Musketry Squad, Rugeley Camp, Cannock Chase

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Date:1915 - 1918 (c.)

Description:Lance Corporal Oakland looks proud standing next to the young soldiers he has instructed in the art of musketry. The majority of his students look too young for the front-line and will not be able to serve abroad until they are nineteen years of age. They all have an army button for a cap badge and will not get a proper badge until they are assigned a Regiment and will leave to replenish the ranks.

Learning to fire a rifle was only a part of their training but naturally an important part in order to make them an effective weapon at the front. There was a total of eight full bore rifle ranges on the Chase with a fire and manoeuvre course in the middle. If the recruits had not fired a rifle before they would initially learn in one of the indoor rifle ranges which were the size of two standard huts fastened together. They trained on .22 rifle before using the standard Army .303 Lee-Enfield. The eight outdoor ranges were identified A to H and their remains can still be traced to this day with one of them in almost pristine condition.

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Donor ref:12_085r (222/37290)

Source: Mr Jake Whitehouse

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