SOUTH AFRICA’S EASY WIN

Southland Times, Issue 23443, 25 February 1938, Page 11

SOUTH AFRICA’S EASY WIN

Rifle Shooting At Trentham NEW ZEALANDERS IN SECOND PLACE CONDITIONS TRICKY FOR MARKSMEN (United Press Association) TRENTHAM, February 24. South Africa had an easy victory in the international teams match with Great Britain and New Zealand, which was fired over four ranges at Trentham today, with an aggregate score of 1831 out of a possible of 2000. Its representatives won the match by a margin of 28 points. The New Zealand team finished in second place with a score of 1803, and the. British team was third with 1801.

Definite superiority over the long ranges gave the South Africans their victory. Although the New Zealand team had a comfortable lead after firing at the short range, it progressively lost ground as the teams moved back for their shooting over the longer disThe teams consisted of 10 men. each. The conditions of the match were 10 rounds each, with two optional sighters, at 300, 600, 800 and 900 yards. Two targets were allocated to each team. The South Africans adopted a different procedure from the other teams, shooting in groups of four and two men firing alternatively at one target. The South Africans used a short rifle of a light pattern and most of the British team used a specially bedded light barrel. A heavy cut-down long barrel was used by most of the New Zealanders. The shooting conditions were tricky for the greater part of the day. The sky was. overcast and dull and a changeable light made sighting difficult. A fish-tail breeze blew from the rear. This was hard to follow and caused windage and elevation shots on many of the targets. Although the commander of the South African team, Colonel R. Bodley, has been shooting better than some members of the selected team, he acted as their captain and coach, feeling that he could be of more value to the team by serving in that capacity. Colonel Bodley has been at Bisley on several occasions and in 1936 he finished third in the match for the British King’s Prize. Another member of the team, J. E. Johnson, of Durban, was second in the King’s Prize that year. The Governor-General Prize in the Union of South Africa, the equivalent of the King’s Prize, has been won by Colonel Bodley eight times. His son, Captain R. E. Bodley, is also a member of the team. Captain Bodley is the present holder of the Governor-General’s Prize of South Africa. The other South Africans have good club records to their credit and several have won minor championships. MEMBERS OF BRITISH TEAM Most of the members of the British team have been at various times in the King’s Hundred at Bisley and have shot in international matches for either Scotland or England. The commander, Commander D. S. Swanston, who is a retired naval officer, has obtained a place in the King’s Hundred nine times. Last year’s British King’s Prizeman, D. L. Birney, is also a member of the team. Birney has the rare distinction of having won a silver medal for the second stage of the King’s, as well as the King’s Prize itself. Other members of the team who are also silver medallists are P. R. T. Garnett and A. J. Andrews.

An interesting feature of the contest was the fact that the chief range officer for the match was Staff Ser-geant-Major J. S. King, who refereed file second and third Rugby football Tests played between the Springboks and New Zealand last year. Staff Ser-geant-Major King is attached to the Army School of Instruction at Trentham. Colonel had the assistance of Captain Bodley and A. E. Spradbury as coaches for the South African team, but the last-named two shot for their side as well. Commander Swanston was captain and coach of the British team and L. J. Milne assisted him with coaching. Captain W. N. Masefield was captain and coach of the New Zealand team and T. H. R. Boon and H. H. Mawley also acted as coaches. An analysis of the scoring sheets shows that New Zealand had a ninepoint lead after the 300 yards range, with a score of 471 to the South Africans’ 462. The British team scored 456. Back at the middle distance range of 600 yards the South Africans reduced the margin by one point. Here New Zealand scored 457, South Africa 458 and the British team 453. This brought the scores of New Zealand for the two ranges up to 928, that of South Africa to 920 and Great Britain’s score to 909.

SOUTH AFRICA GAINS LEAD South Africa overhauled the New Zealand team at the 800 yards range and the shooting finished there with a margin of two points in favour of the visitors. The range score of the South Africans was 461 and that of the New Zealanders 451. At this distance the members of the British team did better than the New Zealand representatives, returning a score of 457. For the three ranges South Africa’s score was 1381, New Zealand’s 1379 and Britain’s-1366. South Africa further increased its lead at the 900 yards (range, where it made a score of 450 to give it an aggregate of 1831 for the four ranges. New Zealand scored 424 at 900 yards and Britain 435. The only possibles of the day were secured by South Africans, M. Eksteen obtaining one at 300 yards and J. Hague another at 600 yards. Keen interest was taken in the contest, the visitors including the Governor-General (Viscount Galway) and the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones). The Minister congratulated Colonel Bodley on the success of his team and cheers were given for the South Africans. Detailed results:— SOUTH AFRICA

yds yds yds yds 300 600 800 900 Tl. A. E. Spradbury 47 44 47 44 182 R. Cloete 45 45 44 42 176 J. Hague 47 50 49 46 192 R. E. Bodley 46 46 49 44 185 J. E. Johnson 45 43 42 46 176 L. Boxhall 43 43 47 44 177 K. E. Gruffiths 47 48 49 45 189 C. H. Baxter 47 45 46 45 183 M. Eksteen 50 46 45 46 187 J. Bramley 45 48 43 48 184 TEAM TOTAL NEW 462 458 461 450 1831 ZEALAND yds yds yds yds 300 600 800 900 Tl. F. N. McVicar 48 45 40 46 179 J. McKelvie 46 44 43 40 173