Orders, Decorations & Medals

Lot 3842    Session 14 (4.30pm Thursday 24 November) Leslie J Carlisle C    Orders, Decorations & Medals

Estimate $300
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $240

VICTORIAN RIFLE ASSOCIATION MEDALS, (1933-1939), David Syme Grand Aggregate, 1933, in bronze and enamel (26mm), obverse, enamelled VRA and bullseye target, unnamed; Templeton Challenge Cup, 1936, in bronze (47mm), obverse, crossed rifles with Imperial crown above, inscribed, 'Templeton Challenge/Cup', reverse, wreath and monogram initials of VRA and above inscribed, 'Lieut. D.R.Davies'; David Syme Grand Aggregate, 1939, in bronze (47mm), obverse, facing bust of David Syme, reverse, wreath and crossed rifles on a target and above inscribed, 'Lieut. D.R.Davies/1939'; Grand Aggregate Champion, in silver (47mm), obverse, crossed rifles with Imperial crown above, inscribed, 'VRA Grand Championship/2nd Prize/1939', reverse, wreath and monogram initials of VRA and above inscribed, 'Lieut. D.R.Davies'; also National Rifle Association, prize medal in bronze (48mm), inscribed on edge, 'Won By Lieut. D.R.Davies. London & Middlesex Meeting. Bisley. 1924'. The first with broken suspension clasp, the next three in VRA cases of issue by Stokes, the last in Elkington & Co Ld case of issue, the first very fine, the rest extremely fine - uncirculated. (5)

David Richard Davies, born at Ballarat, Victoria, commenced shooting in 1901, with the Victorian Railways Rifle Club, and proved to be one of the most consistent marksmen in Australia. In 1909 he won the Campbell match at the V.R.A. annual prize meeting, with a score of 49 at 600 yards, and finished third in the junior aggregate over 300, 500 and 600 yards, with scores of 47, 49, 49, which was only five points short of the possible. At the V.R.A. matches in 1910 he was third in the Marshall match at 600 yards, with a possible 50, while in a teams match at 900 yards he registered 74 out of a possible 75. At the V.R.A. matches in 1912, he finished fourth in the King's, and won the Tasmanian 600 and 700 yards match.

0n 14 July 1915, at the age of 33 and stating that he was a clerk in the Stores Branch of the Railway Department and that he was a widower, he enlisted as a Private with the 39th Battalion. By the time he embarked on 20 October 1916 for overseas service he was a 2nd Lieutenant. He served with the 39th until wounded in action at Messines in Belgium on 4 August 1917. He left to return to Australia on 12 March 1918 and was discharged on 1 October 1920 and placed on the Retired List as an Honorary Lieutenant.

In the V.R.A. King's prize for 1924 he finished ninth, recording one of the only two possibles scored at 900 yards. After being selected by the VRA as its contribution to the Australian Team to Bisley, he was given a send off night by members of the Melbourne Cricket Club Rifle Club on Saturday 26 April. After his departure for Bisley he was elected vice-captain of this club.

At Bisley, he won the All Comers' Aggregate Challenge Cup of œ250 and thereby became one of the Australian select few who have achieved this distinction, and registered the first outright success of the Australian team during the 1924 series. This cup was won previously in 1907 by Lieutenant G. Shaw and in 1914 by C. Cross. The All Comers' Aggregate includes practically all the open events except the King's, the Prince of Wales and the St. George, and is thus a difficult prize to win.

Lieutenant Davies was also a winner at the London & Middlesex Meeting held prior to the NRA Bisley tournament. The London & Middlesex Rifle Association has its club within Bisley Camp.