The morning after The Coronation was perhaps not the best time for a shoot but the five who came on Sunday used plenty of ammunition.
Though visibility gradually improved, it was initially so poor that without optics the Huns Head targets were almost impossible to see, they merged into the sand, “Is the target up yet?” and “I can’t see a thing” were common phrases.
Looking on the bright side I see it as a true recreation of the task a WW1 sniper might have encountered at dawn (without the nasty bits – no mud, trench foot, machine guns or shelling) the light was dreadful, the rifles and their sights were authentic so perhaps it’s no surprise that iron sight scores were so poor.
Had we all skipped The Coronation to read Major H. Hesketh-Prichard’s excellent book things might have been different but we hadn’t – maybe next year?
I must apologise, I have misplaced at least one of the score cards, I know this as the one I was proud of is missing – if any turn up I’ll make an update.