For Queen and country
Shooting Times & Country|February 12, 2020
There is a close relationship between the Army and fieldsports, with soldiers using their countryside skills in combat, says Richard Negus
Richard Negus
For Queen and country

One of my boyhood mentors, a sportsman of the old school called David Hopley, wrote an effusive and largely undeserved report about me a long time ago.

I had served for a little over two years in the Life Guards when I was recommended for a commission. I had to present two references to the Regular Commissions Board, one from my commanding officer, the other from a trustworthy civilian.

David was not only a Master of foxhounds and Master of hounds, he was also a vicar, so the ‘trustworthy’ box was ticked in triplicate. His note of approbation that I was of the correct calibre to command men failed to highlight any leadership abilities or virtues I might possess.

Instead he extolled upon my proficiency in whipping-in to a pack of mink hounds, keeping up with beagles, casting a fly and shooting with a modicum of accuracy and safety. Bizarrely, the board seemed to agree with his assessment.

The military has long been aware that the ability to shoot your own dinner can readily be transferred into an adeptness in killing the enemy. A rider that has the pluck and tenacity to follow a pack in full flight across country can become a cavalryman pursuing French cuirassiers.

If your fieldcraft is sufficient to confound the ever alert senses of a Highland stag, the stalker can turn rifleman, bringing unseen and unexpected death to the enemy as a sniper. The beagler who runs all day through heavy plough only need to remove his hunting coat and discard his whip to transform into an infanteer. Though few people go beagling carrying a bergen bag the size of a family hatchback while hefting a machine gun.

The wildfowler will find kindred spirits in the artillery — what with the mud, target acquisition and partial deafness courtesy of loud bangs from big bores, theirs is a happy marriage.

Tales of derring-do with a sporting twist are a regular occurrence in regimental histories.

この記事は Shooting Times & Country の February 12, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Shooting Times & Country の February 12, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRYのその他の記事すべて表示
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 分  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 分  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 分  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 分  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 分  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 分  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 分  |
August 02, 2023