Item 01: Ralph Ingram Moore letters, 10 February 1907-15 March 1918 - Page 591
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[Page 591]
The Times, Thursday, May 25, 1916
Champions of the Forest
Tree-felling at the Front
Dominion Troops' Match.
€‹(From our Special Correspondent.)
€‹British Headquarters, May 22.
One of those incidents which help to make life at the front easier for a sport-loving people took place "somewhere" in the French woods yesterday, in the shape of a woodsmen's competition in which Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders took part, as well as employees of the French Forest Control Service. The competition was immensely successful, the honours in the chief event of the day - the tree felling - going to the New Zealanders.
The meeting grew out of an impromptu and informal match which took place a short time back between some New Zealanders and French bûcherons, in which the New Zealanders were not so triumphant as they were in the bigger event yesterday. This was neither impromptu nor informal. Arrangements had been made well in advance. Near the ground the road was marked by placards on the trees: "This Way to the Tree-felling Competition," and there was a large gathering of spectators in khaki. The trees - well-grown beeches, which are so beautiful a feature of this part of France - had been carefully selected and were tied round with the colours of the competitors to whom they had been assigned. A band was in attendance and there were printed programmes. The prizes, which were in money, amounting to a total of £20, were distributed by General Birdwood, and Commandant Delaroche, Inspecteur des Eaux et Forêts, judged the competition between the Frenchmen. Everything, in fact, was done in a style befitting so momentous an occasion.
The Programme.
€‹There were five events on the programme, namely, tree-felling by teams of three; individual log-chopping; cross-cut sawing for teams of two; individual exhibition of axemanship; and individual tree-felling for the French woodsmen. In each of the first four events Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders competed, the Canadians being chiefly represented by French Canadians from Quebec. All alike had their enthusiastic partisans among the spectators, who were by no means backward in tendering advice. The scene, on a perfect May day of summer heat, in the depths of the woods, was as beautiful as it was interesting.
In the chief event, won, as has been said, by the New Zealanders, each team of three men had to cut down three trees, the time taken for each of the three trees being added together. As soon as a man had finished his tree the rules permitted him to go to the help of another member of his team. The time of the winders was 22 min. 40 sec., or an average of a little over 7 minutes for each 2-foot tree. The Australians were second in 31 min. 8 sec., and the Canadians third in 45 min. 22 sec. The Canadians, however, were at a disadvantage in that some of their selected team had been suddenly moved away on more urgent business. All members of the New Zealand team were understood to be Maoris or partly of Maori blood.
The log-chopping was won by Australia, with New Zealand second. Canada, however, had her revenge in the cross-cut sawing, in which the New Zealanders were once more runners-up. In the exhibition of axemanship a Maori won, with a Canadian second. The honours of the day, therefore were with the New Zealanders, the total marks on a system of 2 for a first and 1 for a second place being:- New Zealand 6, Australia and Canada each 3.
The French woodsmen in their competition - their method being to fell the tree much nearer the ground than after the lavish transoceanic fashion - showed themselves very pretty axemen; and there was probably no competitor who at the end of the day would not have cheerfully conceded that he had something to learn from somebody else.