SCOUTS AND LEADERS (1947-1954)
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It is believed that the 70th was restarted in 1947 when Victor Clark took over as Scout Master. Unfortunately, no records covering the period 1947-49 exist and so there is some uncertainty regarding who was present during that period. Fortunately, photographs taken in May 1949 indicate most of the Cubs and the Scouts that were present at that particular time. The troop log covering the period 1950-54 still survives and includes troop rotas and photographs that provide a much clearer picture of the troop during that period.
Adrian
A Wolf Cub present in a Pack photograph taken in 1949 has yet to be identified. It has been suggested that his first name might have been Adrian, but this is by no means certain.
Allan, J
Mr. J. Allan was the arbiter at the Public Service (Ambulance) competition held by the Greenock and District Boy Scouts during 9th March 1953. His Christian name was not defined.
Bacon, Stanley (Streaker)
Stanley was possibly born in 1939 and joined the Wolf Patrol of the Troop in 1950 where his PLs were Alistair McDiarmid then D. MacNeill. In 1952, he joined the Curlew Patrol with James Whitefield as PL, but in 1953, he was back in the Wolf Patrol with John Heap as PL. He was promoted to Second of the Falcon Patrol and left the Troop at the start of March 1954 when he would have been about 15. There is not a huge amount of other information about his time in Scouts, but it is known that he was one of the Scouts that manned shoeshine stations on Greenock’s main shopping street during Bob-a-Job week in 1953. It is not known what Stanley did after leaving Scouts and school.
Bain, Willie
It is thought that Willie Bain was born in 1938. He was a Sixer in the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack and was present on a pack outing to Corlick Hill in 1949. He joined the Seal Patrol in the Troop - probably during 1949 – with John Cook as PL. He then moved to the Wolf Patrol as 1st Scout with Alistair McDiarmid as PL. Willie was promoted to Second of the Wolf Patrol in Jan 1953 with John Heap as his PL. There is no information regarding his progress through the Scout training scheme, but he was a member of the 70th team that won the District Ambulance Competition of 1953.
Willie was one of the Scouts that cycled up to the Gryffe Reservoir to try out a potential new camping site in 1951. Unfortunately, the camp had to be abandoned, but it is likely that Willie was an active participant in outdoor Scouting events. The Wolf patrol (one of the troop’s original Patrols was disbanded on the 4th September 1953, and it is believed that Willie may have been transferred to the Seal Patrol as its Second on that date. However, Willie resigned the following week at the age of 15. It is not known what he did after leaving school. Willie resigned as Second of the Wolf Patrol in Sept 1953 at the age of 15. It is not known what he did after leaving school.
Barclay, ?
The Troop photograph taken during December 1953 includes a Scout who was tentatively identified as Barclay. However, his Christian name is not known and there is no mention of him in the Troop Log covering 1950-55. It is possible that the Scout concerned is actually Ronald Gray as he was in the troop at the time. On the other hand, there is evidence in the Troop Log (1950-55) that this is, in fact, R. Hartley.
Blake, Arthur (Jock)
Arthur Blake was in the Troop during the war and it is thought that he joined the troop when it restarted in 1947. It is not known when he left the troop. Arthur was in the same class at school as John Slater. Further information on Arthur can be found on the page covering 1939-1946.
Brown, Frank Douglas Crawford
Douglas Brown was born in Gourock during 1938. His older brother, George, had been a 70th Scout during the 1930s & 1940s and rose to the dizzy heights of Troop Leader during the war (see earlier section). Douglas was ‘head hunted’ from the 59th by Betty Nelson when she restarted the 70th Wolf Cub Pack in 1947, and Douglas was appointed Senior Sixer, with the main responsibility of recruiting other boys – a task at which he excelled. Douglas moved up from the Cub Pack to the Troop after the summer of 1949 to join the Seal Patrol with John Cook as his PL. By September 1950, he was 1st Scout in the Seagull patrol with David Slater as his PL. By May 1951, Douglas had been promoted to Second at the age of 13, and was then promoted in June 1951 to be PL of the Falcon patrol with Douglas McNeill as his Second. The Coronation brochure of 1953 stated that Douglas was “Patrol Leader of the Falcons and a pure thoroughbred 70th
member. Douglas joined as a cub and has climbed the ladder from sixer to senior sixer, from second to patrol leader. Secretly I believe he wants to follow in his brother's steps. He was once the 70th troop leader. Service four years.” In May 1954, Douglas was appointed Troop Leader, as well as Chairman and Treasurer for the Court of Honour.
Douglas moved steadily through the Scout Training Scheme and gained a clutch of proficiency badges including the Meteorologist, Tracker, Public Health and Handyman. He was awarded his Second Class Badge at a Scouts Own held in Finnart Church in May 1951 and was also one of the early Scouts to gain the Queen Scout’s Badge rather than the King Scout’s Badge. The certificate was presented in June 1954 from Chief Scout Lord Rowallan, making Douglas one of only six 70th Scouts to receive his award from a Chief Scout.
Douglas was an active participant in outdoor Scouting, and was one of the Scouts who cycled to the Gryffe Reservoir in 1951 in the hope of establishing a new campsite. That attempt was thwarted, but Douglas was amongst those who discovered a suitable campsite at Invereck, near Dunoon in March 1954. This was followed a month later by a week-long Easter Camp – the first substantial camp since the Troop had restarted. Douglas led a patrol at the camp and his birthday was celebrated on the penultimate day. Douglas was also at a four-day camp at Everton during August and may have been in charge.
Douglas was a member of the two 70th teams that won the District signalling competitions in 1951 & 1952, and then led the team that retained the trophy in 1953. He was also in the team for the District Ambulance Competition in 1951. His semaphore skills also helped him to lift the Troop’s GSM’s Cup in February 1954.
Douglas was also willing to respond to any request for volunteers to represent the Troop at various events. He was also involved as an usher and member of the Scout Guard of Honour at Victor Clark’s wedding in 1952.
Douglas usually succeeded at whatever he attempted, which is probably why it was decided to award him with a ‘Chumps’ wooden spoon when the Falcon Patrol proved unsuccessful in the 1951-52 Patrol Championship – an event that was recorded in the troop log by Douglas himself in his role as troop scribe from December 1951 to September 1953. In one of his entries, he reported that no Friday night meeting was being held as something else was going on in the church. He then added that “whatever it was, it was probably less dangerous to the church’s existence.”
Douglas played a very active role in the Court of Honour over three years and was responsible for the introduction of a procedure in which a PL led a Scout forward for his investiture, then led him back to the patrol after the investiture.
In September 1954, Douglas resigned to become an Acting ASM (see the entry for Douglas in the section covering the J.R. Blake era).
