Decorated British soldier, skilled intelligence officer, brilliant ornithologist — Richard Meinertzhagen was all those, but he was also a fraud and quite possibly a murderer, too. What is beyond dispute is that he was a fascinating and complex character — and the more you learn about him, the more intriguing he becomes.
Though he was born into a wealthy and well-connected merchant-banking family, he was uninterested in a career in banking and instead joined the Army, starting his career in India where he had his first opportunity to go big-game hunting before going to Burma.
However, his ambition was to go to Africa, finally joining the King’s African Rifles in Kenya in 1902. He shot his first Thomson’s gazelle within a month. He was a great advocate of small-bore rifles, relying “on my first shot at dangerous game to place them hors de combat”. It was a technique that didn’t always work, such as the occasion when a crocodile he thought was dead sent him sprawling in the sand.
This story is from the September 01, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 01, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
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
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
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
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
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
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside