PEOPLE & EVENTS > WORLD AT WAR > Ross Rifle

What? • Issued during World War I to troops at a training camp in Valcartier, Quebec • Troops there were poorly equipped, so at Sam Hughes' insistence, they were given this rifle • A good sharpshooting gun • It proved ineffective in trench warfare because it had a tendency to jam in the mud of the trenches • Invented by Sir Charles Ross, manufactured in Canada. Historical Significance • Soldiers were left defenceless, and therefore took Lee-Enfield rifles from the dead British soldiers. • New guns were issued to Canadian troops in 1916. • His recommendation of the defective weapon being one of his failures, Sam Hughes was later fired by Prime Minister Robert Borden.

Ross Riffle Image Courtesy of ROOTSWEB

Canadian soldiers turning in their Ross Rifles in Kingston, Ontario, June 2, 1915 Image Courtesy of Sir Sam Hughes

Related Links • Canadian Military • Sir Sam Hughes • Weapons and Artillery

PEOPLE & EVENTS > TURN OF THE CENTURY > Ross Riffle > REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. To whom did Sam Hughes issue the Ross Riffle?
   
   1. Troops at Estrie, Quebec
   2. Troops at Valcartier, Quebec
   3. Troops at Kingston, Ontario
   4. Troops at Ottawa, Ontario




2. What was the Ross Rifle good for?
   
   1. Use in trench warfare
   2. Taking down enemy airplanes
   3. Nothing
   4. sharpshooting




3. What happened to these riffles in trench warfare?
   
   1. They were taken from dead soldiers by defenceless British soldiers
   2. They exploded unexpectedly
   3. They jammed because of the mud and dirt
   4. They were stolen by rat riots




4. Who invented the Ross Riffle?
   
   
   1. Sir Charles Ross
   2. Ross Gellar
   3. Sir Sam Ross
   4. Sir Albert Ross

What kind of British riffle did defenceless Canadian soldiers take as a result of their defective weapons?

1. Mauser
2. Lee Enfield
3. Ross Rifle
4. Howitzer

When did Canadians receive new rifles?

1. 1918
2. 1916
3. 1914
4. 1912

PAGE DEVELOPED BY: Miss Chong's Class: Risha Kakar, Rita Chiu, Kelly Lo, 2002