In the course of researching some AIF soldiers I have come across a few who listed Rifle Club membership as previous military experience. I am aware that they were popular in the UK and colonies during the first part of the century but do not know why they were so popular. Knowing little else about them I have a couple of questions.

1. Did the military authorities (UK and Australia) consider Rifle Club involvement comparable to military experience?

2. Was the popularity of rifle clubs inline with the reforms of having a small permanent army and a large part-time (Territorial) force at hand?

3. Did they contribute to the high standard of musketry in the early stage of the war? Along with the effectiveness of Boer marksmanship in the South African war?

4. Any information on the 1910 "Daily Mail Empire Cup"? I think some Aussies won it.

Any information or opinions welcome. I know little about these clubs.

Scott

Shooting both small-bore and full-bore were very popular pastimes before the Great War, remember this was an age when you made your own amusement. It was also seen as ones patriotic duty to at least be ready to answer yours counties call, and if you could shoot a bit so much the better.

Rifle clubs gave you the opportunity to shoot without the commitment of being a Volunteer or member of the Militia if you were a civilian.

Post Boer War when the standard of marksmanship had been shown to leave a lot to be desired the introduction of the National Small-bore Rifle Association, under the auspices of Lord Roberts, was a way of getting the working classes trained in marksmanship at a cost they could afford. Hence all the gadgets for shooting sub calibre ammo from service rifles, such as the Morris tube.

I have not come across membership of a rifle club as being seen as equivalent to membership of the Volunteers or Militia, but these bodies were frequently involved in the training process.

In those days when taking part in shooting competitions made you an upright and worthwhile citizen, and not some potentially murderous gun-nut, all sorts of bodies were proud to sponsor competitions. They still do, but its not advertised very much.

Gareth

In addition to rifle shooting with cartridge firearms air rifle shooting was very popular in the pre 1914 period. Mr Lincoln Jeffries patented a fixed barrel underlever air rifle & submitted patents for the design i.e. 8761 of 1904. These rifles were both well made & accurate making true target shooting a possibility. As a consequence large numbers of shooting leagues sprang up some linked a place of work or often to a public house. The leagues were especially prevalent in the midlands where bell target shooting became popular. The results were often published in the local newspapers such was the following of the sport, thousands of competitors were involved in the sport.

By 1907 air rifle shooting was highly popular, the Government had endorsed air rifle clubs recognising 'that a man who could shoot was a soldier half made' or words to that effect.

The shooting practice & techniques employed would have been of benefit towards handling military rifles & would probably have formed a sound basis to build upon later.

BSA made the rifle later on & in 1906/07 they had a six lane range with targets that could be re set on a winding system,

regards

Rod

We had a very active rifle club in HMAS Harman during the 1950's. Bought our own SMLE's for 5 pounds (10 dollars) and the beauty of it the navy
paid for all the ammo we used. What better deal could you get. I remember my rifle was dated 1907 - no idea of the mark, but was a well maintained
weapon which shot accurately. The purpose of the club was to give some sporting activity to the off duty sailors and to keep us out of the Queanbeyan pubs.
David

Thanks for the replies gents, I know a little more now. Gareth I now know what a Morris tube is if ever I'm asked for one!

Anyone know about the Daily Mail Empire Cup?

Scott.

The Daily Mail Competition is still shot at Bisley every year during the Imperial Meeting in July.

If I remember correctly it is 2 sighters and 10 to count at 500 yards.

Regards
TonyE

The War Office actively encouraged military style target shooting using .22 rifles on miniature ranges at rifle clubs. So much so the BSA manufactured a .22 bolt action rifle, designed at Enfieldand known as the "War Office Miniature Rifle", to enable young men to familiarise themselves with a small version of the SMLE.

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/War_Office_Patt...ature_Rifle.htm

Regards
TonyE

Might be of interest?

http://www.tvc-uk.com/prpc/info.htm


Andy

The place that I am researching had a very active rifle club and raised a territorial company of the Rangers: in the 1911 rebuild of its main building a 25 yard (I think) rifle range was constructed in one of the sub basements ( a recent rebuild has removed the remnants of it). I'm sure there was a connection between the Territorial Company and the construction of the rifle range but can't yet prove it. If I find anything I'll let post more.

Virtually all Territorial Battalions had a 25 yard rifle range at their depot, where musketry could be practised using either .22 training rifles or .303 rifles fitted with a .230 Morris tube. There were even plans in the twenties to adopt a .303/.22 round to enable Vickers practice to take place. For some reason this was never adopted though.

I have shot at a number of these ranges over the years but they are fast disappearing now as they cannot gain safety certificates without extensive modernisation.

Regards
TonyE

Again thanks gents- a lot of useful information there.

Tony- Thanks for the Rifleman site link, a lot of information there. Too much to take in at once. I gather those BSA miniature rifles are highly prized by collectors.

The naming of the Daily Mail trophy as the Imperial Meeting lead me back downunder to an old thread on the Light Horse forum requesting like information that might make interesting reading for those contributing to this thread.

