McIntyre, Kyle

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

Canadian Military HistoryVolume 7 | Issue 3 Article 61-24-2012The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion RifleAssociationKyle McIntyreCanadian War MuseumThis Canadian War Museum is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in CanadianMilitary History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationMcIntyre, Kyle (1998) "The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle Association," Canadian Military History: Vol. 7 : Iss. 3 , Article6.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol7/iss3/6The ''Dorothy Medal'' and the Dominion Rifle Association Kyle Mcintyre O ccasionally. the Canadian War Museum receives an item which appears to have little significance to its mandate. Without immediate recognition of an object there are conflicting opinions about whether to retain the piece or return it to the donor. The arrival of the British Columbia Rifle Association's Dorothy Medal provoked such a quandary. Initially, the artifact seemed to have minimal importance to the museum's National Collection, but an investigation was launched to ensure a proper decision was made in this regard. It opened an interesting vista. The medal was accompanied by a studio photograph of the winners of the British Challenge Shield in 1899. One of the members of the team in the picture, Bombardier S.W. Bodley, had won the Dorothy Medal the year before. Both the Shield and the Medal were prizes awarded for, respectively, team shooting at the national level, and individual marksmanship at the provincial level. The prizes are a reminder of the role of competitive shooting contests organized by the Dominion Rifle Association (DRA) and its provincial branches in the social and professional life of the Canadian Militia in the nineteenth century. The popularity of militia service at this time encouraged a corresponding rise in competitive target shooting. As with the early United States National Guard, the Canadian Militia developed, in part. with the local regiments, and their social elements, meshing with this interest in competitive rifle matches. However, success on the ranges carried with it more than regional, or even national, distinction. Marksmanship was the measure by which Canadians placed themselves alongside the professionals of the British Army. 1 The Dominion Rifle Association, as with the National Rifle Association in Britain, was a product of the Volunteer movement and to a degree, in North America, of game hunting. The DRA was founded in 1869 and was linked closely with militia politics in the young Dominion. In some ways, the organization was a legacy of the British troop withdrawals from Canada, being formed in the year preceding the controversial departure of the regulars. Although undertaken for recreation and competition, many DRA contests were open only to the military. The conditions of the contests were meant to approximate the conditions of warfare at the time; range was established at what was considered the maximum effective range of the rifle in combat. The national rifle contests, of which the Challenge Shield was a part, took place in Ottawa each year. In 1899 the contests moved to the new ranges established at Rackliffe, where the RCMP stables are now located (by the National Aviation Museum). Both the Governor General's Foot Guards and the 43rd Duke of Connaught's Own Regiment had club houses at these ranges. The British Challenge Shield won by the gunners from 5th Regiment of the Canadian Artillery [see accompanying photo] was an ©Canadian Miliiary Hisiory. Volume 7, Number 3. Summer 1998, pp.55-57. 55 1McIntyre: The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle AssociationPublished by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1998important national shooting award. The Shield was presented by the Auxiliary Forces of Great Britain to the Active Militia in Canada. demonstrating the ties between these two volunteer organizations. The contest was "Open Above: Dorothy Medal. obverse: "B.C.R.I. Dorothy Medal presented by HD Helmcken 1899." threat from the United States. thus becoming. in essence, the first indigenous artillery formation on the west coast of Canada. Originally known as the "Seymour Artillery Company," after the Governor of the territory, it was later incorporated into the British Columbia Provisional Regiment of Garrison Artillery, which itself finally evolved into the 5th Regiment of Canadian Artillery>\ The Dorothy Medal, the small artifact which launched this inquiry, was a prize in the provincial rifle contests held by the British Columbia Rifle Association (BCRA). According to the 1899 prize list for the association, the Right: Dorothy Medal, reverse: "Won by S. W. Bodley Score 95." The hangar portion is reversed in bach photos. to teams of six efficient non-commissioned officers or rank and file, (Staff Sergeants excluded) from any corps of the Active Militia of Canada, the Cadets of the Royal Military College, and the North West Mounted Police." There was an accompanying cash prize of$700, the Shield itself being retained by the commanding officer of the winning team, in this case Lieutenant-Colonel Francis B. Gregory. 