Cadden
Cadden was the name of the first-division referee that officiated the Press versus Clergy football match that was played during the Scout Sports day at Cappielow in the summer of 1953.
Caldwell, Mr.
Mr. Caldwell was a County Commissioner who visited the troop on the 17th April 1953.
Campbell, Alastair
The troop photograph taken in May 1949 includes a boy in school uniform who has been identified as Alastair Campbell. In January 1950, he was in the Curlew Patrol with John S. Slater as his PL. He was then moved to the Wolf patrol in Sep 1950 with Andrew W. Gunn as his PL. Unfortunately, there is no other information known about him, and his name does not crop up in the troop logs between 1950 and 1954. An A. Campbell is then identified as being a member of the Falcon Patrol. However, this may well be a different person (see the list for 1954-59).
Campbell, Ian
Ian Campbell was probably born in 1935 or 1936 but nothing is known about his family or where he stayed when he was in the Scouts. It is likely that he transferred to the 70th from another troop in 1950 or 1951 and was first reported in the troop records as a Second in the Seagull patrol with David Slater as his PL in 1951 when he would have been about 15. In 1952, he was transferred to the Seal Patrol as Second with Andrew Whiteford as PL, then in 1953 he was transferred to the Fox Patrol with A. Duncan as PL. The reason for this shuffling between different patrols is not given in the records. Ian was eventually promoted to become PL of the Fox patrol during 1953, but resigned in November 1953 to join the Rovers when he was about 17.
The Troop Log books mention Ian a number of times, but it provides no information of his progress through the Scout Training Scheme or the hikes and camps he participated in. It is known that he attended the District St George’s Day Parade to Finnart church in 1952 and was a member of the 70th football team that won the Provost Macmillan’s football shield that same year. It is possible that he was captain of the team as he is holding the football in the only known photograph of him as a Scout. It is not known what Ian did on leaving school.
Castle, Stewart
Stewart Castle was in the same class as Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy and was probably born in 1940. He was a Wolf Cub in the 70th Pack and was in the same six as Peter Morrison and Douglas Brown. He was present in the Pack photographs taken in 1949, but there is no evidence of him joining the Troop. It is not known what he did after leaving school.
Cawood, Hamish
There is currently no background information on Hamish Cawood and his family, but it is believed that he was born in Pollok during 1938 and that the family subsequently moved to Greenock. It is not known whether he was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack, but he joined the Seal Patrol with John Cook as his PL in 1950. He gained his Tenderfoot Badge and was invested in Finnart Church in November 1950 at the same time as Jim Whitefield, suggesting that both boys were in the same class at school. D. Fletcher may also have been a classmate. In 1951, Hamish became 1st Scout of the Fox Patrol with Alastair Duncan as PL. In the following year, he was promoted to Second of the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. Unfortunately, the available records provide little information on what badges Hamish gained or what camps and hikes he participated in. However, he was one of the 7 Scouts that cycled up to the Gryffe Reservoir to investigate a potential new camping site in 1951. In March 1951, Hamish was a member of the 70th team that entered the District Ambulance Competition, but it is not known how well they did. It is not known when Hamish resigned from the Troop but it is likely to have been at some point during 1953 when he would have been about 15. It is not known what he did once he left school. No photographs of Hamish as a Scout have been found to date
Chalmers, David
David Chalmers was a member of the 45th Scout Group and helped organise the Scout Camping Display that took place in as part of the Coronation celebrations in 1953. He lived at 58 Kelly St. Greenock and sent a letter to ASM Brian Hodgson thanking him for the “excellent show” that the troop had put on as their contribution to the event. David Chalmers was an outdoor enthusiast who went to the Antarctic with the British Antarctic Survey. After that, he started up the Clan Tent Company with premises opposite the Battery Park, where he designed and made affordable, lightweight outdoor equipment such as bivvy bags, sleeping bags and tents. His innovative products became highly sought after by Mountain Rescue Teams across Scotland, and companies such as Berghaus and Blacks consulted him on his designs. Berghaus even offered him a job as a senior designer but he turned it down as he wished to remain independent. Many of David’s ideas were adopted/copied by other companies and David did not get the credit he deserves for his contributions to the early design work that led to the high tech equipment available today.
David had a lifelong commitment to Scouting and lived his life by the principles of the Scout Law and Promise. His son was to become a 70th Scout in future years.
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Clark, Victor
Christie, Mr.
Mr. Christie was the minister of Sandbank parish church when the Troop attended the service on Sunday 11th April 1954 during Easter camp at Invereck. The Troop paraded to the church but were about five minutes late. At the end of the service, Mr Christie talked to the Scouts and shook hands with them.
Victor is a key personality in the history of the 70th Renfrewshire, and one of a handful of individuals without which the Troop would not have survived. He was a 70th Scout during the 1930s (see Personalities of the 1930s link to be added). During the war he lived in Glasgow, but when he returned to Greenock, he restarted the troop which had temporarily amalgamated with the 59th due to lack of leaders. This is believed to have occurred in 1947. Those who knew Victor described him as being more interested in administration and organisation than in practical Scouting. For the latter, he relied on the expertise of older Scouts, especially Brian Hodgson. There is no evidence of Assistant Scout Masters in the newly restarted Troop until Brian was appointed as an ASM in 1951, and it is thought that Victor’s long term strategy was always to hand the troop over to Brian once he was old enough to be Scoutmaster. It should also be noted that Victor had suffered tuberculosis, and had regular relapses. For example, there are several periods during 1950 and 1951 when Victor was absent from the troop due to illness.
Probably for these reasons, there were no substantial Summer or Easter camps during the period that Victor was Scoutmaster. The log books provide little information on weekend camps or hikes, apart from an unsuccessful attempt to establish a new campsite at the Gryffe Reservoir in 1951. Douglas Brown has stated that this was promoted by Brian Hodgson's dislike of the camping rules at Everton – an indication that outdoor Scouting activities were taking place even if they were not being reported in the logs.
During the Clark era, it can be safely assumed that there were regular Scouts Owns and Church parades. One such example was a Scouts Own held on Sunday evening 20th May 1951, when the Scouts and Cubs paraded to Finnart church. During the service, everyone renewed their promise with Victor. The Group also attended Remembrance Day services and District parades each year. In addition, there were special events. For example, 70th Scouts acted as stewards at the Festival of Pageant during 1951, and the troop paraded up the Lyle hill by torchlight to attend the bonfire that was lit to celebrate the event.
