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My Entry to Bisley and to the Long Range.

          Everything started in spring of 1973.

          As many  french fullbore shooters  at the time, I had heard and read concerning Bisley  and was thinking it was for me an inaccessible dream. The then only french participation mentioned to me by my friend George Cunnington was those of the black powder shooters of the ‘Arquebusiers de France’ shooting there the annual ‘Entente Cordiale’ trophy against the MLAGB.

          At the time ; charged pf a mission in UK of research of industrial premises for the start in UK of the distribution branch of a large french aluminium producer , my operational base was situated near Windsor,west of London and I was frequently traveling to England,prefering leaving my car there and returning home by air for the week ends.

          This particular spring week end, I had an early Monday mprning appointment at my office  and my only possibility  to be in time was to fly on Sunday and my only available flight was an early morning Deauville-Gatwick. I recovered  my car around 10am, wondering what I would do on this whole english Sunday ?

          From Gatwick to Windsor,the road cross Guildford and, suddenly at a crossingh, I noticed a signboard on the left indicating ‘ NRA Bisley Ranges’. Without even a thought, I turned left,entered camp and parked my car and oriented myself… It was shooting everywhere, on my right, on my rleft and in front of me..This was a dazzling sjtuation. I started right to see to my great astonishment shooters scaled on 3 firing oints  distances. Unthinkable for a continental newcomer. The range was signalled as ‘Century Ranges’ on my plan. I left the place after a walk behing the longest distance, then left for ‘The Shorts’, the ‘Zero Range’  where I was surprised to see two venerable gentlemen shooting fullbore at a distance of some 20 metres ??.Passed behind a row of short range firing points where were shot all kinds of pistols and revolvers. I noticed a Mauser C96, a Webley MK VI and a couple of GP 35. A man was selling targets, also 9Para ammo he drew frpm a NATO bpx stamped ‘S.F.M’ !!.. A brief passage at the Bisley Gun Club to watch balltrap and continued  to see an uncredible spectacle : Shooting was on a range that I understand later it was the 1200 yards and a good part of the shooters were shooting in a position half on the side-half on the back, with rifles stocked in what looked like a beam ..A detail drew my attention : most of the shooteres were taking their ammo from boxes marked ‘Raufoss’ . I stayed there a long time, trying to understand the marking and scoring.

          Finally, I ceased to dream and decided this site was a place for me..Go figure : such a site at 20 minutes from my base and my hotel . I took my decision and walked towards the NRA offices.

          At this point, it must be said that, at the time, England was living a bad period, and France (and the french) were made responsible for all the pleagues the country suffered,and even more. Newspapers were virulent in their comments….I it honest to say only a fraction of the population was ill-oriented.

          Entering the offices, I was ‘welcomed’ by a personnage I later understood was the NRA Secretary, Air Commodore(rtd) Arthur Riall, to whom I expressed my request in my poor english,to which he responded quite abruptly it was best for me to forget about.

          Some time elapsed, and, a certain July Saturday afternoon, I had the opportunity to return to Bisley…The camp was full of cars parked everywhere,but nobody in sight in the camp centre. .I went again to NRA offices..and the same personnage was the only present..I was properly ousted and I only understood the reason of his bad behaviour when, passing the front door, I heard a band and saw a cortege over which emerged a man in a chair with a rifle in hand coming to and entering the offices. The man was Keith Pilcher having just won the Queen’s Prize an who later became a great friend…A personnage and a Bisley legend, the Keith !!.

          Not discouraged, I returned during a week in August at the NRA where Arthur Riall,just a little more affable than previously,told me that, if I wanted to shoot at Bisley, I had to belong to a club.

          The first I saw was the London and Middlesex clubhouse and there, Major Brown, the Secretary ,friendly welcomed me, said the membership fee was 5£ a year and, still for that year, the Life Membership was 50£, to be increased to 250 from the following year..The 2 digits cheque ws immediately writen and an appointment was made with the Chairman Freddy Payne (a great Bisley Monsieeur who later did so much for us) the same day and we agreed to meet again the following Sunday for me to shoot under his coaching.

          I entered that year the Bisley Clubs Autumn Meeting,shooting a Nr4 Whittaker Special lent by Burt Whittaker. It had a  2 points sling and I found this very comfortable. I do not remember my scores, but they were quite acceptable for a tyro and I so much enjoyed my shooting.

          A few other meetings spring 1974 and I shot that year my first Imperial Meeting in Target Rifle. It was followed by 22 others,adding to it the Match Rifle from 1977 until 1996 when vision impaired compelled me to cease,but continuing to be present at each Imperial since.

          I invited a few friends to come who showed interest  and came more and more numerous to enter the Imperials and ,as early as 1976, we founded the Normandy Rifle Club. Our Secretary, member of the French Embassy  and her initiatives made the task much easier, including the Home Office official recognition of the Club.

          On this subject, the Team Matches of the Imperial Meeting,mainly the prestigious Kolapore and its Junior equivalent,were at the time , only open to countries or provinces being or having been members of the Commonwealth or the British Empire and team members were to be eligible for such countries. We were therefore considering we were excluded from those matches up to the time a good friend (David Richards) suggested that, Her Majesty being Duchess of Normandy, we should apply as Normandy, that the NRA refused. Nicole then contacted the College of Arms and I remember the Lancaster Herold telling us with an offended tone : « Sir, Her Majesty is not Duchess of Normandy, SHE IS DUKE OF NORMANDY and your request is perfectly recevable ». The NRA was officially informed and later decided admission in the Team Matches was on Council(s invitation. The NRC now consider as a duty to enter the Junior Matches every year.

          Very few,i f any continentals before me had regularly shot the British form of shooting and regularily entered the Imperial Meeting. A few Dutch and Belgians appeared from time to time fron 1976 and a German group, who later founded the BDMP arrived first in 1977,therefore, I think i have been the precursor who opened the way to all ?.

          In 1982,the British Commonwealth Rifle Club, whose memnbers must be British subjects,decided to make a single exveption in inviting me to become a member . Proud of this great honour, I became Life Member of theClub and wear its colpurs on every occasion.

          In 1997 , the NRA of Great Britain proposed me tp become one of tjeir Vice-Presidents, a distinction also never before proposed to a non-British. We were two french elevated to this great honour that year .

Robert Chombart