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4. The Hong Kong Volunteer Reserve Association has at the present date a membership of 230, an increase of 76 during the past twelve months. It has become a very popular association. The members have carried out a large amount of rifle practice throughout the year, and a very good average has been obtained. The members have the same privilege of obtaining ammunition at reduced cost as the volunteers, and carry out their practice at the King's Park Range, Kowloon, which is more accessible than the volunteer range at Tai Hang. It has also been decided that a range shall be built for their use at the Peak.
The Association has revived the interest in rifle shooting in the Colony in a wonderful way, and there is every reason to expect that the number of members will continue to increase. It is only fair to mention, however, that a certain number of recruits must necessarily be lost to the corps annually, owing to the fact that those who are only interested in rifle shooting have greater facilities in the Reserve Association than in the corps; but the minimum age for members of the Association is 35 years, and if this is strictly adhered to in future it should not then greatly interfere with the numbers joining the corps.
If the members of the Reserve Association had to carry out their rifle practice at the volunteer range, I think it is probable that their numbers would be reduced to 20 or 30; and considering the inaccessibility of this range, I consider that the volunteers deserve great credit for the good results obtained in the China United Services Rifle Association meeting, in which they defeated the members of the Reserve in every event. I think it would be fairer to the corps if the facilities for rifle practice could be made at least as favourable as those for the Reserve Association.
Equipment.
5. All the members of the corps have now been equipped with the new short rifle. The Volunteer Troop have been equipped with the Paterson rifle carrying equipment, which seems satisfactory. Swords have also recently arrived from England for the troopers.
*
Discipline, Training, &c.
7. The discipline of the corps has been very good. The following table gives the number of efficients, &c.
*
(
1
I
OL
C
1
II
OR EX
rt
Non-efficients.
Staff.
Efficients with more than 30 drills.
Efficients with less than 30 drills.
On
Medical Certifi-
leave.
Recently joined.
cate.
Absent without leave.
Non- efficients to pay
Total.
ZPRZE
$1
tl
al
sł
hi
fine.
Staff
4
2
H. K. V. troop
14
11
coi
Right half No. 1 Co.
H. K. V. A....
35
12
Left half No. 1 Co.
H. K. V. A. ...
19
9
1
1
Right half No. 2 Co.
H. K. V. A....
35
Left half No. 2 Co.
H. K. V. A....
44
12
Hong Kong Volunteer
Engineers
24
4
Total
175
52
18
N
:
1
3
19
3
33
47
60
སྐྱ༔ ཙ ཚེ
6
32
62
30 la
34
ex
5
274
m:
With reference to the above table, it is satisfactory to note that a far larger number than usual have attended over 30 drills; it may be mentioned that, without including the staff, 12 members have attended over 100 drills, the record number being 177 accredited to Bombardier F. O. Day, Right Half No. 2 Company, H. K. V. A.
8. Drills have been carried out throughout the year by the artillery units with the 15-pr. B. L. guns and 303 Maxims in addition to infantry drill. The Troop have carried out frequent mounted drills, and the engineer company have had technical instruction at Kowloon with the oil engines and searchlights in addition to actual working in conjunction with the Royal Engineers with the various engines and searchlights in the command.
All units have taken part in field days together, and a number of the men have had a short training in entrenching.
9. On the 16th December, 1905, a number of the members of the corps took part in field firing in conjunction with the Royal Engineers and the Royal West Kent Regiment, and were praised for the way in which they carried out their duties.
10. On the 25th January, 1906 (Chinese New Year's Day), the corps took part in a field day; in the morning, half the corps attacked a strong position held by the remainder, and in the
291
H.
COI
WO
and
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