The Army Firing Ranges at Little Altcar

In 1967 I enlisted with the Territorial Army and served five years with the Royal Corps of Signals. My basic training included learning to shoot with the 762 self loading rifle on the ranges near Hightown. My unit was the 42nd East Lancashire Squadron of the Lancashire and Cheshire Yeomanry which became part of 33rd Signal Regiment under the Army reorganisations about that time. I remember very well my surprise at the weight of the rifle and the powerful recoil which bruised my shoulder!

The firing ranges at that time had both grass and shingle with distances to fire of up to 1000 yards although in order to complete my basic training and subsequent annual range day qualifying it was only necessary to fire up to 300 yards. One of the exercises involved "advance to target" which meant carrying the rifle towards the butts and shooting from a prone position at 200 and 100 yards. If you got any closer it was possible to throw stones at the target to register a hit!

Our accommodation was huts on the ranges itself and sometimes using a drill hall in Huyton, Liverpool. Around this time I also had my first experience of driving a LAnd Rover with a trailer! Great fun but serious work at times.

With hindsight I have since wondered whether all this shooting may have damaged my hearing as my ears would ring for days afterwards.