This brief history of the Group must, of necessity,
be incomplete since it has been compiled from the memories of three former
members of the Group. It therefore covers mostly the very early years in the
first part of the 20th. century, together with the 1940’s and the 1950’s.
Memory, at this length of time can make mistakes. Should anyone reading this
have a different story, or be able to provide a more recent history, please
type it up and send it to Daniel Eves or to me.
John Hasselgren, Group Chairman.
The Group was founded, as a Land Scout Patrol, in 1909 with assistance
from Mr. P. G. Blyth who was teaching at Bancroft’s School. Some years
later he wrote the following in the School magazine:
At the bookstall at Chingford Station in March 1908 I noticed Part 1 of
Scouting for Boys by Lt. Gen. Baden-Powell, which was first published in fortnightly
parts. As a boy I had thought that schools did not teach many things that
I would have liked to know, and when cadets were started in those days I thought
that, though there were interesting things about them, they wasted a lot of
time over too much drill, and did not do enough else. When I read Scouting
for Boys I thought that this was just the sort of thing that was wanted.
In August Baden-Powell had his second experimental boys’ camp by
the Beaulieu River near the New Forest. There were 30 boys selected by a competition
in gathering coupons from the weekly paper The Scout which had started in
April, and one of them was a Buckhurst Hill Bancroft boy R. N. Brock. In September
R. N. Brock, E. R. Hart, A. A. Mead, A. E. Pluck and L. C. Scott formed a
Patrol, which met at Brock’s house, and they were joined soon after by
L. J. Hirst. Knowing that I was interested they asked if I would act as Scoutmaster.
I said that I would like to do so the following term, but that there would
have to be a School Troop. I was also approached by a boarder. The 4th. Epping
Forest (Bancroft’s) Troop was started at the beginning of the Lent term
1909, Brock’s boys forming one of the patrols (Kangaroos) and E. R. Hart
became Patrol Leader of another Patrol (Lions).
Three other Troops had already started in the District, the 1st. (Congregational
Church - George Lane), the 2nd. (All Saints, Woodford Green) and the 3rd.
(Snakes Lane). They were run by men who had been accustomed to Boys Brigades
and were much inclined for parades, marches, flags, bands etc., which did
not agree with my idea of Scouting, though we sometimes joined them. Those
ways have now gone.
Gen. Baden-Powell had made a brilliant suggestion, but we had to work out the details and find things out for ourselves gradually. Scouting has now developed a lot, but it has not been worked out like Cricket to the last batting-glove and pitch manoeuvres nor like Football to the last line, flag and lemons in the interval. Scouts, besides getting experience and fun for themselves, have the interest of knowing that they are working for still greater development in the future.
- By PG Blyth
The following memories about the 4th Epping Forest (Bancrofts School) Scout
Troop have been contributed Norman Hammond who was at Bancroft’s School
from 1940 to 1948:
I went to Bancroft’s in 1940 and joined the 4th. Epping Forest, as
it was, in early 1943. Meetings were held in the Troop Room - now the Tuck
Shop. It was Jack Earle - a Geography Teacher who changed the Group to Sea
Scouts from Land Scouts just before the war. Whilst he was away on active
service in the navy Mr Houston took responsibility for the Group. After the
war Jack Earle returned for a short period before going to teach in Northern
Ireland. Our summer camp in 1947 was at Newcastle in County Down.
When Mr Earle went there was not a master who would take over the running
of the group. However Mr Tom Winder and Mr Jim Cunnington helped. Neither
had connections with Bancrofts, and are both still alive aged 94 and 80+.
(Sadly, both have died since Norman wrote this.)
My first camp with the 4th was on an old sailing barge called Quest in
1943 and it was moored off what is now Fox’s Marina, Ipswich. I remember
sailing on the Broads, Summer Camp at Salcombe and Chichester, and at Goodwood
we pulled the Trek Cart round the car racing track and wide games were held
on the race course!
In 1946 I went to Sweden as part of the British contingent to the Swedish
National Camp held on the East Coast of Sweden near Stockholm.
So far as scouting proficiency was concerned I finished up a King’s (now Queen’s) Scout and received my certificate from the Chief Scout Lord Rowallen at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich shortly before I joined the Royal Navy for National Service in 1948.
- By NF Hammond
I will try to take up the story from Norman.