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.a...amp;whichpage=1

Scott.

Thanks for the link, Scott. A very interesting thread.

As you probably know, there is still a regular interchange of rifle teams between GB and Australia. I do not shoot at national level, but I have enjoyed many a beer with Aussie visitors at Bisley over the years.

Regards
TonyE

The Australian Defence Act 1903 made provision for controlling rifle clubs through Secretary of Defence with a view to providing the nation with a reservoir of marksmanship ability. After 1931 it was transferred to the Department of the Army and by the 1960s it gradually moved away from military control. The Australian Rifle Club Regulations made under the 1903 Defence Act, which, among other things, exempted members from state firearms laws, and liquor sales regulations, were not repealed until 1997.
In England, Lord Roberts agreed to act as a patron of the Society of Working Men's Rifle Clubs, in pursuit of defence preparedness. His National Service League also advocated peacetime conscription.

Looking through The Times archive for 1910, unfortunately, other than the provisional result, there is little about the Daily Mail Empire Day rifle Contest of 1910, probably because it was sponsored by a rival paper.

Click to view attachment

(I hadn't come across the term 'Greater Britain' - used in the final sentence - previously; according to the OED the phrase first came into fashion in 1868 as an alternative for ‘Great Britain and the colonies’ and ‘the British Empire’)

The competition is interesting in that it appears to have been held across the length and breadth of the Empire without any of the teams that had entered having to leave their home turf. The Sydney Mail of Dec 30 1908 gives details of the 1909 event:

The 1909 prize list and conditions for the 'Daily Mail' Empire Day Match are to hand in booklet form. A two-hundred guinea cup is to go to the club which makes the best score in the empire on May 24. The cup is to be held for one year. A fifty guinea cup is offered outright to the club in the UK with the highest score, and another to the same value to the club with the highest score outside the UK. Silver medals will be given to the four teams making the highest scores in the match, and to the members of the four teams with the best totals outside the UK. In addition, a massive silver spoon will be presented to the most successful team in every section of the Empire from which 12 or more entries have been received. The conditions are the same as before, eight highest scores on day of match count, seven shots each at 200, 500 and 600 yards, one sighter at each range. Any number of men from each unit may shoot. The entrance fee is nil.
'Extraordinary interest was aroused in this Empire contest last May, no less than 612 clubs entering teams, and it is expected that next years the numbers will be neary 1000, The competition was inaugurated but two years back with 12 entries, the only Australian club taking part in the initial match being Randwick.'

The same article also give the rationale behind the Daily Mail's sponsorship of the competition:

'Unfortunately there are British Countries and dependencies which do not play cricket to any extent. There is one sport, however, which is practised in every quarter of the globe, in every community, one may say, which includes any considerable number of men of British birth. This is the sport of rifle shooting. It is not only a sport it is valuable method of Imperial defence. As Lord Roberts is never tired of reminding us, it is the duty of every Briton to accustom himself to the use of the rifle, and to become as good a marksman as he can. An Imperial rifle-shooting competition will, therefore, be not only a sporting contest which will arouse interest and emulation in every corner of the Empire but also a stimulus to the movement in the direction of making all Britons able to take their place when need arises in the protection of their homes and dear one, and in safeguarding of their country's interests.'

( go to http://tinyurl.com/yzmvbls to see the full article)

A further article in The Colonist of 25 February 1910, gives less detailed information for the 1910 competition ( http://tinyurl.com/ykck6va )

Another article from The Times ( April 13th 1910) indicates that prior to 1910 attendance by TF members at the annual NRA meet at Bisley was allowed to count towards the annual training requirement, but announces that this was to be discontinued with the TF regulations being 'amended accordingly' (It's not to difficult to imagine that this might not have been a popular move with the TF members) whilst commenting 'at the same time it is hoped that every encouragement will be given to Territorial soldiers to attend at Bisley, and that so far as possible, the periods of annual camp will be so arranged as not to clash with the meeting' . The same article also announces that arrangements had been made by the Army Council to allow members of the TF who attended Bisley to use the facilities there 'to fire their standard musketry tests, or classification practise for marksmanship, on the Bisley ranges between July 4 and 8 next, inclusive.' and 'pointed out that they are anxious to encourage voluntary attendance at Bisley, as well as to promote progress in musketry training on approved lines. It is evident that the more numerous the attendances of Members of the territorial Forces at this meeting the greater will be the encouragement for the National Rifle Association to further the progress of practical rifle shooting.'

NigelS

Thank you Nigel.

That's exactly what I was looking for- confirmation that the particular club won the trophy. I was not aware that it was a satellite type competition and believed that they had travelled to Bisley, but it makes sense with the large numbers involved that it was competed at in each dominion. It seems that the New South Welshmen were good shots.

The reference I have refers to some notoriety in winning it.

I think the term "Greater Britain" is actually appropriate for the time and prevailing patriotic feeling. Although I'm not sure which country or dependency didn't play a lot of cricket- Canada does come to mind.

Thanks for your help with this one.

Scott.