In the Firing Line in Taskmaster Club

Pupils were given a tricky challenge to master in this week’s Taskmaster Club. Run by Mrs Chanter, this exciting STEM club that runs every Thursday afternoon is a part of our rich co-curricular clubs and activities programme that we offer at Truro School.

This week, our pupils were transported back to World War I and the Gallipoli Campaign (1915-1916); a failed offensive from the Entente Powers to weaken the Ottoman Empire. Wanting a safe and hasty retreat, the Entente forces used self-firing rifles, invented by Lance-Corporal William Scurry, that fired at intervals to convince the Ottomans that the troops still occupied their trenches.

Our pupils had a box of components and were tasked to create a mechanism that established an automatic process. This process would allow balloons and pins to come together to create a ‘rifle’ that would fire intermittently.

It was fascinating to watch our pupils work through their initial thought processes, test their theories and hone their final designs. Gunning for success, it was an exciting and fulfilling activity for all.