Our Cadet Corps.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43382, 8 October 1908, Page 2

Our Cadet Corps.

It is not generally known by officers commanding cadet corps that each cadet is entitled to 25 rounds of 303 blank ammunition per annum. Each Commanding Officer of Cadet Corps should apply to the nearest Defence Storekeeper for the regular allowance of Blank ammunition, it is At for teaching recruits to overo >m.o rifle shyness and enables th ■ variom corps to t-uguge in sham fights amongst the vat ims colleges which without blank are fairly tame affairs.

Recruits can receive excellent instructions in firing drill by loading tho* .303 rifles with blank cartridges and firing at lighted candles, set say at a radius of three to four yards from muzzle of rifle aud one or two yards apart. The recruit must aim and the charge of air caused by the explosion must strike fairly near th« centre of candle flame before it will put it out. The ordinary candle has too large a flame, night lights are lies' f*r this purpose. A recruit c m he taught all the rudiments of .-h loling with the nfie in this WBy Hnd it tends to make his nerves steady It is most useful for steading recruits in quick firing drill. All Biitish soldiers ( regular ) are put through a course of firing drill with blank before they arc ullowed to fire ball For some reason blank ammunition is very little used in New Zealand either by the Voluntetr Forces or Cadet Corps. Many Companies do not trouble to draw their annual allowance