Brig Chris Appleton, in beret, congratulates the winning 1RAR team. Back row, from left: Ptes Frank Fraser, Gavin Henry, Sgt Michael Lally, LCpl Chris Schutt. Front row, from left: Ptes Paul Munro, Ross De Vincentis, Luca Raishbratt, Gus Ruiz and Robert Clark. A soldier engages targets during AASAM. Photos by Maj Keith Fraser, School of Infantry

DoG Cup comebacks

By Maj Keith Fraser
THE prestigious Duke of Gloucester (DoG) Cup has been won by 1RAR after a five-year break in the competition.

The 1RAR team, led by Sergeant Michael Lally, competed in combat shooting against other full-time infantry battalions over seven days of competition and amassed the highest aggregate score in selected day and night matches at the Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting (AASAM) 2003.

Firing Minimis and Steyrs in battle scenarios, at ranges from 500 to 25m, individual, pairs and team results were accumulated to determine the winner.

First contested in Japan in 1947 by the Australian 65th, 66th and 67th Battalions of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (later 1, 2 and 3RAR), the DoG Cup was revived at AASAM 2003 to reignite the once-annual and fiercely contested competition.

When awarding the Cup, the Regimental Colonel, Brig Chris Appleton acknowledged that not all six full-time battalions had been able to compete in 2003 because of the ADF's ongoing operational commitments.

With one of the six full-time battalions deployed on continual rotation to East Timor since 1999, the annual competition was held in abeyance until all battalions were again on home shore. At the RAR Regimental Council Meeting held in July 2003, it was resolved that because of the Cup's long history and standing within the RAR as the premier inter-battalion competition, the once annual event would resume in 2003 regardless of the number of units deployed overseas.

The Duke of Gloucester, then Governor General of Australia, presented a cup to each of the three services in 1946.

Army's initial competition, in 1947, was between the three Permanent Military Force (PMF) battalions of the 34th Commonwealth Brigade, which was on occupation force duties in Japan after WWII.

Annual competitions were conducted until the early 1950s when 3RAR deployed to Korea with the United Nations.

It was not until 1972, at the end of Australia's commitment in Vietnam, that all full-time (nine by this time) battalions were again together on Australian soil, having been dispersed, in the ensuing years to Borneo, Malaya, Vietnam and Singapore.

Annual competition, in a variety of formats, was conducted sporadically from 1972 until 1998 when, in 1999, the first RAR battalion group deployed to East Timor as part of the International Force East Timor (INTEFET).

Navy and Air Force DoG Cups have been contested annually, so by rejuvenating the RAR competition in 2003 after a five-year absence, Army is once again giving the competition its due recognition.

At AASAM 2003, the 1RAR team also received the MacDonald Cup, first awarded in 1986 in conjunction with the DoG Cup for the Infantry section performing best on night operations in battle-craft and shooting skills, for achieving the highest aggregate of AASAM scores in the night matches.

Subject to operational duties, all six full-time infantry battalions will compete for both cups at AASAM 2004.

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