Victor may not have been practically minded, but the Troop Log identifies a number of occasions when ‘Skipper’ trained and tested Scouts during the regular Friday night meetings. Wide games were also played outdoors when the weather was good. The Court of Honour Minutes provide insights into various ideas that were mooted during Victor’s period as SM, but did not come to fruition, such as plans to create a Troop Pipe Band, and the purchase of a Scout hut.
A key event was Victor’s marriage to a German nurse called Hannelore Zimmerman at the end of December 1952, and it is significant that Victor chose Brian Hodgson as his best man. Scouts formed a guard of honour to greet the newly married couple as they departed the church, and the troop presented the couple with a 24 piece canteen of cutlery and a case of fruit spoons. In January 1953, Victor and his wife gave the troop a party in the church hall, which involved plenty of food and various games. Later that month, he announced that he was handing over the role of Scoutmaster to Brian Hodgson and taking out a warrant as Group Scoutmaster.
The Coronation Brochure published by the Group in 1953 contained a Who’s Who section which described Victor J. Clark as “Scout Master and Group Scout Master of the 70th and graduate from the ranks of the same troop. Nobody knows when Skipper first joined the troop. It is said that he has seen three generations of Scouts coming and going! Actually he has given 18 valuable years service to the 70th. A great achievement.”
One of Victor’s roles as GSM was to supervise the smooth handing over of the role of Scoutmaster from Brian Hodgson to Ian Blake in 1954, which resulted in Victor's attendance at several troop meetings and a Court of Honour meeting. He could also be relied upon to attend special events such as the celebration of the 21st anniversary of the troop in 1954, parent nights, social and fund raising events, award ceremonies, in addition to his occasional visits on troop nights. He once stood in as Scoutmaster when Ian Blake could not attend a Friday night meeting. In August 1957, Victor attended the Troop’s Summer Camp at Pitlochry. Victor was photographed at this camp and this is the last photograph taken of him and the only one showing him at camp.
Victor continued as Group Scout Master (or ‘Group’ as he was called by the Scouts) until about 1958. Nevertheless, he attended a parade that was held to mark the 70th's 25th anniversary in October 1958. It should be noted that there is a ‘blank period’ from August 1957 to July 1958 in terms of the Troop Records. Therefore, it is not known whether there was any specific event to mark Victor’s departure from the Group. One would have hoped that there was. Victor is thought to have lived at 50 Brougham St when he was SM and GSM with the 70th. He worked as a timekeeper at one of the Greenock shipyards. When he eventually retired, he moved to Wales.
Finally, an incident occurred during the 1970s that showed the respect that 70th Scouts had for Victor. The Group was involved in a large District parade (possibly celebratating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977). Alastair Cram was leading the 70th contingent and spotted Victor as one of the spectators watching the parade as it set off. Alastair immediately broke ranks and insisted that Victor march with him at the head of the Group. Later, Alastair revealed to the Scouts that the 70th owed its existence to Victor Clark.
Conlon, Mr. Eamon (Paddy)
Mr. Eamon “Paddy” Conlon was a Scout Master in Ireland, and a crew member of a ship called the ‘Sea Fox’ which plied between the Albert Harbour and several destinations. He visited the troop in August 1951 and proved popular with the Scouts. Indeed, several Scouts arranged to go for a walk with him on the following day. Paddy promised to come and help the Troop any night that he could, but there is no further mention of him. The Troop Scribe stated that since Paddy was Irish, he knew his Scouting “outside in.”
Connell, William (Billy)
Nothing is known about William Connell in terms of his background or where he lived. It is also not known whether he was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack or not. This cannot be ruled out as there are two unidentified Cubs in the 1949 photograph of the pack. He was certainly present in the Troop in January 1950 when a patrol reshuffle placed him in the Wolf Patrol with A. Gunn as his PL. In September 1950, another reshuffle resulted in him being 3rd Scout in the Curlew Patrol with George Crawford as his PL. In June 1951, he became 1st Scout of the Seal Patrol with John Cook as PL. He was still in the Seal Patrol in May 1952, with A. Whiteford as PL, but it is thought that he subsequently left the troop that year.
Unfortunately, there is no photograph of Billy as a Scout and no information on what badges he gained. Nor is there any information on any camps or hikes that he might have participated in. It is also not known what Billy did after leaving school.
Cook, John W.
John Cook was born in Gourock on 10th February 1937 and was the eldest of three brothers, all of whom joined the 70th. It seems likely that John was one of the first Scouts to be recruited into the troop when it was restarted by Victor Clark, and he may well have joined in 1948. John was unpromoted in May 1949 and it is not known whether he was promoted to Second before being promoted to PL of the Seal Patrol in January 1950, with G. Crawford as his Second. By September 1950, John had a new Second in A. Duncan, then in June 1951 another reorganization resulted in John Finnie being his Second. John was promoted to Troop Leader in March 1952 and also received his epaulettes as a senior Scout, marking the fact that he was now aged 15.
No personal records survive from this period, but it seems likely that John gained his First Class Badge. There is more doubt over whether he gained his King’s Scout Badge as he left the troop at the age of 15. This probably coincided with him changing school from Greenock Academy to the High School of Glasgow. John certainly gained a substantial number of Proficiency Badges, including the Linguist, Reader, Weatherman, Starman and Swimmer badges. Unfortunately, the available log books lack information on camps and hikes but he was certainly present at the attempt to find a “new camping site near the Gryffe” in 1951, suggesting that he was active in outdoor Scouting activities.
John led the 70th teams that won the District Signalling Competition in 1951 and 1952. He was also one of the three PLs that formed the troop’s colour party at church and other parades, of which there were many. When the annual St. George’s Day service was held at Finnart Church in 1952, John was involved in giving readings as well as the Founder’s Last Message.
In 1951, a new system of training was introduced where PLs instructed 2 Scouts each for 2-3 weeks. John was initially responsible for instructing Health & Exercise, as well as trees, then he later instructed on Firelighting and Signalling.
John was Troop Scribe during most of 1951. On the 18th Apr 1952, John ran the troop meeting as Brian Hodgson was on holiday.
John eventually resigned from the Troop in September 1952. However, his contact with the Group did not cease at that point. The Troop’s Coronation Brochure published in 1953 stated that John was still registered with the Group as a Rover Mate and he competed for the 70th in athletic events held that year aimed at Scouts aged 15-17.5, coming 2nd in the 100 yard sprint, 1st in the 220 yard sprint and 1st in the 440 yard sprint. There is also an entry in the Troop log that demonstrates John’s passion for cricket as he was absent from a troop meeting one Friday night due to a cricket match at Glenpark. The last reference to John in the available records was of him attending as a Rover at a Scouts Own held at Finnart Church on Sunday 7th March 1954, and reading one of the passages from the Bible.
