The History of Scouting during the

First World War

History of Scouting during the First World War

Introduction
On the 4 August 1914, the Government of Great Britain declared war on the Central
Powers, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thus began four and a quarter years
of slaughter and destruction, on an unprecedented scale. As a wave of patriotism swept
Britain, Scouts came forward in very large numbers to answer the call from the Founder 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 Scouts 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-Powells 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.
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. Lukes 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.

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 rigours 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 Mercers
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 Burchardt 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. Ashtons initiative prompted a call for funds from BadenPowell 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.
The increased use of the hut at Etaples showed that there was a great demand for similar
facilities and, as a result, other huts were provided. In the middle of 1916, it was proposed
to build a new hut near Rouen, site of another British Army base, although not on the scale
of the one at Etaples. Another hut was also established at Shorncliffe near Folkestone in
Kent as a place where troops returning to France after leave could find some rest and
recreation as well as for those troops who were travelling in the opposite direction. Another
hut, built by the YMCA, was erected near Bethune in June 1916, in the Somme region of
France, a mere six miles from the firing line and, of course, the scene of bitter fighting from
July to November 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.
The significant part of the Bethune Huts story is that it was furnished solely with money
raised by those indefatigable Scouts from Belfast. It continued to provide soldiers with
much needed refreshment and a modicum of peace and quiet right up until April 1918 when
it was destroyed during the German spring offensive. The efficacy of the various huts
provided and staffed by Scouters was further shown when a marquee was sent out for the
use of British troops serving on the Italian Front. This came about as a result of an
approach to the Commander of British Forces in Italy, Sir Herbert Plumer, by the
Association. Plumer was, in addition to his army career, a Commissioner in the Association
and welcomed with open arms the offer of a marquee. One was duly dispatched and
erected at an RAF aerodrome on the Asiago front in May 1918. It proved highly successful
and was heavily used until the end of hostilities in that quarter. Unfortunately, when
enquiries were made from Scout Headquarters in London as to its possible return after the

War had ceased, no-one was able to say what had become of the marquee and its final
end is, sadly, unknown.
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.
Within the Scout Movement itself, probably the
best known recipient of the Victoria Cross was
Boy 1stClass, John Travers Cornwell, better known
as Jack.
He was just 16 years of age and served on H.M.S.
Chester at an action in the North Sea on 31st May
1916, known as Horn Reef but which, in itself, was
a part of the larger naval clash called the Battle of
Jutland. Cornwells story is well enough known not
to necessitate repetition here but, as a former
Scout of the 11th East Ham (St. Marys Mission)
Troop, suffice to say he exhibited all those Scout
attributes of devotion to duty, cheerfulness and
bravery which were at the heart of the Founders

ideas of what good Scouts and Scouting should

be. Jack Cornwell was mortally injured during the
action at Horn Reef and died of his wounds on
2nd June 1916.
Three months later, he was posthumously
awarded the highest decoration of all, the Victoria
Cross. His heroism, and involvement in Scouting,
prompted Baden-Powell to establish a very special
award for Scouts who show courage and the
Scout Spirit in the face of great adversity and disadvantage. The citation for the award of
the Cornwell Badge reads In recognition of a high standard of character and devotion to
duty under great suffering. It was, and still remains, one of the highest accolades a Scout
can be given and, on average, fewer than six Cornwell Badges are awarded every year.
Each and every one is a testament to the example shown by Jack Cornwell that day nearly
one hundred years ago.

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 countrys 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.
Perhaps the hardest losses to bear in practical terms were the deaths of so many of the
pre-War Leaders. Many of these were involved in Scouting from its earliest days and the
loss to their Groups was incalculable. For many Groups mere survival became an end in
itself and a large number did not, of course, survive. Those that did struggled to maintain
their activities and it is a credit to those left behind that, in many cases, the Groups
continued with their normal routines. While the loss of so many Leaders in action was
potentially disastrous, the Movements strength lay to some degree in its boys and it was
from these that many of the next generation of leaders emerged.
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, BadenPowell 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 peoples 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 History of Scouting during the First World War was taken from the official Scout
Association archive website www.scoutsrecords.org