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  #1  
Old 19-03-10, 01:10 PM
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Default "Gold Gun" - Guards Marksman

Does anybody know anything about a "Gold Gun" worn on the chest by the best shot in a Grenadier Guards Battalion?

By this I mean a metal badge made of gold, that was/is kept in the safe when not being worn on the dress tunic.

By the way, by "Gun" they mean rifle, and not artillery piece.

I am reading the autobiography of a man who won this badge in the 1960s. there is a photo of him wearing it, and I will post a scan either later today or over the weekend.
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Last edited by BWEF; 19-03-10 at 02:59 PM.
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  #2  
Old 19-03-10, 02:57 PM
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I was able to get back to this sooner than I thought I would.

The book in question is: "Reflections of an Idle Guardman" by Dave Sexstone, published by The Book Guild Limited of Lewes, Sussex, in 1991.

I attach a scan of the author, in Grenadier Guards uniform, wearing the badge in London in 1963. Also, a cropped, and enlarged scan of the badge itself.

Dave Sexstone says:

"Winter turned to spring, and that spring I struck gold. Shooting was the only sport I was ever any good at, and that year, during our annual musketry fortnight at Pirbright, I managed to shoot straighter than anyone else, and was awarded with the 'Gold Gun'. It was a handsome gold rifle-shaped medal that had been presented to the Battalion a century before, and it was competed for every year. The winner was only permitted to wear it on special occasions when Royalty was present, and the Gold Gun spent most of its life locked in a safe".

Anyone have any more detail?
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File Type: jpg GuardGun.jpg (68.2 KB, 62 views)
File Type: jpg GoldGun.jpg (68.9 KB, 78 views)
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  #3  
Old 19-03-10, 03:14 PM
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I may be wrong but I think there is an article about this badge in "The Bulletin of the Military Historical Society".

Last edited by 54Bty; 19-03-10 at 03:21 PM.
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Old 19-03-10, 04:15 PM
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There is a mention of it and photo in Robin Hodges' book 'British Army Badges'.
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Old 19-03-10, 04:15 PM
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I cannot recall any mention of this badge in the MHS Bulletin but I may be wrong.

It is a great pity there is not a single comprehensive index to all the MHS Bulletins.

P.B.
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  #6  
Old 19-03-10, 04:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Tremain View Post
There is a mention of it and photo in Robin Hodges' book 'British Army Badges'.
With a really good picture. It's just a pity he never researched the book more thoroughly as some of it is wrong.
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Old 19-03-10, 07:18 PM
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With a really good picture. It's just a pity he never researched the book more thoroughly as some of it is wrong.
I think the comment is a little harsh. With a huge amount of information with 500+ pages and thousands of illustrations in British Army Badges is it surprising that "some of it is wrong"?

I suggest that Robin Hodges was sometimes misled with duff information provided by well meaning serving officers and soldiers and perhaps the sometimes contradictory views of expert collectors. You only have to look at some the posts on this excellent forum to realise that we are not dealing with a precise science and it is not always possible to be right all the time! That said the typos and some incorrect numbering here and there should have been sorted out in the proof reading stage. Is a second edition in preparation?
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Old 19-03-10, 07:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
I think the comment is a little harsh. With a huge amount of information with 500+ pages and thousands of illustrations in British Army Badges is it surprising that "some of it is wrong"?

I suggest that Robin Hodges was sometimes misled with duff information provided by well meaning serving officers and soldiers and perhaps the sometimes contradictory views of expert collectors. You only have to look at some the posts on this excellent forum to realise that we are not dealing with a precise science and it is not always possible to be right all the time! That said the typos and some incorrect numbering here and there should have been sorted out in the proof reading stage. Is a second edition in preparation?
Maybe a bit harsh I'll accept that, but with such a great book, it's just a pity it has some duff info, my mate corrected a bit in the shaky section and another corrected a few cavalry bits. It just throws the whole work into doubt when whole regiments info are wrong (The SBS is nearly all incorrect from what I've been told....). I never said it was bad or wrong, just that it does have a bit of duff info in it.

But it is a great picture source.

Tom
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Old 19-03-10, 09:54 PM
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I would agree it's a great book, but as others have said, a pity about the many typos.

Hodges said somewhere (can't remember where; maybe he told me in an email) that there will be a new edition ten years after the first one, which means 2015, I think. There should be room for some reformed regiments, new units like the Special Reconaissance Regiment, Special Forces Support Group, and the new SBS badge, not to mention all the Afghan theatre badges. Who knows what else by then.
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Old 23-03-10, 12:44 AM
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Thanks for all the input.

Is there any chance of somebody posting the photo and information from Robin Hodges' book?
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Old 24-03-10, 09:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BWEF View Post
Thanks for all the input.

Is there any chance of somebody posting the photo and information from Robin Hodges' book?
Illustration and text from "British Army Badges" by Lt Col Robin Hodges
ISBN 0-9551464-0-5
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File Type: jpg DSCF6415.jpg (38.7 KB, 34 views)
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  #12  
Old 25-03-10, 02:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
Illustration and text from "British Army Badges" by Lt Col Robin Hodges
ISBN 0-9551464-0-5
Thank you for going to the trouble of scanning that.

The illustrations I posted were none too clear, and it is good to know who presented the "Gun",
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  #13  
Old 07-05-10, 11:50 AM
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Default The Golden Gun

The Golden Gun is on display within the Guards Museum.

It is still shot for today and is taken out once a year for when the Regiment has its shooting competition. The winner has his photo taken wearing the gun and it is then returned to the museum.
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  #14  
Old 19-04-20, 03:29 PM
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Default Dave Sexstone the idle guardsman

Hello

Does anyone on here know this author? He is my uncle and I would love to contact him or his sons (my long lost cousins)
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  #15  
Old 19-04-20, 07:23 PM
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The badge is also shown in "British Army Proficiency Badges".
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