On leaving school, John studied for an Arts degree at Glasgow University, then studied divinity at Trinity College where he won a scholarship to Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA (1960-61). His first charge was St. Andrews Church in Calcutta and he did pastoral work throughout Bengal. In 1969, he was appointed minister of the Henderson Church in Kilmarnock, then in 1988, he became minister of St. Philip’s Joppa Church in Porotbello before retiring in 2002. Following his death on 15th May 2014, the Herald published an Obituary which can be found at the following link https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13163590.rev-john-weir-cook/
Cook, Malcolm
Malcolm Cook was born in Greenock in 1944 and it is thought that he might have been one of the Cubs photographed in fancy dress during 1952. Presumably Malcolm was John Cook’s youngest brother. There is no record of him joining the Scout troop. Further information has yet to be identified.
Cook, Neill Ford F.
Neill Cook was born in Gourock during 1939 and it is presumed that he was the middle brother of the Cook family. Neill was in the same class at Greenock Academy as Peter Morrison, and was also in Douglas Brown's Six in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. He moved up to the troop in January 1951, but it is not known which patrol he joined. However, a troop reorganization resulted in Neill becoming 1st Scout of the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. In May 1952, he moved to the Seagull patrol with David Slater as his PL, then in September 1952, he was promoted to Second within the Seagull patrol with Sandy Whiteford as his PL. In May 1954, he was promoted to PL of the Seagull Patrol with S. Robertson as his Second, and also took on the role of troop librarian.
It is not known how far he progressed through the Scout training scheme, but it is highly likely that he gained his 1st Class Badge. By the end of 1953-54 session he had gained 14 Proficiency badges including the Athlete, Swimmer, Bookman, Jobman, Missioner, Starman, Speaker, Designer and Music Maker. This must have played a significant part in him being awarded the Coronation Cup for Best Scout of the Year along with Ian McFarlane. Unfortunately, it is not known whether Neill gained the Queen Scout’s Badge or not. His record suggests that he was of the right calibre.
Neill was clearly a Scouting enthusiast and was one of the seven Scouts who cycled up to the Gryffe reservoir in 1951 in the hope of camping at a ‘new camping site’ free from the regulations at Everton. This incident suggests that there were regular weekend camps that were not recorded in the troop log book. However, one weekend camp that included Neill was reported as taking place at Invereck in March 1954. This camp was a ‘recce’ for a week-long Easter camp held the following month – the first substantial camp since the troop had been reformed. Neill was present for the first half of that Easter camp, but had to miss the second half as he had family commitments.
In terms of District competitions, Neill was a member of the 70th signalling teams that won the Signalling Competitions of 1952 and 1953. In addition, he was part of the 70th football team that won the final of the District Football Competition in September 1952, and also played during the 1953-54 session. Finally, he participated in a Scout Sports day held at Cappielow Park during June 1953 as part of Coronation Scout Week, coming second with G. White in the 3-legged race for Scouts aged 11-14.
It can safely be assumed that Neil was a regular attender at Scout parades and church services. For example in May 1951 a Scouts Own was held at Finnart Church where Neill read out the Scout laws after everyone renewed their promise with SM Victor Clark. He repeated this role at another Scout’s Own held in March 1954, where his brother John also read a Bible passage. Another Scouts Own was held in January 1955 where Neill read passages from the Bible. A particularly special church parade was held in October 1954 to celebrate the troop’s coming-of-age at which Neill gave a reading from Phillippians IV 4-13. Scout Owns were also held in camp and Neil read a Bible passage at one of the Scout Owns held at Invereck Easter Camp of 1954.
A special event involving Neill was the celebration of the Troop’s 21st anniversary in October 1954. During that event, Neill had the honour of breaking the flag at the start of the evening. He was also in a group of Scouts who put on a signaling display for the parents and guests. Neill also supported fund raising events, such as a whist drive organized by the PLs during December 1954. Towards the end of 1955, Sandy Whiteford and Neill took charge of the clothes stalls and rags at a jumble sale.
As far as the Troop Records are concerned, Neill had a spell as troop scribe starting in September 1953 and was responsible for keeping the Troop Log up to date. His entries include a mention of a visit by the District Commissioner in 1953 where a Scouter team including the DC challenged a Scout team that included Neill to a knotting game. It was not revealed who won though.
The Court of Honour minutes for the period reveal that Neill was a conscientious troop librarian who endeavoured to recover books which had not been returned. In September 1954, he was appointed as minute taker for the Court of Honour minutes – a post that he occupied until at least March 1955. It is also believed that Neill may have had story-telling skills as he gave a yarn at a troop night campfire on the 4th February 1955.
Neill resigned from the troop in January 1956, when he would have been approaching 17. On leaving school, he completed an engineering degree at Glasgow then worked at IBM. He remained with IBM and eventually retired when he was 53.
Cox, Mr.
It is not known who Mr. Cox was or what he did, but Victor Clark received permission from him for the Scouts to camp on a piece of ground close to the Gryffe Reservoir. The Scouts set up camp on Sat. 19th May 1951, but were told to depart that evening by somebody else. According to the Troop log “This was a big disappointment and a gloom, not easily dispelled, was cast over the company.”
Crawford, George Gatherer
George Crawford was born in Greenock during 1936, but no other background information is currently known. George would have been 11 in 1947 so he might well have joined the 70th when it was restarted by Victor Clark that year. He was certainly in the troop photograph taken in May 1949. In January 1950, a reorganization resulted in him becoming Second of the Seal patrol with John Cook as his PL. Another reorganization in September 1950 resulted in him being PL of the Curlew Patrol at the age of 14, with A. MacDiarmid as his Second. His Seconds in 1951 and 1952 were Kenneth McKenzie and J. Whitefield respectively. By 1952, George was 16 and was designated a Senior Scout entitled to wear red epaulettes.
Unfortunately, no record cards survive from the period and so it is not known what badges George gained. Moreover, the troop log was focused on troop meetings and provides little information on the weekend camps and hikes that must have occurred during the early 1950s. However, George was amongst the Scouts who attempted to camp near the Gryffe Reservoir in the hope of establishing a different campsite from Everton, suggesting that George was active when it came to outdoor Scouting.
In terms of District competitions, George was a member of the 70th teams that won the Signalling and Ambulance Competitions in 1951.
George also attended twice-yearly Scouts Owns at Finnart Church which included a parade to and from church. At one such Scouts Own in May 1951, George was one of the two PLs who read the lessons.
A rather solemn ceremony took place on the Friday night meeting of 8th Feb 1952, following the death of King George VI. The Rev. Stewart led a short service, then George lowered the Union Jack down to half-mast. A two minutes silence was observed, before the troop sang one verse of the national anthem and were dismissed.
