TOPIC:

In the Natal Government Gazette, are the rules for the various Rifle Associations.



Here are the rules for the Weston RA.

Good morning David,
Super stuff, have you seem anything about the Lidgetton RA?
Kind regards Frank

Frank,

Sadly not. I do have the rules for Nottingham Road, Unlaas, Ladysmith and Wartburg.

Best wishes
David

David
Much of the rules you illustrated applied in the Colonies of Australasia as well. Indeed, some of the more general rules were carried over here after Federation in 1901 and were still observed by Clubs as late as 1996 in NSW. I note the reference in the rules to the Martini Enfield rifle or carbine and I had a wry smile! I had limited use of both back in the 1960's - just to see how they handled and what they were like to fire - and both were quick to the shoulder and solid kickers; especially the carbine. Not that the ME should be despised. The ILH did very nicely indeed at Elandslaagte with their Martini Metford rifles. As a matter of interest, the MM and ME generally looked the same and took the same .303" ammunition - but had different rifling.
Regards to all
IL.

Hi,
I have just joined the forum at the urging of my friend, Brett Hendey. A few years ago I decided that it would be a good idea to collect medals to Rifle Associations. Thinking back, I really cannot explain why. Its not as if they did very much. Admittedly, when looking at the Boer War medals to RAs, the units are all very small and they are mostly from Natal. So I had a Rarity and a Partisan interest, I guess.
Once having started my quest to obtain one QSA to each RA, it all bacame a little obsessive ( I'm sure that most collectors understand this , while non-collectors shake their heads in non comprehension ) There were only 15 Rifle Associations that qualified for QSAs ( all no bar, it seems). To date I have found 12, leaving just Melmoth, Karkloof and Weston.
My latest find came as a surprise. It was a group to A O Zunckel. The QSA was named as to a civilian with just initials and surname. The Natal 1906 was to Tpr, Natal Carbineers ( he was one of those to get a Good Service mention). The 14/15 Star was to 2nd Lt, 2 MR, and the War and Vic ( Bil) to LT. A nice group , but when I got a copy of the roll, it turned out that he was with the Upper Tugela RA - one of the few I was looking for. The naming was not what I had expected as all the other QSAs spell out the unit.
So if anyone can help me to get the missing 3 , I should be very grateful.
Regards
Mike