Aaron Finigan and Alex Richards of the Guernsey Service Rifle & Heritage Group designed the trophy, display box and transit box, together with polished brass fittings, based on their research around the Battle of Le Rue Verte in November 1917.
‘What started as a simple idea between members and friends has turned into something deeply personal that continues to connect and remember Guernsey’s history and culture,’ said Mr Finigan.
They officially launched the trophy at Castle Cornet.
It will be the centrepiece for the annual RGLI Memorial Shoot and help raise funds for the work of the RGLI Trust in preserving Guernsey’s heritage, including the important Project 16 Rue Verte in Masnieres, France.
The competition will be centred around First World War-era service rifles and their later descendants such as the No.4 Lee-Enfield.
‘The response and input from islanders has truly been remarkable,’ said Mr Richards.
‘Every Guernsey family was affected by the First World War in some way.
‘Nearly every family lost somebody, knew somebody, or carried the scars left behind by those terrible years. That sacrifice must never be forgotten. This trophy is not just about shooting. It is about remembrance, friendship, island history and honouring the men who gave so much for Guernsey and future generations.’
The centre of the trophy is an original Quick Firing 18-Pounder artillery cartridge case, a genuine First World War example, produced during the height of the war on the Western Front.
Its ammunition storage case would contain explosive, shrapnel and smoke rounds in support of infantry assaults and defensive operations. While its exact battlefield history cannot be proven, it is an authentic wartime example from the period the RGLI were serving in France during some of the heaviest fighting of the Great War.
The QF 18-Pounder field gun was the backbone of British artillery during the First World War and was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout major battles including Cambrai, Arras, Passchendaele, Ypres and the Somme.
The RGLI itself had only been formed a year earlier, in 1916, under the authority of the Crown.
The shell will now be permanently engraved under the direction and guidance of the RGLI Trust with wording suitable to honour the regiment and the sacrifice of Guernsey’s men.
Each year, the winner’s name will also be engraved on to the trophy, creating a lasting roll of honour linked to the memory of the RGLI.
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