In February 1951, a new system of training Scouts was introduced where the PLs and Scouters instructed 2 scouts each for 2-3 weeks. George instructed Axemanship and Observation, then later he instructed on Trees and Compass work.
George left the troop during the summer of 1952, when he would have been about 16. However, he maintained links with the 70th and the Coronation Brochure produced by the troop in 1953 reported that he was registered with the 70th as a Rover Scout – an association that lasted until at least 1955. In January 1955, he gave a prayer at one of the 70th’s Scouts Own held at Finnart Church. He also helped out with the Troop’s jumble sale during November 1955 and supervised a book stall along with J. Harvey.
Unfortunately, there is no information on what George did once he left Scouts and school.
Crighton, Miss M. B.
Miss M.B. Crighton was a Matron who sent a letter to Brian Hodgson, on behalf of the Board of Management for Greenock and District Hospitals, to thank the Scouts for the gift of toys and books received at the hospital during May 1953. This was part of a Good Turn project that each group was to undertake as part of Scout Coronation Week. In later years, the practice of donating toys and books to the hospitals became an annual event that was carried out by the 70th just before Xmas.
Darroch, Colonel Duncan
Colonel Duncan Darroch was a member of the Darroch family that owned substantial areas of land in Gourock, including the land on which Darroch Park is now situated. The Colonel’s father was a great supporter of the 6th Renfrewshire Scout Group (1st Gourock), which is why the Group is called Colonel Darroch’s Own. During the Coronation Scout Week of 1953, a Scout display was held in the Battery Park where Colonel Darroch presented the 6th Renfrewshire Group with a framed photograph of his father. Colonel Darroch was then presented with the troop flag. After this, there was a march past at which the Colonel took the salute.
Alistair as the “Patrol leader of the Foxes and the senior patrol leader (by one week). Alistair has led his patrol to be champions of the month three times in the past seven. He at present leads in the year competition. Service five years.” By that time his Second was I. Campbell.
No records survive to show how far Alistair progressed through the Scout Training Scheme. However, the fact that he was in the Troop for 5-6 years and was promoted to PL strongly suggests that he gained his First Class Badge, as well as a clutch of proficiency badges. Moreover, he completed his 1st Class hike with Douglas Brown (with whom he was very friendly) in 1952 (see Scout Hikes). However, it it is not known whether he gained the King’s/Queen's Scout badge. During his period as PL, a training system was set up with PLs and Scouters teaching two Scouts each for a couple of months. Alistair initially covered Highway Code and Compass, then later Observation and Axemanship.
Alistair was a member of the 70th team that entered the District Ambulance competition in 1951 and a reserve for the signalling team of the same year. In 1952, the 70th entered two teams for the signaling competition. Alistair was in the B-team which came second to the 70th’s A team. He was also the Captain of the 70th football team when they won the football shield in 1952.
Unfortunately, very little information has been found relating to camps and hikes during the period Alastair was in the troop, but it is likely that he was actively involved in outdoor activities. He was certainly one of the 7 Scouts that attempted to camp at the Gryffe Reservoir in the hope of finding an alternative campsite to Everton.
Alastair was in the 70th Troop for almost all of Victor Clark’s period as Scout Master and so it was fitting that he should be part of the Guard of Honour at Victor’s wedding in December 1952. Alastair held the Union Flag on that occasion which suggests that he was one of the Troop’s flagbearers on parades. Alistair resigned at some point after December 1952, but the exact date is not known. He may have resigned when Victor Clark resigned at the end of January 1954. Another possibility is that he stayed until the end of the 1953-54 session, by which time he was probably 17. Regardless of when he resigned. Alistair maintained a link with the 70th and was registered as a Rover Scout. As such, he was clearly on hand to provide support if required. For example, he helped out in the leadership team during the first 2-3 days of the Invereck Easter Camp held during in April 1955. In November 1955, he helped Alistair Shearer at a stall selling Odds and Ends. The last time that Alastair is actually mentioned in the Troop logs is on Sunday, 19 October 1958 when the 70th held a parade and Church Service marking the 70th’s 25th anniversary. He was identified as one of the ex members. After leaving school, Alistair studied at Auchencruive Agricultural College near Ayr and married Elizabeth Anne Inglis in 1961. On qualifying from college, he moved to work as a Shepherd on a farm near Otterferry, working for Lieutenant Colonel Bargee. Later, he moved to Stirling, where he continued to work as a shepherd while Anne worked as a teacher. Unfortunately, years of driving over the hills on four wheel vehicles damaged Alistair's back and he eventually had to give up a job that he loved. He then ran a bed and breakfast business. Alistair died in 1993 at the age of 55.
Duncan, Alistair (1938-1993)
There is currently very little background information regarding Alistair Duncan or his family, other than he was born in Aberdeen in 1938. His full name was Alistair Wallace Duncan, and he was in the class above Douglas Brown at Greenock Academy. There is evidence to show that he joined the troop in 1948. Therefore, he may well have joined the troop only months after it was reformed. Alistair was in the troop photograph taken in 1949, and was reported to be 1st Scout of the Seal Patrol in January 1950, with John Cook as his PL. It is likely that he was promoted to Second of the Seal Patrol in September 1951. In June 1951, Alastair was appointed as P.L. of the newly created Fox patrol with John Heap as his Second. The Troop’s Coronation Brochure of 1953 (probably written during April 1953) described
Dunlop, Rev. A. Ian
The Rev. Ian Dunlop B.D. was a highly respected and effective Scout Master and Group Scout Master for the 70th during the 1930s. This is covered in more detail in the section covering Personalities of the Thirties (link needed). He was invited by the Court of Honour to attend a dinner in the Church Hall with a campfire and “full supporting programme” on the 8th October 1954. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend, but he conducted the subsequent Church Service held on the 10th October 1954 which was attended by the Cubs, Scouts and Guides. At the time, Ian was minister of St. Stephen’s Church, Edinburgh.
Evans, Wilson
A photograph taken of the Cubs dressed up in Fancy Dress at a Halloween Party during 1952 or 1953 is thought to include Wilson Evans. However, this needs to be confirmed. There is no record of Wilson joining the Troop. He may have been born in 1944, but nothing else is known about him.
Ewart, Mr.
Mr Ewart was an ADC in Greenock during 1950. On the 3rd Nov 1950, he was one of the main guests at a Parents night to which parents and friends of the Scouts were invited. During the evening, the Scouts gave an exhibition of what happens at a typical Scout meeting.
Ferguson, Mr.
Mr. Ferguson was the Assistant County Commissioner in 1954. He visited the Troop on the 26th Feb 1954 and gave a short speech at the end of the meeting.
