The Village Gathering wants YOU to come along and have an afternoon of fun! Saturday 30 August starting at 2 pm In the grounds surrounding Hook Scout Group, Raven Road to remember the start of WW1 The organisation of this event is coming along really well, with local organisation booking stalls and other events being organised. If you would like a stall then please contact Sue, details below, there is still space for arena displays if there is anyone out there that would like to share their skills. We need some help with running a tug of war competition, if anyone knows how to run one, please come forward. Austin Lewis has kindly agreed to arrange a photographic and memorabilia display, if anyone has anything from the First World War and would lend it to us for the day please call Austin on 764765 The other reason for holding this event is that Scouts were very much a part of service in WW1 (and later in WW2). Lord Robert Baden-Powell started the Scout movement in 1907 and by 1914 were an established youth movement. On the 4 August 1914, the Government of Great Britain declared war on the Central Powers, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a wave of patriotism swept Britain, Scouts came forward in very large numbers to answer the call from the Baden-Powell to “do their bit” for the war effort. Scouts throughout the country successfully took on a variety of duties and more than proved their worth. From guarding vital installations to the provision of ambulances at the Front, Scouts became even more visible than ever before. And, of course, many thousands joined the services and paid the ultimate price. Guarding our shores The Royal Navy was put on a war footing by Churchill from 1 August. And almost immediately Baden-Powell began thinking about appropriate work Scouts could carry out. The Chief Scout’s Outlook in Headquarters Gazette for August 1914 includes ideas of some of the tasks Scouts could undertake at this time of national emergency. At this very early stage, Baden-Powell’s notion was that it should be the Sea Scouts’ duty to watch estuaries, ports and other important facilities, such as coast guard stations, the idea being to free up men for military or naval service. Scouts were to do anything required by the coastguard in the way of taking messages between different points and should be considered for any other services which boys would be capable of carrying out. The Scouts were to be supervised by the Coastguard but would actually be under the orders of their Patrol Leaders, thus putting into practice one of the core principles of Scouting, that is that the boys themselves, through the Patrol system, should be responsible for their activities and actions. The coast watching idea caught on very quickly and within a few weeks Scouts of all descriptions became involved. Scout Troops throughout the country immediately offered their services to guard the coasts. 8 Working on the land Scouts in the First World War were asked to carry out many different types of duty, partly in order to release men for service in the military. One of the less glamorous but most important tasks the Scouts carried out was to assist farmers on the land. This role became more crucial as the War went on, as more and more able-bodied men left their work to join the armed forces, either voluntarily or, after 1916, by compulsion. In addition, the German U Boat campaign meant that Britain relied even more heavily on home-grown food than previously and Scouts became vital in ensuring that harvests were brought in and that day-to-day agricultural could be carried out. In the later years of the War, flax growing and harvesting also assumed an increasing importance and Scouts also became involved in these tasks too. By 1918, the situation in the countryside was reaching crisis point. The insatiable manpower demands of the Western Front, exacerbated by the horrendous losses incurred in the Germans’ massive offensives from March to June, meant that every available man was being drafted for service in the Army. The demands on Scouts to fill at least partially the gaps in the agricultural work force became ever greater and in March 1918 an appeal was made by the Founder, in response to an appeal from the Ministry of National Service, through the medium of Headquarters Gazette for more Scouts to help work the land. By May, this had become an urgent call for at least 15,000 boys to go and help bring in the harvest. One Troop, amongst many, which heeded the call, was the St. Luke’s Mission Troop from Chelsea, whose Scoutmaster adapted the Scouts’ annual camp to ensure that they “did their bit”. General Duties Although Scouts’ coast watching activities are perhaps the best-known aspect of their service in the Great War, from the earliest days of the conflict Scouts from all over the country were engaged in a multiplicity of other duties. These ranged from guarding railway bridges to acting as messengers for Government Departments. Amongst the earliest of the proficiency badges Scouts were encouraged to earn were those