DEFENCE RIFLE CLUBS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24401, 12 September 1940, Page 6

DEFENCE RIFLE CLUBS

SERVICES NOT UTILISED DISAPPOINTMENT; EXPRESSED <Peb United Press Association) INVERCARGILL, Sept'll. Keen disappointment that the authorities have not made use of the services of rifle clubs in New Zealand’s war effort was expressed by the president, Mr A. R. Wills, at the annual meeting of the Invercargill Defence Rifle Club. “Of the older members of the club who are not eligible for active service, there are, .quite a number who would be Useful for teaching recruits to shoot,” he said. “Many of those who had gone away would be far better shots, if they had had training from men who Understood the job.” 'When war was declared, he said, he had telephoned the local authorities and had asked if the defence rifle club members would be taking part in home defence or guard duty, and he had been told that that would not .be the case, and that those members who were eligible could sign on in the ordinary way.”

"The position is they are not going to use us, and that is not right,” Mr Wills said. “No matter how old.a man is, so long as he can shoot he would be of value in some way. I’m quite satisfied that if we picked out a squad from our two rifle clubs here any enemy coming within 100 yards would get a hot time, a hotter time than any territorials could give them.” .