A week ago last Saturday LERA held a birthday for the smellie at Longmoor Ranges, I arrived very early and shortly afterwards so did this chap dressed in Service dress, in fact I had to look twice to believe what I was seeing!
Chris Barker as I found out his name, is a LERA member and also a WW I re-enactor, Chris had decided to take the day seriously and salute the other members as they turned up on the range, I have to say there some bemused looks as members drove through the gates wondering whether or not they had entered a time warp!
The discipline on the day was as follows:
All at 200yds (due to flooding and other range restrictions)
Zero: (Standing unsupported; Fig 11) 5-rnd group
Practice 1: (Standing unsupported; Fig11) 2 sighters + 10 rounds individually marked. First five rounds measured for group size.
Practice 2: (Kneeling unsupported; Fig12) 2 sighters + 10 rounds snap. 10 exposures of 3 seconds.
Practice 3: (Standing alert, followed by prone unsupported; Fig 11) Mad Minute. Standing alert position with ten rounds loaded and made ready. At exposure of the targets, drop to prone position and rapid fire for one minute.
I vaguely know the bloke on the left, nice geezer all the same!
Naturally enough we only allowed SMLE’s on the day and I think I only saw one No 4 being put hastily away in a gun slip.
As can be seen the range was a touch on the damp side; I was a little disconcerted when I heard a cry of, “come in number ten your time is up” from the far bank!
Chris Barker with a home made SMLE (more of that later) and boating lake in the background.
Chris wondering it he shot on the right target!
In fact Longmoor is a very difficult range to shoot on with the sun in your eyes early in the day making Fig 12 snap targets almost impossible to see except when they have turned away!
Chris spotting using my WW I binoculars, in fact I also used a Pat 1903 Bandoleer to be in the spirit of the original which was always the way of the NRA historic matches in the past.
Here’s that bloke again, I wish I could put a name to him…………
LERA’s secretary got 22 off in the mad minute, note that the bolt is closed on a fresh round and the ejected round has not gone far, coupled with the blur on the hands given that I am using electronic flash he is going some!
Early SMLE dated 1909.
Four SMLE’s showing bayonet boss details.
Committee member on the left about to have a “one on one” with a probationer member of LERA.
Me on the left with my mates Neill and Lyn. Yes, I know about the cardigan, I got dressed in the dark that morning!
The Cake!
This was baked by Chris’s wife Marianne who certainly has an eye for detail.
She even used the detail of Chris’s deactivated rifle that he takes over to France for battlefield tours to help make the cake even more authentic looking than it was.
Anybody spot the Indian marking on the butt?
Hmmm, what is he examining now?
A lot of people had gone by the time we did the photo call; note my wire bound Ishy second rifle in, I had to use this as my pride and joy Sht Le (1905) MkI*** was not eligible on the day.
All in all a bloody good day out.