concerned with the alleviation of injuries and illness. The skills many Scouts acquired before the War became highly sought after and there are numerous examples of Scouts assisting in hospitals and convalescent homes across the country with the care of the sick and injured. Their services as hospital orderlies and messengers were equally highly valued. Although we have concentrated entirely on the contribution of British Scouts to the War effort, it is worth recording the fact that the role of Scouts in the provision of Government messenger services was replicated throughout the Empire. There are reports of Scouts acting as messengers for the Indian Government, especially at the Government Offices in Simla, and also of Scouts acting as hospital orderlies in Alexandria where they would have seen at first hand many of the casualties from both the Gallipoli and Palestinian campaigns. Scout messenger on bicycle delivering a message during the First World War Scouts to the rescue The idea to provide an ambulance for medical assistance in France and Flanders seems to have germinated towards the end of 1914 and sufficient funds were raised to enable one to be sent to the Front as early as February 1915. It was apparent very quickly, however, that this was not sufficient and that funds should be raised to supply additional ambulances. Baden-Powell suggested that a fund be established for this purpose and that it might be a good idea for County Commissioners to nominate one day in which Scouts could carry out paid work, the funds thus raised being allocated to the purchase and fitting out of further ambulances,a precursor perhaps of Bob-a-Job Week that appeared later in the century. The idea caught on rapidly and many Scout Troops and Wolf Cub Packs joined in wholeheartedly. One Cub Pack, sadly unidentified, collected acorns for a whole day and then sold them for the ambulance fund. The 1st Ilkley Scout Troop raised enough “through its own endeavours” to supply an ambulance which saw sterling service in Alexandria in the Middle East until it finally wore out in October 1918. One of the more spectacular contributions came from the Scouts of Belfast who raised over £600 for the Fund through a huge bottle sale. Places of rest and refuge They were provided to give the men somewhere to relax and recuperate from the rigors of the Front and also, perhaps, to provide more seemly alternatives to the “estaminets” and other dubious establishments to be found in most of the towns and villages in Northern France and Flanders. The huts were supplied in co-operation with the YMCA and other organisations and, from modest beginnings, grew to play an important role in helping the men who patronised them forget for a while at least the trials and tribulations of their existence in the trenches. The first hut was established at Calais in 1915 with funds provided by the Mercer’s Company of London, with which Sir Robert Baden-Powell had very close connections. The staff for the hut was selected from the Scout Movement, an appeal being sent out through the Headquarters Gazette to members of the Old Scout Society. The problem, as always, was securing the funds for the establishment of further huts. One was paid for and run by a Scoutmaster called Burchard Ashton and was sited near Ypres in Belgium near to the notorious Ypres Salient. This so-called hut was, in fact, a marquee and was subsequently moved to other sites in the region. Ashton’s initiative prompted a call for funds from Baden-Powell and this fund-raising was combined with that for the provision of the ambulances. Other organisations such as the Boys’ Brigade and YMCA were also contacted and official bodies such as local councils and all agreed to assist financially. The success of the appeal may be judged by the fact that, in late December 1915, a hut was opened at Etaples and became probably the best known of all. Etaples is situated a few miles to the south of Boulogne in Northern France and by the middle of 1915 had become the main base for British troops fighting in Flanders and France. All the troops went through the Etaples base at one point or another and the Scout Hut very quickly became a prominent part of the base complex. It was funded entirely by The Scout Association and was opened in late December 1915. At first, the Etaples Hut was merely one building with a counter and library at one end and a stage at the other. Very quickly, though, it became apparent that it was inadequate for the numbers of soldiers wishing to patronise it and an annex was built and opened in March 1916. It functioned then, without a break, until November 1919 when the last soldiers had been demobilised and returned home. The base was not far distant from the Front and was subject to fairly regular shelling and air raids but the Hut never closed. To emphasise its Scouting connections, it was staffed by former Scouters and always had the Scout Colours flying. Scout Honours in the First World War Scouts were widely represented in the award of battle honours, being awarded at least 16 Victoria