I joined Bancroft’s as a boarder in 1949. There were no girls at the
school in those days. At the interview at Drapers’ Hall, when asked if
there was anything I wished to know about the school, I asked if there was
a Scout Troop, having been a Cub and recently moved up to the Scouts in the
16th. Fulham Group. I was assured that there were Scouts at Bancroft’s,
so decided that leaving home at the age of eleven wouldn’t be so bad
after all.
You were not allowed to join the Troop in your first year, so I had to wait
until September 1950 before joining. Those applying were each interviewed
by the Court of Honour (Patrol Leaders’ Council) before being accepted,
although I cannot recollect anyone being rejected. The Troop, consisting of
Scouts and Senior Scouts, was run by Jim Cunnington, a Yorkshire man and a
Post Office engineer who lived in the Monkhams area. He was assisted by Ron
Knights, known as Nickel Knights, an Old Bancroftian and captain and hooker
for the rugby club. Sadly, neither Jim nor Ron are still with us. About this
time Norman Hammond, sometimes called Wally after the famous English batsman,
returned from National Service, and became an Assistant Scout Leader.
We met, then as now, on a Thursday evening. On Friday afternoon at 3.00 pm.,
when the Combined Cadet Force paraded, we had a second Troop meeting. As Jim,
Ron and Norman were all at work, this was run by the Senior Scouts. Having
no boats of our own, with only occasional use of Duckling - a small wooden
dinghy built by D. L. Houston, Housemaster of School House - we had to learn
seamanship ashore, getting afloat whenever we could. We learnt to tie knots
and bends, to splice rope and to signal with semaphore. We even had a navigation
class. As a treat we went pulling in whalers from RRS Discovery, then moored
on the Thames at the Embankment in London. Then P.G. Blyth left us some money
in his will and we were able to buy Blyth I and II. These were wooden GP 14
sailing dinghies which were kept at Burnham on Crouch, where we sailed at
week-ends. Travelling was by steam train after morning school and lunch on
Saturday. As boarders we had to catch the Yachtsmens’ Special train back,
returning to school on Sunday evening. In addition we covered the normal scout
activities.
In the summers, a Broads cruise alternated each year with a land camp. On
the Broads we could hire as many as eight boats, all yachts with not an engine
amongst them. When the wind failed they were quanted along. Camps that I can
remember attending took place at HMS Dryad, a stone frigate at Southwick,
just outside Portsmouth. Here, in the harbour, John Turner capsized the boat
after I had slopped a wave down his pocket and soaked his cigarettes. And
on Anglesey in the grounds of Conway House we camped at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogeryllantysylliogogogog
(I’m not sure I have spelled that correctly) where we walked up the local
mountains. Occasionally other trips came up - a weekend on board the aircraft
carrier HMS Indefatigable at Portland, arranged by Gary Hope, then doing his
National Service in her and a visit to Cowes Week in a destroyer who’s
name escapes me, acting as guard ship. It was during this visit that Prince
Philip, drifting past in his Dragon, Coweslip, in a flat calm told those on
board, in some choice language, to stop saluting him and to pray for some
wind. Happy, carefree days.
My Queen’s Scout certificate was presented to me by the Chief Scout,
Lord Rowallen, at Gilwell Park. I was accompanied that week-end by Tony Arnold
and Mick Gillett; Mick Highstead should have been there with us but was unwell.
My certificate, as has been usual throughout my life, has my name incorrectly
spelt.
Leaving school in 1956, National Service in the navy came next. Boarding at
Bancroft’s and being in the Scouts made the transition from school to
services very easy. Later, college and starting a career meant that I only
saw the Scouts when I assisted at camp and Broads cruises, so the next part
of the story must be taken up by someone like Steve Thirsk, who joined in
about 1957 and has never left.
- By JO Hasselgren
Mr. Jack Earle
Last year (1999), whilst contacting former members of the Group to arrange
the 90th. Anniversary Dinner, Norman Hammond told me that Jack Earle was still
alive and living in Norfolk. He also provided a telephone number.
Jack Earle, when I spoke to him, felt that anno domini prevented him from
accepting my invitation to the dinner as our guest. However, he told me of
the days when he changed the Troop from Scouts to Sea Scouts. It seems that
he owned a sailing yacht in which he was able to offer some sailing to the
Scouts. The then headmaster became slightly worried lest some unforeseen accident
should happen which would not be covered by the school’s insurance. Between
them they decided that the easy answer was for the Troop to switch to being
Sea Scouts. Then the Scout Association’s Insurance would cover sailing
activities as well as normal land activities. That’s how it happened.
- By JO Hasselgren