Rifle Shooting Awards

Lot 1110    Day 1    Rifle Shooting Awards

Estimate $1,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

H.M.R.C. (Hawera Miniature Rifle Club), 1923, uniface fob medal, struck in gold (9ct, 7.14g, 25mm), by H.T.P. (H.T.Peat, Wellington), ring top suspension, reverse inscribed 'H.M.R.C./Teams/Championship/Won By/W.W.Davy.'; another, 1924, uniface fob medal, struck and hand engraved in gold (9ct, 4.95g, 27x27mm), no maker, ring top suspension, reverse inscribed 'H.M.R.C./Teams Championship/Won By/W.W.Davy,/1924'. Good extremely fine and rare. (2)

William Whitworth Davy was born at Kaponga on 26 May 1888, said to be the first white born boy in Kaponga. He travelled to England with his family in 1890 and returned in 1900 and attended Kapuni School. The family moved to Wellington in 1904 and then in 1907 Billy returned to Hawera to work in his uncles's taxi service driving one of the first cars in the district. He was involved in a few other ventures before being called up for war service but the war ended while he was still in camp at Manawatu.^^Billy had a great love of motorcycles and entered races in the newly formed Egmont Motorcycle Club in Hawera of which he was a founding member and vice-captain. He was moderately successfull winning the Silver Cup in the Egmont Handicap in the lightweight class in 1919 and in 1920 he won the Presidents Handicap. Billy was also very innovative. In 1925 he created the first score board of its type in New Zealand but it could not be patented as it had already been seen by the public. He also manufactured his own camshaft and cylinder heads creating an overhead valve engine from his side valve Douglas motorcycle which gave him an extra 10mph on his competitors.^^Billy also took up rifle shooting and as can be seen by the above medals he was also successful in this sporting field. Although he was afraid of flying he was a founding member of the Hawera Aero Club and helped to develop the original Dunlop Field Aerodrome. He was also a member of the Savage Club taking part in various stage productions with a particular liking for sketches and impersonations. William Whitworth Davy died in October 1958 at the age of 70.^^With research.