Crosses and a host of other medals, such as nearly 300 Military Crosses and nearly 600 Military Medals (the equivalent of the Military Cross awarded to NCOs and other ranks). Again, it is more than possible that these figures are an under-estimate as they were compiled by Scout HQ at the end of the War and it is likely that the compilers were unaware of all the former Scouts who were thus honoured. Conclusion The First World War finally came to an end at 11.00 on the 11th November 1918, a day seared into the public consciousness and Remembrance played a major part in Scouting activities in the immediate post-War years. Annual parades, organised by Rover Scouts, took place at the Cenotaph, for instance, with thousands of Scouts taking part. All over the country on Armistice Day and, later, on Remembrance Sunday, Scouts and their leaders remembered their fallen comrades and the contributions and sacrifices made by fellow Scouts to the herculean effort of ensuring ultimate victory. It is almost impossible to compute the exact figures of the numbers of Scouts and Scouters who served and thus the exact number of deaths will also probably remain unknown. Figures computed at the very end of the War by Scout HQ show that somewhere in the region of 84,000 British Scouts served or were serving in the armed forces, of whom over 8,000 were killed. There is no indication of numbers of wounded. A further 2,800 Scouts from the Empire also served, largely from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa but men from all parts of the Empire answered the mother country’s call, from Newfoundland to the Gold Coast (now known as Ghana). Empire Scouts, of course, were well represented in these contingents. Scouts from India served in Mesopotamia as well as on the Western Front; Scouts from Fiji and various Caribbean Islands such as Trinidad were present too. According to the figures gathered together by Imperial HQ in 1919, of the approximately 2,800 Scouts from all the Colonies and Dominions who served, 273 were killed. Again, these figures are almost certainly an under estimate. Scouting, then, emerged from the War damaged but not destroyed and it is a tribute to the strength and vitality of the Movement and the inspirational leadership of Baden-Powell that, less than two years later, a highly successful gathering together of Scouts from all over Britain and many parts of the World was held at Olympia in central London. Thus was born the idea of the International Jamboree, subsequently held every four years and a celebration of the worldwide brotherhood of Scouting. In a letter of 2 March 1925, Baden-Powell wrote that “The Boy Scout and the Girl Guide movement, which has now spread itself to Germany as well as to all other civilized countries, is bringing a considerable number – about two million active members of the oncoming generation into closer touch and personal acquaintance in comradeship which has its aim the single ideal of good citizenship and friendliness. Its open air attractions appeal alike to boys and girls of all nations. It is not unreasonable to hope that with the growth of this movement and the promotion of its ideals a notable change may be brought about [in] a few years’ time in the relationship between the peoples of the different nationalities, in the direction of peace and goodwill in place of jealousies and hostility.” The contribution of Scouting in the crucible of war proved beyond any shadow of doubt that, as a Movement, it had proved its worth and, with the coming of peace, could once again concentrate on the training of future generations of young people throughout the world to become good citizens and the flag bearers of peace and brotherhood. Perhaps the last word should be left to David Lloyd George, Prime Minister from 1916 until 1922 and, in many people’s eyes, the architect of victory. He is quoted in a special edition of the Times History of the War thus: “It is no small matter to be proud of that the Association was able within a month of the outbreak of war to give the most energetic and intelligent help in all kinds of service. When the boyhood of a nation can give such practical proofs of its honour, straightness and loyalty there is not much danger of that nation going under, for these boys are in training to render service to their country as leaders in all walks of life in the future.” Praise indeed and words which must have made Baden-Powell a very proud man indeed. This is the reason we as a Scout Group feel that this is an appropriate way of remembering everyone that served their country. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO PARKING IN THE GROUNDS OR IN RAVEN ROAD DURING THE EVENT, SO PLEASE PARK KINDLY IN RECOGNISED PARKING AREA’S OR WALK. Hook Scout Group: Sue Hedges 01256 469236 07517476727 E-mail phedges@supanet Website 7thbramshill.org.uk Group face book https://facebook/pages/7th-Bramshill-Hook-Scout-Group/251732664964553
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 22:05:47 +0000
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