the Salvation Army’s Federal Band daring the week gave quite a military look to the streets, and, although their uniform is by no means a regulation one, the quality of their entertainments Was undoubted, and delighted large audiences. * * * The parades of the Awarua' Rifles, under Captain Henderson and Lieut. Thomson, are being well-attended just now, and the corps is probably a’s efficient as during any period of its existence ; skirmishing drill being chiefly indulged in, and, as afternoon parades will shortly be possible again, this branch of their work might receive more attention from the other companies. * # * The Oreti Rifles paraded as usual on Tuesday evening, but the attendance suffered through the weather being inclement. After Capt. McKenzie’s inspection, the new noncom. officers were called out, and a useful course of sectional and company drill gone through under them. Some competitors are unaware apparently that the time limit for getting a shot away is one minute from ‘all clear'’ while others wait till they take up their position at the firing point before adjusling their sighters. This should be attended to before the previous man has finished shooting. Each man should make himself acquainted with his turn on the scoring sheet and the number of his target. Competitors should bear in mind that some have to shoot last, and are entitled to some share of the good light, and therefore not waste time by causing unnecessary delays. Another infringement of rules is loading and closing the breach while waiting turn to shoot. Properly, the. breach should not be closed till the rifle is at the shoulder. lam sure these matters only require pointing cut, as some are not aware of the practice and others have forgotten. * * * The squad of six from the Oreti Rifles, under the Long Sergeant g,nd the Longer Sergeant, who undertook the task of placing the new iron target in position at Grasmere, had no easy task, the hifth springtide and strong wind making the work of loading and unloading them on the beat trying enough, to say nothing of the 600 yards through from 6 inches to 2 feet of water, which existed all the way from the embankment to the mantlette. The experience of one well-known private who upheld his senior’s dignity and weight, until his treading in a hole brought both down, made evident the fact that the art of swimming should by all means be part of the soldier’s curriculum, and was great fun to the select few who witnessed it, * . Shooting men in particular and volunteers in general are requested to hold themselves in readiness for a guessing competition in their pet * divarshun,’ particulars of which will be given in next week’s notes. * * * The passing—not of Jones, but of the Oreci’s junior noh'-coms, was, according to the announcement made by Capt McKenzie at Tuesday’s parade, very creditable to those men. Both practical and written work had been difficult and varied, and betokened close application on the men’s part, as well as a natural affinity for their duty. The order of merit was as fo|lows: —

Sergeant Boyce ... 85 per cent, Corporal Brown ... 82 ~ „ „ Martin... 74 „ „ „ Anderson 73 „ ~ * *

The Rifle Club attempted to get off the 600 yards match arranged for, but “ wind and tide wait for no man,” and, after firing a few-shots, a retreat was made, leaving the marker in possession, whose efforts, to recover his boots, left at his post of duty, were as full of-sympathy and advice from the onlookers, as ! the naid leathers were of water from the briny. His journey was not, however, “bootless.”