Michael wrote to me as follows:

In my five years at secondary school, Otago Boys' High School, we had Army Cadet Training once a week. I never took part in any "normal" cadet training as I was in the School Bugle Band as a bugler for the whole time. [During that period I was also a bugler in The Boys' Brigade.]

At holiday times Dad had always taken me rabbit shooting, and later I was on my own with a .22 single shot bolt action, so was conversant with rifles.

Then one day during my fourth year we were all bundled into Army trucks and taken to a range, where without much palaver that I can recall, we were allowed to blast off at targets. This was with Service Lee-Enfields with small-bore tubes fitted. All great stuff at the time, and with absolutely no sense of competition at all!!

Many months later, one morning when I got to school boys started to slap me on the back about something I knew nothing about; evidently there was something in the paper! And then came the full turnout of the school in uniform for the Area Commander. I just felt totally embarrassed marching up through the ranks and shaking in my shoes for the presentation.

Here is the newspaper coverage of the day:




and here is the medal



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