Finnie, John (or Finney, John)
There is currently no background information regarding John Finnie. It is not known when he was born or when he joined the Troop. The records show that in January 1950, he was 2nd Scout of the Wolf Patrol with A. Gunn as his PL. In September 1950, he became 1st Scout of the Curlew Patrol, with George Crawford as his PL. Another reorganization occurred in June 1951 in which John was recorded as being the Second of the Seal Patrol, with John Cook as his PL. By May 1952 May, A. Whiteford was patrol leader. During September 1952, there was yet another troop reorganisation with John becoming Second of the Curlew patrol with James Whitefield as his PL.
Very little information is known about John’s progress through the Scout Training scheme, but he certainly gained his Second Class Badge at a Scouts Own in May 1951.
John was selected to represent the 70th in a number of competitions. For example, he was a member of the 70th’s B team which came second in the District Signalling Competition of 1952. He was also part of the successful 70th football team that won the District football shield in September 1952, and continued to play with the team in 1953.
John was one of the Scouts that contributed to a new initiative for Bob a Job Week in 1953, in which the 70th set up two shoeshine boxes on the main shopping street in Greenock.
It is likely that John resigned from the troop during the summer of 1953. It is not known what he did after that.
Finnie, Scott
It has been proposed that one of the Cubs photographed in Fancy Dress at a Cub Pack Halloween Party held in either 1952 or 1953 might be Scott Finnie. However, there is no background information regarding Scott and whether he was related to John Finnie. There is no record of him joining the Scout Troop.
Fletcher, D.
Nothing much is known about D. Fletcher, not even his Christian name. He was identified as being last Scout of the Seagull Patrol in September 1950, which suggests that he might just have joined the troop. He was still with the Troop in November 1950 as the only Scout still to get his Tenderfoot badge. This suggests that he might have been in the same school year as J. Whitefield and H. Cawood, as they both received their Tenderfoot badge that November. There are no other references to D. Fletcher and it is presumed that he left the troop during the 1950-51 session. There are no known photographs of him in the Scouts.
Forrest, Kerry
Very little is known about Kerry. He may have been born in Tradeston during 1938, which would suggest that the family moved to the Greenock area after he was born. Kerry joined the troop in February 1953 when he would have been about 15 and was placed in the Seal patrol with A. Whiteford as his PL. In November 1953, he was transferred to the Curlews.
Kerry competed in races for Scouts aged 15-17.5 during the Scout Sports Day held at Cappielow Park as part of the Coronation Scout Week of 1953. On that occasion, he came second in the Sack race, as well as second in the three-legged race with Andy Whiteford. The fact that these two paired up might suggest that they were pals in the same year at school.
Kerry was also in the 70th Football team. In December 1953, he scored one of the goals in a 2-1 victory over the 5th Renfrewshire.
It is thought that he left the troop at some point during 1954 when he was 16.
Fraser, William (Billy)
Billy Fraser was born about 1940 and was in the same class as Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy. He is present in the Cub pack photo of 1949, but there is no evidence of him joiningthe Scout Troop. He left school in 5th year and completed a degree in psychiatry, becoming the youngest consultant in Scotland at the age of 28 in Lyme Bank Psychiatric Hospital in Dunfermline. He was very friendly with Peter Morrison and invited him to his golden wedding celebration. Eventually, he became a Professor at Cardiff University.
Gallacher, Father
Father Gallacher conducted the service for Roman Catholic Scouts during the Coronation Scout pageant held at the Battery Park in 1953. The Roman Catholic Troops marched into the Park after the Protestant service was over, and were led by the pipes and drums of the St John’s Band Port Glasgow.
Gibson, Marjorie
Marjorie Gibson was in the Girl Guides and became an assistant leader in the 70th Wolf Cub pack when Betty Nelson was Akela. It is thought that Marjorie joined the Pack in 1950. When Betty resigned in 1953, Marjorie took over as Akela. The 70th’s Coronation Brochure 1953 stated that “Marjorie has helped to make our Cubs a bunch of happy, but well disciplined youngsters by her own cheery personality.” She was initially assisted by Miss Una Tosh and Mr Clark Miller. Marjorie was still Akela in October 1954, but may have handed over to Isabel McBride not soon afterwards.
Graham, David
It is thought that David Graham was born about 1940, and that the family moved to Greenock or Gourock after his birth. It is not known whether he was in the 70th Wolf Cub pack, but he probably joined the Troop just before the summer of 1951 as last Scout in the Seal patrol with John Cook as his PL. By May 1952, David had moved to a Seagull Patrol with David Slater as his PL, then by September 1952 he was in the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. Yet another change had occurred by April 1953 with David now in the Fox Patrol with A. Duncan as his PL. Therefore, David had been in four different patrols over two years which is perhaps unprecedented. The story did not end there. By November 1953, he was back in the Seal Patrol as 1st Scout with A. Whiteford as his PL. By June 1954, Graham White was his PL. David went on to become a Patrol Leader and remained in the Troop until February 1957 (see Personalities of the Blake years - link needed). It is not known what he did on leaving school.
Grant, Tommy
Very little is known about Tommy Grant. He joined the troop in March 1951 along with Archie Robertson, and by June 1951 he was 2nd Scout in the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. In September 1952, he was moved to the Seal Patrol as 2nd Scout, with Andrew Whiteford as his PL. It is thought that Tommy might have been aged 14 when he joined the Troop and might have resigned at some point during the 1952-53 session. Nothing is known about what he did in later years.
Gray, David
In 1953, David Gray was an ASM in another troop. That year, he was the convener for the District Signalling Competition, which was won by the 70th for the third time in a row.
Gray, Ronald
Very little is known about Ronald Gray’s background, but it is estimated that he was born in 1939 or 1940, and that his family moved to Greenock or Gourock when he was aged 11 or 12. Ronald already had Scouting experience when he joined the troop at some point after September 1950. By June 1951 he was 2nd Scout of the Fox Patrol with A. Duncan as his PL. By May 1952, Ronald was still in the Fox Patrol – probably as 1st Scout. At the start of the 1952-53 session, Ronald moved to the Seal Patrol with Andrew Whiteford as his PL. Finally, by the spring of 1953, he was 1st Scout in a Seal Patrol with A. Whiteford as his PL. Oddly enough, there is an entry in the Troop Log for December 1953 which stated that Ronald had left the troop because his family had moved away from the district. However, Ronald was still a member of the Seal Patrol in June 1954 with Graham White as his PL. In September 1955, he was
promoted to Second of the Fox Patrol with Robin McGill as his Patrol Leader. Robin described Ronald as a ‘very able Second’ in the Patrol Log. However, Ronald was only Second of the Fox Patrol for about month before the Court of Honour unanimously promoted him to become PL of the Falcon Patrol in October 1955. Unfortunately, that did not last long either as Ronald’s family moved up to Glasgow at the end of the year and Ronald had to resign from the troop.
