Winter 2002 - National Rifle Association

David Jones.22 squad for many years and in the breaks betweencoaching sessions would keep the girls amused witha wonderful selection of yarns and tales from aroundthe world.Davy was a member of the RAF Target Rifle Clubalmost from its formation. He was RAF Target RifleChampion in 1986 and 1990 and also won the RAFClub Championship in 1992. He attended the BisleyImperial Meeting from 1972 to 2001 and was a regularfor Wales in the National and Mackinnon matches.During most Meetings you would find Davy workinglong hours in the RAF gunroom as the Club armourer,fixing triggers, bedding rifles and doing a multitudeof other jobs for his Club mates. He would alwayshelp many of the overseas visitors. The Kenyan teamwere regular clients at his bench in their early days.They would turn up with a selection of tatty old rifleswhich Davy would completely rebuild for them. Thereworked weapons then returned to Kenya and thenext year another batch of tatty old ones would appear.David Jones, known to all at Bisley as Davy or DJ,died on 7 June aged sixty-six after a long battle withTB.Davy’s association with Bisley was lifelong. He waspractically a Bisley local as his father, an Army Captainfrom Deepcut, met his mother when she worked inone of the Bisley clubs - possibly the North London.One of Davy’s earliest recollections was his fathertaking him rabbit shooting in Brookwood Cemetery.His early childhood was spent in India, where hisfather was serving, and at Starcross in South Devonwhere they lived on their return. As a child he couldremember the Americans as they practiced the D Daylandings along the South Devon coastline. Dave wasa popular lad who attended the local grammar schooland was well known around Starcross for carryinghis pet squirrel on his shoulder wherever he went.Davy was called up for National Service in the RAF atage eighteen. Attracted by service life, he transferredto regular Service in the trade of armourer and serveduntil the age of fifty-five, retiring in the rank of ChiefTechnician. His early career was spent on numerousshort detachments in places such as Nigeria. Thismobile lifestyle gave him the basis for a fascinatingand oft-repeated collection of stories about his travels.Davy and his wife Sue married in 1962 and were soonposted to Butterworth in Malaysia. He also served inRAF Germany at Bruggen and Laarbruch. He becameactive in shooting in the early sixties and first visitedBisley about that time. He also was a keen .22 shotrepresenting the RAF and won the Noble Trophy withRAF Brawdy in 1980. Davy also coached the WRAFDavy was a regular on overseas tours with theRAFTRC including Australia, Germany, Kenya, HongKong and more recently South Africa.Davy Jones was a great bloke, an asset to his club, toshooting and to Bisley. Helpful, generous and whoalways found time to talk (especially about shooting)and would always be happy to help out in any way.Our condolences go to his wife Sue, son Martin anddaughter Helen, also to his mother and brother Bob.We won’t forget you DJ.JE WhitePercy ButterfieldPercy Butterfield was born in Oldham in 1928. Hisinterests included target and game shooting, boating,gardening and motorcycling.Percy loved life and enjoyed it to the full. He hadbeen out in his boat, and was putting the cover on atthe mooring when he suffered a massive heart attackand died falling into the Menai Strait. He lovedshooting and was distressed when the governmentmanipulated the facts concerning the failing of thelocal police to engineer the confiscation of his pistols.He had two heritage pistols, he felt the loss of themfrom his position all the time. He enjoyed targetshooting in Bangor and also vermin control. Heintroduced his son Michael to the sport of shooting,providing him with a rifle.Percy was a widower and left two children Michaeland Lynn. We will all miss him.Mike Butterfield86