RIFLE AND RANGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18011, 23 November 1926, Page 6

RIFLE AND RANGE

WITH THE .303: BY

" TRIGGER.”

FIXTURES. December 28, -29—North Island Championships at Wanganui. December 25, 27—South Island Cham pionships at Invercargill. January ]—Canterbury Rifle Meeting at Redcliffs. January* I—-Wellington Rifle Meeting at Trent ham. :: x THE COMING CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS. All riflemen will shortly be arranging for the attending of one of the various championship meetings which are to be held during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Canterbury Rifle Association’s meeting, which will be held at Redcliffs on New Year's Day, will attract many local riflemen. A splendid programme has been drawn up and is now in the printer’s hands. Several special, .prizes should encourage larger entries-than past years. For those who wish to travel there is a meeting at Wanganui where the North Island championship will be held. Some £4OO in prize money will be dis tributed during the two days. This year Wellington has fallen into line with the Association and will limit its meeting to one day—New Voors Dav.

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. LORD JELLICOE AS CHAIRMAN. The National Rifle Association lost a great and staunch supporter of rifle shooting when Major-General Lofd Cheylesmore died last July* after a lamentable motor accident. Lord Cheylesmore was well known to all colonials who have competed at the world-famous Bisley* matches. In 1903 he succeeded Sir Henry Fletcher as chairman of the council of the N.R.A. His greatest contribution towards national defence lay in his whole hearted devotion to the cult of marksmanship, and his high office in the association to which be had been called gave him extended influence in the direction which he saw so clearly would bring the greatest good to the greatest number. Through his efforts Bisley soon became the centre of rifle Shooting throughout the Empire, and teams and individuals from every* dominion and colony- Were annually represented. Lord Cheylesmore was not chairman of the association only but in many instances he was alone responsible for the arrival of many visiting teams or groups of * oversea marksmen. His personality materially assisted to make the Bisley of the present day, and his loss was a severe blow to the N.R.A. The onerous duties of chairman of the council have nriw on the shoulders of another