Unfortunately, there is no record of how well Ronald proceeded through the Scout Training Scheme, other than that he gained his Tenderfoot Badge, then received his 2nd Class in January 1955. It is not known whether he gained his 1st Class Badge although that seems likely as he was promoted to Patrol Leader. It is also not known how many proficiency badges he gained or what camps and hikes he participated in, namely because the troop log focused mainly on regular Friday meetings. It is reasonable to assume that Ronald attended most Scouting activities including parades and church services. Indeed, he was photographed attending a Scouts Own at Finnart Church in June 1955.
The Court of Honour minutes has a couple of entries that suggest that Ronald might have been a bit of a handful at times. For example, in November 1954, the Court decided that Ronald should be brought before the court for impertinence and disobedience at campfire. This led to Ronald being “severely reprimanded”. The incident did not seem to be unduly serious as he was promoted the next year.
During his very short spell as Second of the Fox Patrol, Ronald wrote a couple of entries in the Fox Patrol, one of which included a cartoon of Robin McGill being fired into the air on a rocket (a reference to a wide game that had been played that night), and another showing David Friedmann getting overwhelmed by a Union Flag (he was learning how to fold it at the time). Ronald referred to Robin as ‘Blondie’ in the log book.
Ronald resigned from the troop in November 1955 as his family were moving up to Glasgow. At the time, he hoped to carry on his Scouting in his old Glasgow troop. However, it is not known whether he did, indeed, continue in Scouting or what he did after school.
Gunn, Andrew Wood (Andy)
Andrew Gunn was born in Gourock in 1935, and there is a possibility that he might have joined the troop in 1946 before the amalgamation with the 59th. If so, he might be one of the Scouts who returned to the 70th when Victor Clark restarted the Troop in 1947. Andrew is present in the Troop Photograph taken in 1949. No written records of the 1947-49 period have been discovered to date, and so it is not known what patrol he was in during that period. In January 1950, the number of patrols was increased from 3 to 4 and Andrew was listed as the Patrol Leader of the Wolf Patrol with G. Hilton as his Second. In September 1950, his Second was A. Campbell. Andrew was promoted to Troop Leader at the beginning of May 1951, but probably resigned at the end of June that year.
Unfortunately, no records survive to show of how far Andrew got through the Scout Training Scheme. However, it is highly probable that he would have gained his First Class Badge. He was certainly involved in training Scouts under a new system introduced by Victor Clark where each PL was allocated 2 Scouts to train for 2-3 weeks. Andrew was asked to teach signalling and firelighting.
Andrew was highly proficient at signalling and was chosen to lead the 70th team that entered the District Signalling Competition of 1951. Unfortunately, Andrew had to withdraw before the competition, but the team still lifted the trophy.
There is very little information on camps and hikes in the troop log at that time and so it is not possible to identify what outdoor activities Andy might have been involved in.
Andy was actually the Troop Scribe from the September 1950 until the end of April 1951, so much of what is known about the Troop during that period is based on his log reports. He was also a member of the colour party at parades along with Brian Hodgson and John Cook.
It was not recorded when Andrew resigned, but it is likely to have been at the end of the 1950-51 session. He would have been about 16 at the time. It is not yet known what he did after leaving school.
Gunn, John
Neil Gunn was born in Gourock during 1940 and it is assumed that he was the younger brother of Andrew Gunn. However, this needs to be confirmed. Neil was in the same year at Greenock Academy as Peter Morrison and was also in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. He is present in the pack photographs taken in 1949 where he is seen to be a Seconder, and he also participated in climbing Corlic Hill that year.
Neil Gunn moved up to the Troop on the same night as Peter Morrison, but the exact date was not recorded in the Troop log. In June 1951, he was in the Seal Patrol with John Cook as his PL. By May 1952, his P.L. was A. Whiteford, then in September 1952, he moved to the Seagull Patrol as 1st Scout, with David Slater as his PL.
Unfortunately, no other information has been gleaned from the available records and it is believed that Neil left the troop at some point during the 1952-53 session.
Gunn, Neil
John Gunn is present in the troop photograph of 1949 and looks older than the others. It is yet to be determined whether he was related to Andrew Gunn. Unfortunately, it is not known when John was born, but he might be one of the Scouts that was in the 70th prior to the troop temporarily amalgamating with the 59th. If so, he probably joined the troop when it was restarted by Victor Clark in 1947. There are no written records covering the 1947-49 period, but it is known that John was PL of the Seagull patrol following a troop reshuffle in January 1950. His Second at that point was David Slater. John must have resigned from the troop at some point during the first half of 1950 as he was no longer present in September 1950. Unfortunately, no other information has been discovered to date. However, there is circumstantial evidence that suggests he might have been troop leader during the first half of 1950. It is not known what he did on leaving school.
Neil had a reputation as being a rascal both at school and at Scouts. In the 1949 Pack photograph, he was the only Cub not looking at the camera - possibly sharing a joke with Baloo who looks as if she is trying not to laugh. After school, Neil gained an apprenticeship with Whatlings Engineering firm and continued to work there for many years. Peter Morrison met Neil again in 1968 when watching a cricket match at Titwood. He also acted as his solicitor when Neil purchased a house in the Waverley Park area during 1968 or 1969.
Hanlon, R
There is no background information relating to R. Hanlon, and his Christian name is unknown. R. Hanlon was listed as last Scout of the Curlew Patrol in January 1950, suggesting that he was aged 11 and joined late 1949 or early 1950. His PL would have been John Slater. In September 1950 R. Hanlon was moved to the Wolf Patrol with Andrew Gunn as his PL. It is likely that R. Hanlon left the troop during the 1950-51 session. It is not known what he did on leaving school.
Hartley, Roy
Not much is known about Roy Hartley’s background or whether he was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. It is likely that he joined the Troop during the summer of 1953 as he was invested in October of that year. It is not known what patrol he first joined, but by March 1954, he was in the Fox Patrol, with I. McFarlane as his PL. No information has been found regarding his progress through the Scout Training Scheme. However, it is known that he attended a 4-day camp held at Everton during August 1954 that was probably organised by TL Douglas Brown. It is not known when Roy left the troop or what he did afterwards. There is a possibility that the Scout tentatively identified in the troop photograph of December 1953 as ‘Barclay’ might be Roy Hartley. It is not known when he left the troop or what he did after leaving school.
