World War I British sniping instructor Major Hesketh-Prichard emphasized scouting and observation skills.
The British Fieldsports Channel on YouTube kicked up a very interesting video in which Major Hesketh Vernon Hesketh-Prichard’s great-grandson visits the site of his grandsire’s famous World War I sniping school. Through his instruction, British and Canadian snipers overturned the early dominance of German snipers in the trenches, and became deadly hunters in the hellscape of the Western Front.
I wrote of Hesketh-Prichard back in 2013, noting that his memoir, Sniping in France contains a long tribute to the Frontier Partisan scout Frederick Russell Burnham — a fine example of Continuity & Persistence. You can visit that post here.
Here’s an excerpt for context:
Hesketh-Prichard was an author, conservationist, cricketer of notable ability, an explorer, and most of all, a big game hunter. His knowledge of fieldcraft and his grasp of the poorly-understood workings of telescopic sights made him an invaluable asset to the British and Canadian troops who were literally getting their heads handed to them by the superior German sniping program.
Hesketh-Prichard developed all kinds of doctrine, from concealment to spotting, and he developed tricks like using a dummy head hoisted above the trenches to draw and pinpoint fire.
The sniper school the Major developed was the first thing of its kind, located at Linghem, Pas-de-Calais. As can be seen in the video, the school looked out over the battlefield of Northern France, off to Vimy Ridge.
I love this kind of thing — the effort to reach back through time.
Major Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard can be credited with pioneering modern sniper doctrine in the trenches of France during the Great War.
deuce says
“I wrote of Hesketh-Prichard back in 2013…”
Hesketh-Pritchard was a bad-ass.
JimC says
He wrote a bunch of ghost stories, too. Our kinda feller.
wrolson@runestone.net says
X-Ring hit with anything to do with Burnham.
Found something fun.
I am a member of Safari Club International and the monthly (or so) magazine always has an excerpt from old safari books courtesy of Trophy Room Books. This selection was from “Safari Sam” by Gordon Makepiece in 1933.
>>>”Makepiece loved hearing about dangerous big game hunting from lesser known men who spent all their time in the bush. He believed that Africa produced many strange and interesting characters with picturesque tales to tell. They may not always be completely accurate, but the stories always evoked the atmosphere of the African bush, of long trails in far-off territories, and of real and near-real adventures. Many of these old-timers have never been writers. So Makepiece went out and talked with some of these men and produced a book of wild game, swamps, forests and jungles, and of adventures in the heart of Africa. The story teller he created from all these characters is Safari Sam.”<<<<<
Shades of Capstick maybe? I have a call in to Trophy Room books to try and get the book.
JimC says
That sounds most intriguing. ABE Books has used copies — cost $50-$60+ with shipping.
David Wrolson says
One of our winter watching projects that looks like one for me and my wife is to watch Magnum PI of all things. This show aired during our teen years so it hs a lot of nostalgic value.
But, to no one’s surprise here, I am mainly watching for “Higgins.” The scent of the far frontiers in the last days of the British Empire clings to him and will never go away and he is a complete badass.
Just to show how nerdy I am-I started a spreadsheet detailing his adventures as they are slowly revealed to us.
IE-S1 E1-His regiment is the Prince of Wales Own West Yorkshire Regiment and when one drinks a toast the first toast is always to the regiment.
S1 E2-Expresses a deep knowledge and familiarity with fireams such as the Kalishnikov and expresses a strong personal preference for his choice of such.
S1 E3-Speaks Chinese and served a short stint at the British Museum in Cairo during the war.
This is going to be fun.
And, Yes, I remember the Mau-Mau episode where his past comes back with a vengeance.
JimC says
This is wonderful. Jack Carr is a huge Magnum, PI fan, and it shows.
And, yes, you are a nerd — as are all of us around this campfire.