The newspapers shouted out that records were being broken at the 1934 King’s starting with the three way tie for the “Prince of Wales” being the 1st Stage of the Kings. Seven shots at 300, 500 and 600 yards. H.W. (Bert) Berman, A.C. Brain and F.R. Agate all scored the possible of 105 that had never been achieved before for the 1st Stage of the Kings with Bert Berman going on to win the shoot off with another possible. Agate went on to win the King’s.
Bert also had another record at the Kings[1] by achieving possibles at all the 300 yard ranges for the Championship. The papers tell us that there were 118 scores of 100 or more so unprecedented success for the marksmen of the day.
1934 was the first time that Mk VII ammunition was used by rifle clubs[2]. Prior to this they were using earlier versions of ammunition left over from WW1 and before. The change was that the early round nosed bullets were replaced with a spitzer projectiles with an immediate effect on accuracy.
Note the double arm sling in use in the 1930’s
Herbert William Berman
On 25th April 1915, Private (Piper) Herbert William (Bert) Berman landed at Gallipoli. He had enlisted in August of 1914 aged 20 and was living in Uralla at that time. Soon after, Bert suffered a back injury that was to see him evacuated and later discharged from the Army.
During the remaining period of the war, Bert Berman joined with a group of other soldiers as “The Anzac Entertainers” and travelled throughout Australia[3] putting on shows in order to raise money for Returned Servicemen. Bert played the bagpipes[4] and the mandolin and was reported to have been demonstrating bayonet exercises on the stage.
Bert was the father of well known rifleman Graeme Berman.
[1] https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10954053?searchTerm=nsw%20Kings%2C%20Berman
[2] C.H Cromack papers in the Mosman Neutral Bay collection.
[3] https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75555130?searchTerm=The%20Anzac%20Entertainers
[4] Interviews with Graeme Berman
