The Conan Doyle Shooting Competition Medals of the NRA of the United Kingdom

“He pulled me out once from under the rifles of the Boers …”

– The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier (BLAN)

After returning home from serving in the Boer War, Arthur Conan Doyle became a huge advocate for the local citizens to learn how to fire rifles and other small firearms as a measure of homeland defense. During his time in South Africa, he saw how effective the Boer citizens and farmers were with with their gunfire on the approaching British military forces.

Doyle wrote a letter to The London Times on November 1, 1900 advocating the teaching of proper usage of rifles to civilians. In his letter, he is quoted as “there is a great untapped source of military strength in that large portion of the population who would willingly learn the use of the rifle, but who are unable to join any organized body of Volunteers.” You can read the full letter HERE.

He would go on to become one of the founders of the Undershaw Rifle Club and that is discuessed in this article/interview in The Strand, In 1901, Doyle agreed to serve on the newly formed Rifle Clubs committee of the National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom.

Since that time, the NRA UK and it’s member clubs have held many day-long shooting competitions,and on many of these ocassions, one shooting competition of the day is called The Conan Doyle in recogintion of his advocacy of these clubs. There are many generic NRA UK ribboned medals that feature a bar proclaiming CONAN DOYLE.