To thee who have suffered,To those who have died.
To thee who have Fought,
To those who have Cried.
We remember those who gave theirs lives,
and to those who gave courageous dives.
We shall remember, forever and always.
(By Bradley James Burnett)
Scouting was only in it's infancy at the time, and yet despite this, it was deeply involved in helping the war effort here in Britain. Even young men and boys, younger than nineteen, fought in the war. The youngest boys who were enlisted to fight were at least 14. The same age as what a young man or woman can be when becoming an explorer scout. Young men involved within scouting at the time, tried to get involved and help in every way possible.
Some attempted and succeeded at enlisting in the army, and others assisted and helped their local communities in the war effort.
Scouts helped by either being first aiders, coastal watchers who helped to guide fishing fleets home, and to scan the skies for enemy Zeppelins.
During the war, at least 16 scouts received the Victoria cross, the highest award for military service. One of the best known stories of a scout receiving a Victoria cross; which has been recently been retold in the pages of the UK scouting magazine; is the one of Jack Cornwell who was 16. He was stationed on the HMS Chester in the Battle of Jutland. All his comrades were killed and he was hit in the chest by shrapnel, but jack stood by his post until the end of action. He unfortunately died two days later in hospital and was posthumously awarded the Victoria cross for bravery. In his memory, Baden-Powell established the Cornwell Badge for scouts who show courage in great adversity. it remains one of the highest accolades a scout can receive.
Not only did some fighting in the war lose their lives, but so did civilians due to enemy fire and attack.
I hope you all took part in remembrance today, as without those who gave their lives yesterday, we would not have ours today.
Lest We Forget
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