2 The win was a special one for the artillery, as it was the first time since the prize was offered in 1883 that a team from that service (and one from outside of the Quebec-Ontario militia powerhouse) had taken it. The gunners in the photograph are identified as being from the 1st "Battalion" of the 5th Regiment of the Canadian Artillery. This caption should probably read the 1st Battery of this regiment. If so, then this group's pedigree is important. The 1st Battery of the 5th Regiment can trace its beginnings to 1866 and the Fenian Raids. A company of volunteer gunners was assembled at New Westminster to counter the 56 medal came with an accompanying cup and a $10 cash prize. These were the awards for winning the Helmcken Match in the BCRA's annual shooting contest. There were targets at 200, 500, and 700 yards, and seven shots were allowed at each range. The medal was presented by Mr. H. Dallas Helmcken. QC, MPP. The presentation cup was given by the Honourable C.F. Cornwall, the Lieutenant-Governor of the province. The cup became the property of any competitor who won the match two years in a row. The entry fee for this contest was eighty cents. The contest at which Bombardier S. W. Bodley won the medal took place at Nanaimo on the afternoon of 20 July 1899. 4 The medal and Shield represented here are from the period just before the South African War. After this conflict, marksmanship became 2Canadian Military History, Vol. 7 [1998], Iss. 3, Art. 6http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol7/iss3/6Winners qf the British Challenge Shield, September 1898. L to r.: Gunner RJ Butler. Sergeant WH. Lettice, Bombadier S. W. Bodley. Sergeant W,H. Bailey, all of the 1st Battery, 5th Regiment of Canadian Artillery. Their weapons are the Mlc 1 Long Lee Enfield, which Canada acquired in 1896. a more important element in British Army training, and by association in the training of the Canadian Army. Pundits, especially in civilian organizations, predicted that any future wars would be conducted at extreme long range, as had been done on the veldt. 5 Combining the photograph of the winners of the British Challenge Shield with the Dorothy Medal. the winner of which is in the portrait, and adding these to the examples of shooting medals already in the National Collection, provides the museum with a solid group of artifacts related to the post-Confederation Canadian Militia. Provincial and national rifle contests were fundamental to the training and recreation of militiamen in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the artifacts can be used to interpret this critical facet of the military history of this country. Notes Photographs for CWM by Bill Keni. 1. T.C. Willet. A Heritage at Risk. The Canadian Mililia as a Sociallnstuulion (Boulder and London: Westview Press, 1987). p.65; William Perkins Bull, From Brock to Currie (Toronto: George J. McLeod, 1935), p.271. 2. Report of the Proceedings qf the Dominion I<[J'Ie Association. 1899 (OUawa: Taylor and Clarke. 1899). pp.35 & 72. 3. G.W.L. Nicholson. The Gunners qf Canada (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. 1967). pp.96. See also pp.112-1 13. 4. Proceedings qf the British Columbia R!f1e Association, 1899. 5. Charles Chenevix Trench. A History q{Marksmanship (Chicago: Follett Publishing Co., 1972). p.254. Kyle Mcintyre is a graduate of the War Studies Program at RMC. He has done contract work for the CWM and is currently President of Access Research Associates. 57 3McIntyre: The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle AssociationPublished by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1998

The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle Association

Scholars Commons

Canadian Military History
Volume 7 | Issue 3 Article 6
1-24-2012
The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle
Association
Kyle McIntyre
Canadian War Museum
This Canadian War Museum is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian
Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
McIntyre, Kyle (1998) "The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle Association," Canadian Military History: Vol. 7 : Iss. 3 , Article
6.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol7/iss3/6
The ''Dorothy Medal'' and the 
Dominion Rifle Association 
Kyle Mcintyre 
O ccasionally. the Canadian War Museum receives an item which 
appears to have little significance to its 
mandate. Without immediate 
recognition of an object there are 
conflicting opinions about whether to 
retain the piece or return it to the donor. 
