DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

(Br Echei/in.)

Stalfßergoant-Major Colclough, lat-o of tho, Wellington District- Instructional Staff, and now on;- the Instructional Staff, at Nelson, .; should ; bo able to . supplement the - following. interesting itum;-- - ... , , , ...;' \Ttoro has just died at Nott-ing Hill,',says,. • "Lloyd's KowSjV' Mrs. M. A. Colclough, who , was the daughter, Wife,, mother, and-grand-; mother, of a-whole race of. Army men, all of ' ' whoirt word iof good ohaiacter, and munyof ; whom are still- serving tho King.' ' Mrs. Coi- '~ clough' was 82 at the time of hoi' death, and had lived long enough to soo the accumulated ' services of her' immediate relatives -amount.': to IS)-surprising; total of 148 years, • "and •- still running,''! ■ ' : v -.; i. This is the'family record, one that the pride of every one of tho Colclouglis in the name ho.-bears:— ' !i ; ' Father.—Sergeant Pinnigan, 15th. Husßars, , served ton'years. . , - -- Stepfather.—James Foot, Was Still in the 15th Hussars, with 24 years to 1 his credit w-hen'ho'died. :■ ■ .: ■ ■' Husband.—R. Colclough, sergeant in tho ■ 12th Lancers, fought through- the Crimoa; with'' his,regiment, and ooipplctcd' 24' years.Was general's orderly during tho campaign;- - Oldest' Son. —Robert Colclough; sergeantmajor in the 11th Hussars; ' completed - 21 years; and haß tho modal for long service, Second Son.—James Col<flough, was in tho ■ Bastv ,Surreys r V aad .went.; through - Mio Egyptian campaign, Has the modal with Uivoo bars and the Khodivo's star. Waa - with General M'Ncill in the zaroba wlion the enemy came down upon them, Served 12 i-years. ■ - .- -, ■ , Third Cololough, served'l2. years in tho libst*' Yorkshires, aad- died in Bermuda. - •; ■ • • •• ■ : Fourth Son.'— I Thomas Colclough, served 12 years in'tho 11th .Hussars. ■ ' , 1 ■ First Grandson- (son of Robert C6lcloughU> —Robert Colclough, now serving with. tho; West Riding' Regiment in "India as big drummer of tho corps.- -Fought-through tlie Boer War, and has tho medal with soyen bars. Wounded at 'Abraham's Kraal. * waa brought home witb. a bullet in his beau, lad it extracted, and' haa now 16 years' sorvico, and is still soldiering. ; Second Grandson'(brother of the aboce).*--Maurice Colclough, sorgca«t in the.Royal Irish Fusiliers, has 12 years' sorvico, and is novr at Aldershot. ■ . . Third ' Grandson (another brother) — James Colclough, big drummer in . the famous Dftblin Fusiliers,' has sotvod'. J with; thoin in Egypt, and hfcs bomplotod. five, year?;'; ■' 'As - will be spoil - from thp'_ foregoing,-. Lhis family; has dono, its share ; the -work or fighting tho enemies of their country.■ Of -. tho number Robert Colclough,. of tho second [jencrfttion, is now the keeper of tlw mazo at Hampton Court. - . ■ It'may be added, as of interest, that tho Colclouglis are nn Irish family, and as proud of that as of their sorvico for tho country.

: Considerable dissatisfaction prevails in tho Army, observes".the. *'Stand pird,'' owing to tho new musketry regulations. These insist upon a very high; standard-of shooting at "Service,"'or non i bull's-cy<3, targets, and the majority qf tho men in, the - Army are un- . able to reach the reoiiirsvi figures <)f merit! —110 out of .'200: This entails 'the; loss; ot proficiency .'pay 'of' at least twopence' a 1 day| and,, although 'the Army,, Council,'; as already announced, have- modified tho 1 conditions, the/trpops still maintain;■ in' nearly' eviry. stationthat they are not given ; sufficient preliminary training to cn&ble them • to: do well at Solano or other Ayar targets! An 'instructor !of long' experience asserts,'.that the British soldier is not taught to tecome master of • his rifle, and - that to Bend ;nim into :tho .liild to scores at moving; objccte' is as groat a waste of nmmuhition as waSithti obsolete ''all togothor',' volley, which* after years: of official insistence,, was dropped, at the. first encounter . witli ' tbo Boers. . "The musketry course;'.' said instructor, '.'is a'farce. Tbc ma]ority of tho men, save those ,who. coniji, their, riflp only 1 aa' a-rdrilling' stick.' i Fire, is /everything in . irtodißKi3 war<;oiatxd.,'i r thisWboing., so ( ng thd musketry training of the Army is quite, inadeqjiate.. 1 The bull's-eye course., ought to be a long one, aid if: it were there Vould be no dilficulty at the proper stage in reaching tSn 'field standard -rtquimV % the Army Council." . .' ~ ■

Apropos of the. above ; -an : unusual "cere-, ruony" was performed in the camp of the Devon Militia at Willswortbyi . England, re- . cently. In consequence of the severity of .. tha qualification test in 'musketry thcro !aro no possessors of cross-gup > badges in'.tho battalion how.: assembled i] for their ■ annual '' training. A grave.,was;dug and_ lined with: turf, . flowers, and evergreens, into .wh'.ch, 'after a- solemn procession from the Devon, linos to "the "grave" and.,# funeral service, the. oross-gun badges which had, hitherto . adorned. the tunic sloeves of the, were, ' "interred.: .Two or ,threo wreaths were placed pri and also a-/aires•'. bearing'the inscription; "In .loving memory of the guns of the' Devon Militia Battalion, which, were brutally murdered by Mr. Hal" dane, 1909."^