1 great representative of Empire (Lord Jellicoe). Thousands of the dominions’ soldiers served under Lord Jellicoe in the Great War. In the March number of the “N.R.A. Journal.” 11. C. Ferwraby (author of the “ Imperial British Navy ”) says:— “ Tl’ you want to know Lord Jellicoe look at the frontispiece of his first book, * The Grand Fleet. 1914-16.’ That book is the record of the culmination of his life's work for the Navy*. It. is the story of the days when he was Commander-in-Chief of the world’s greatest fleet. He was still Captain Jellicoe when I first encountered him He was then Naval Assistant to the Controller of the Navy; a spare, athletic, little man. And a spare, athletic, little man he was still a dozen years later when he took over the Grand Fleet command. ‘Jellicoe of Sea pa ’ he became after the passage of a few historic years, and T have a memory* of him, a spare, quick-moving figure in a watchboat, only half seen in the dim light of the rare lamps among the alleys, of Portsmouth Dockyard! Admiral of the Fleet and Viscount, on hi.s way* to. H.M.S. New Zealand, in which he was setting out on that dominion tour after the war that was his last great administrative task for the R,oyal Navy—and for its embryonic successor, the Imperial British Navy. “There was something symbolic of his whole career in that lonely flitting through the half-light among the bypaths. No man ever avoided the arc lamps and the high roads of public life so studiously*. “ And yet few men have been thrust into more dramatic positions. In 1886 he took part in a heroic attempt to save life from a steamer stranded near Gibraltar. In 1893, as commander of H.M.S. Victoria, when she was rammed and sunk by H.M.S. Camperdown, he was one of the few who survived the disaster. He was severely wounded in the attempt to relieve the Pekin Legations in 1900. Even the great blaze of publicity* iri which the admiral lived during the Fisher regime left him obscure so far as the general public was concerned.. “ The war made his name throughout the world: but he remained a name. The man himself was known only* to the service. “ Since his active career at sea finished, however, he has been a little less shy*. Paradoxically*, his retirement brought about his emergence. As Gov-ernor-General of New Zealand, life played a prominent part in public life ashore, and perhaps the kindly nature of the New Zealanders helped him to overcome his distaste for the brazen ephemera of publicity*. Since his return to England a few months ago, he has made frequent public appearances, and in taking tip the office of chairman of the council of the National Rifle Association he knows that, he is entering upon no ornamental post, whose duties consist of providing a yearly subscription, and graciously permitting the appearance of a noble name at the head of a list of officers. “ Lord Jellicoe is, and always has been, a gunnery* man, and as such, his favourite ‘ rifles ’ being large in calibre, would be rather unpopular on the Bisley* ranges. But he is keen on marksmanship in all its forms, and was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the rifle and pistol range w*hich was constructed on Flotta Island, just south of .the Grand Fleet anchorage in Scarpa Flow. There, through the fifty-one months of their North Sea vigil, the officers and men of the fleet were able to get small arms practice —though opportunities of short range firing or hand to hand fighting were very* few* in the sea campaign. The Flotta range -had its usefulness, nevertheless, just as the football grounds, the golf links and the gardens had their uses. It provided occupation and recreation in a corner of the world that had little of natural attraction to offer. “ Much of the success of those efforts to provide recreation was due to the personal encouragement of the admiral. 1 There was small chance for him to play hurried round of golf, an occasional tramp over the islands, was about the limit of his leisure. But he was a keen play*er of games, a firm believer in the value of doing something different from the day*'s work. ‘ The job ’ first, but not the job all the time. “It will be noticed that I have written an article about Lord Jellicoe • ■without mentioning Jutland. The story of Jutland was written on May 31, 1916. What happened afterwards was —talk, and talk, and yet more talk.” At the winter general meeting of the N.R.A. in February, Lord Jellicoe was welcomed as ehairrtian. In a brief acknowledgment, he said he woul.d always do his best to carry* on the great work which Lord Cheylesmore had so successfully* accomplished. CLUB NOTES. The Christchurch Defence Club fired its second long range competition at Tai Tapu on Saturday* afternoon. A tricky south-west wind made conditions very* difficult, and several competitors had unaccountable misses which pulled their totals dow*n considerably. The winner, H. M’Elvy, shot most’ consistently, notching 34 at SOOvds and 31 at 900yds. putting on the’ possible of 70 w*ith his handicap. The top score at the opening range was a splendid possible by 11. Judkins. He Opened with a bull and a four for sighters which he cut out. He followed with seven bull's-ey*es. , H. Harries also shot well for 34. The scoring fell badlv at the second distance, and, with the exception of P. Robertson’s 32 and two others of 31, the rest were verypoor. The scores were as follows:

The Ashburton Defence Rifle Club fired two matches on Saturday*, the first at 500yds and 600yds and the second at 300yds and 600vds. A rear wind had many* of the riflemen in difficulties, but nevertheless several good totals were put on. Most notable were a 47 by F. Clark at the opening range of the first match and a similar total by D. Keir at the 300y*ds of the second match. The leading scores were as follows: —

the Christchurch club at Tai Tapu on Saturdav. k The following will represent, the Christchurch club next Saturday at Tai Tapu against Raihvav:- 11. Ilarries. F. Judkins, R. Piper. P. 11. Powell, S. Nelson. 1). Harries. 11. Judkins. P. Robertson. N. Wood. G. Hepburn, A. • lialmshaw, N. Harris.

1 M-Kirov .. yds. 34 yds. 1 Hop. TK i «r» H. k 31 1 62 :U 1 t? sj i r.9 5 7,7 A. pYjj?” J 1 \ 1 U. F. S. J. ?BF :: Chapman Vt i 26 T^i H. Harries Wood Halmsha w 34 8 5 8 CJ. N. Hepburn p ii J 1 15 1 5 5 3u A. 19 7 31

500 600 yds. Tl. .T. Trandl* 42 85 rj. Crom* 45 C. Storrier 36 41 7 F. Clark B. Tutt.y aoo yds. Tl. .... 44 42 5 91 88 V. Nicholls . . 44 40 2 86 C. ptorrier 10. Truman 43 32 i 76 J. Clayton ■ 1? ./’ 4 3 ‘ • A match has been arranged betvv een C-.« Railwa vr Defence Rifle Club nrl