The arrival of the British Columbia Rifle 
Association's Dorothy Medal provoked 
such a quandary. Initially, the artifact seemed 
to have minimal importance to the museum's 
National Collection, but an investigation was 
launched to ensure a proper decision was made 
in this regard. It opened an interesting vista. 
The medal was accompanied by a studio 
photograph of the winners of the British 
Challenge Shield in 1899. One of the members 
of the team in the picture, Bombardier S.W. 
Bodley, had won the Dorothy Medal the year 
before. Both the Shield and the Medal were 
prizes awarded for, respectively, team shooting 
at the national level, and individual 
marksmanship at the provincial level. The 
prizes are a reminder of the role of competitive 
shooting contests organized by the Dominion 
Rifle Association (DRA) and its provincial 
branches in the social and professional life of 
the Canadian Militia in the nineteenth century. 
The popularity of militia service at this time 
encouraged a corresponding rise in competitive 
target shooting. As with the early United States 
National Guard, the Canadian Militia 
developed, in part. with the local regiments, 
and their social elements, meshing with this 
interest in competitive rifle matches. However, 
success on the ranges carried with it more than 
regional, or even national, distinction. 
Marksmanship was the measure by 
which Canadians placed themselves 
alongside the professionals of the 
British Army. 1 
The Dominion Rifle Association, as 
with the National Rifle Association in 
Britain, was a product of the Volunteer 
movement and to a degree, in North America, 
of game hunting. The DRA was founded in 1869 
and was linked closely with militia politics in 
the young Dominion. In some ways, the 
organization was a legacy of the British troop 
withdrawals from Canada, being formed in the 
year preceding the controversial departure of 
the regulars. 
Although undertaken for recreation and 
competition, many DRA contests were open 
only to the military. The conditions of the 
contests were meant to approximate the 
conditions of warfare at the time; range was 
established at what was considered the 
maximum effective range of the rifle in combat. 
The national rifle contests, of which the 
Challenge Shield was a part, took place in 
Ottawa each year. In 1899 the contests moved 
to the new ranges established at Rackliffe, 
where the RCMP stables are now located (by 
the National Aviation Museum). Both the 
Governor General's Foot Guards and the 43rd 
Duke of Connaught's Own Regiment had club 
houses at these ranges. 
The British Challenge Shield won by the 
gunners from 5th Regiment of the Canadian 
Artillery [see accompanying photo] was an 
©Canadian Miliiary Hisiory. Volume 7, Number 3. Summer 1998, pp.55-57. 55 
1
McIntyre: The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle Association
Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1998
important national shooting award. The Shield 
was presented by the Auxiliary Forces of Great 
Britain to the Active Militia in Canada. 
demonstrating the ties between these two 
volunteer organizations. The contest was "Open 
Above: Dorothy Medal. obverse: 
"B.C.R.I. Dorothy Medal presented 
by HD Helmcken 1899." 
threat from the United States. thus becoming. 
in essence, the first indigenous artillery 
formation on the west coast of Canada. 
Originally known as the "Seymour Artillery 
Company," after the Governor of the territory, 
it was later incorporated into the British 
Columbia Provisional Regiment of Garrison 
Artillery, which itself finally evolved into the 
5th Regiment of Canadian Artillery>\ 
The Dorothy Medal, the small artifact which 
launched this inquiry, was a prize in the 
provincial rifle contests held by the British 
Columbia Rifle Association (BCRA). According 
to the 1899 prize list for the association, the 
Right: Dorothy Medal, reverse: "Won 
by S. W. Bodley Score 95." The hangar 
portion is reversed in bach photos. 
to teams of six efficient non-commissioned 
officers or rank and file, (Staff Sergeants 
excluded) from any corps of the Active Militia 
of Canada, the Cadets of the Royal Military 
College, and the North West Mounted Police." 
There was an accompanying cash prize of$700, 
the Shield itself being retained by the 
commanding officer of the winning team, in this 
case Lieutenant-Colonel Francis B. Gregory. 2 
The win was a special one for the artillery, 
as it was the first time since the prize was 
offered in 1883 that a team from that service 
(and one from outside of the Quebec-Ontario 
militia powerhouse) had taken it. The gunners 
in the photograph are identified as being from 
the 1st "Battalion" of the 5th Regiment of the 
Canadian Artillery. This caption should 
probably read the 1st Battery of this regiment. 
If so, then this group's pedigree is important. 
The 1st Battery of the 5th Regiment can trace 
its beginnings to 1866 and the Fenian Raids. 
A company of volunteer gunners was 
assembled at New Westminster to counter the 
56 
medal came with an accompanying cup and a 
$10 cash prize. These were the awards for 
winning the Helmcken Match in the BCRA's 
annual shooting contest. There were targets at 
200, 500, and 700 yards, and seven shots were 
allowed at each range. The medal was 
presented by Mr. H. Dallas Helmcken. QC, MPP. 
The presentation cup was given by the 
Honourable C.F. Cornwall, the Lieutenant-
Governor of the province. The cup became the 
property of any competitor who won the match 
two years in a row. The entry fee for this contest 
was eighty cents. The contest at which 
Bombardier S. W. Bodley won the medal took 
place at Nanaimo on the afternoon of 20 July 
1899. 4 
The medal and Shield represented here are 
from the period just before the South African 
War. After this conflict, marksmanship became 
2
Canadian Military History, Vol. 7 [1998], Iss. 3, Art. 6
http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol7/iss3/6
Winners qf the British Challenge Shield, September 1898. L to r.: Gunner RJ Butler. Sergeant WH. 
Lettice, Bombadier S. W. Bodley. Sergeant W,H. Bailey, all of the 1st Battery, 5th Regiment of Canadian 
Artillery. Their weapons are the Mlc 1 Long Lee Enfield, which Canada acquired in 1896. 
a more important element in British Army 
training, and by association in the training of 
the Canadian Army. Pundits, especially in 
civilian organizations, predicted that any future 
wars would be conducted at extreme long 
range, as had been done on the veldt. 5 
Combining the photograph of the winners 
of the British Challenge Shield with the Dorothy 
Medal. the winner of which is in the portrait, 
and adding these to the examples of shooting 
medals already in the National Collection, 
provides the museum with a solid group of 
artifacts related to the post-Confederation 
Canadian Militia. Provincial and national rifle 
contests were fundamental to the training and 
recreation of militiamen in the 19th and early 
20th centuries, and the artifacts can be used 
to interpret this critical facet of the military 
history of this country. 
Notes 
Photographs for CWM by Bill Keni. 
1. T.C. Willet. A Heritage at Risk. The Canadian Mililia 
as a Sociallnstuulion (Boulder and London: Westview 
Press, 1987). p.65; William Perkins Bull, From Brock 
to Currie (Toronto: George J. McLeod, 1935), p.271. 
2. Report of the Proceedings qf the Dominion I<[J'Ie 
Association. 1899 (OUawa: Taylor and Clarke. 1899). 
pp.35 & 72. 
3. G.W.L. Nicholson. The Gunners qf Canada (Toronto: 
McClelland and Stewart. 1967). pp.96. See also 
pp.112-1 13. 
4. Proceedings qf the British Columbia R!f1e Association, 
1899. 
5. Charles Chenevix Trench. A History q{Marksmanship 
(Chicago: Follett Publishing Co., 1972). p.254. 
Kyle Mcintyre is a graduate of the War 
Studies Program at RMC. He has done 
contract work for the CWM and is currently 
President of Access Research Associates. 
57 
3
McIntyre: The “Dorothy Medal” and the Dominion Rifle Association
Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1998


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