Harvey, Jim
Jim Harvey may have been born in Gourock in 1940. Not much is known about his background, but he had a younger brother called Robert who also joined the 70th. It is thought that Jim was aged 12 or 13 when he joined the Troop in February 1953 and was probably not in the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack. Jim joined at the same time as Ian MacKenzie and it is possible that they were friends in the same year at school. Both Scouts had the rare honour of being mentioned as new Tenderfoots in the ‘Welcome Corner’ of the August 13th edition of “The Scout” – a weekly, national publication that was aimed specifically at Scouts.
The Troop’s Coronation Brochure (probably written in April 1953) reveals that Jim was in the Seal Patrol with A. Whiteford as his PL. In March 1954, Jim was transferred to the Falcon Patrol as 1st Scout, with Douglas Brown as his PL. In May 1954, he was promoted and returned to the Seal Patrol as Second with Graham White as his PL. A more detailed description of Jim’s Scouting years is provided in Scouting Personalities during the Blake era (1954-59) – link required.
Heap, John
John Heap was in the year above Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy and was probably born in 1939. There are no records of him being born in Scotland, and the family must have moved to Greenock or Gourock after he was born. John was in the 70th Wolf Cub pack during 1949, and photographs show that he was a Sixer and more heavily built than the other Cubs. There are no written records surviving from the late 1940s, but he must have moved up to the Troop in the second half of 1949 – possibly joining the Seagull Patrol with John Gunn as his PL. In September 1950, David Slater was appointed as John’s PL. A troop reshuffle in June 1951 resulted in John being promoted to Second of the Fox Patrol with Alastair Duncan as his PL for the next 1-2 years.
John was eventually promoted to Patrol Leader of the Wolf Patrol, possibly in the Spring of 1953. The 70th’s Coronation Brochure of 1953 included a Who’s Who section which described John as “Patrol leader of the Wolves. Another ex-Cub who has climbed the whole ladder. John has just been made a patrol leader but he has already shown that he is made of the right stuff. He has already proved his worth as second to Alistair. Service four years”. John’s Second in the Wolf Patrol was Willie Bain.
Unfortunately, it is not known how far John progressed through the Scout Training Scheme, or which camps, hikes and outdoor activities he might have participated in. However, it is known that he attended the District St George’s Day Parade to Finnart Church in April 1952. John was involved in arranging the multitude of Troop Colours that were presented at the start of the service.
It is not specified when John left the troop, but it may have been at the end of the 1952-53 session by which time he would have been aged 14. It is not known what he did after leaving Scouts.
Hilton, Gordon
Very little information is known about Gordon Hilton. The Troop Log of 1950-55 stated that in January 1950 he was Second of the Wolf Patrol with A. Gunn as his Patrol Leader. This implies that he could have been in the Troop for several years. Thus, there is a possibility that Gordon was one of the Scouts who joined the Troop when it was restarted in 1947. Curiously, he is not in any of the photographs taken in 1949. However, these were all taken on the same day and he may have been absent on that occasion. Gordon completed his Second Class Badge in March 1950, but there is no further information about him in the available records. He was not listed in the troop roll of September 1950 and so he probably left the Troop during the summer of that year. It is not known what he did on leaving school.
Hinge, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander Hinge carried out the inspection of a Scout parade that marched from Finnart Church to the Scout Hut in Robertson Street on Sunday 20th May 1951. It is not known whether the service and parade was a Scout’s Own involving only the 70th Scouts or whether it was a District Parade. If it was the former, it could be implied that Lieutenant Commander Hinge had some link with Finnart Church. However, nothing is known about him to date.
Hodgson, J. Brian
Brian Hodgson was born in the north east of England during 1933 or 1934. The family eventually moved from Northumberland to Edinburgh, where Brian was a Wolf Cub and Scout with the 34th Midlothian (Edinburgh) troop. It is not known when the family moved to Greenock, but they lived at 81Newton Street, and Brian’s father was transport manager at Walkers sugar refinery.
Brian was a pupil at Greenock Academy in the same class as Ian Wallace. It is believed that Brian joined the 70th after the troop was restarted, but the exact date is unknown as no log books have survived from the late 1940s. However, Brian was identified as a patrol leader (without patrol) at the beginning of 1950, which demonstrates that he joined the troop at some point between 1947 and 1949.
Douglas Brown recalls that Brian and Ian Wallace helped Victor run the troop during this early period; this might also explain why Brian was a PL without a patrol. Unfortunately, Brian is not present in any of the group photographs taken in May 1949, but there is a possibility that he might have been taking the photographs. Brian was formally promoted to the position of Troop Leader in September 1950, and by January 1951, he was an Assistant Scout Master, although it was not until January 1952 that he received his warrant from D.C. James Swan. On that same night, John Cook presented Brian with a book token from the troop.
Brian was the only ASM supporting Victor during 1951 and 1952, and that working relationship promoted a close friendship, demonstrated by the fact that Brian was best man at Victor’s marriage in December 1952. When Victor moved on to become Group Scout Master at the end of January 1953, Brian took his place as de facto Scout Master. In June 1953, he attended a Wood Badge Course at Gilwell, and finally completed his Wood Badge on the 13th November 1953. Once this was known by the troop, Brian was ceremonially ducked at the end of the meeting. A fortnight later, Brian was presented with his warrant, then on the 4th Dec 1953, D.C. James Swan presented Brian with his wood beads.
During his period as Scout Master, Brian was helped principally by ASM David Slater. It should also be appreciated that Brian was a 70th Rover Scout during the period that he was ASM and SM; the age range for Rover Scouts was 18-25. There are no records to show whether the 70th Rover Scouts had regular meetings or not, but in 1953, the Rover Scout Crew consisted of Victor Clark, Clark Miller, Brian Hodgson, George Crawford, John Slater, David Slater and John Cook.
Brian was enthusiastic about Scouting and spent much of his leisure time on Scouting activities, often helping out with both the Wolf Cub Pack and the Scout Troop. He spent many hours training Scouts in the Scouting skills required for outdoor activities. It is also highly likely that he ran several hikes and weekend camps. However, these very rarely got mentioned in the surviving log books, which focused mostly on the weekly troop nights. Nevertheless, the log book provides a number of clues to show that the 70th camped regularly at Everton, and even stored their camping equipment there.
It is also known that Brian tried to establish a new campsite near the Gryffe Reservoir in May 1951. This was inspired by Brian’s dislike of Everton because he did not like the camp rules that were in place. Unfortunately, this attempt tproved unsuccessful, but Brian's desire to find alternative campsites may well have led to the discovery of campsites at Blairmore, Invereck, Roseneath and Kilcreggan – campsites that were used by 70th Scouts during the 1950s and which were all accessible by steamer.
Invereck may have been the first of these alternative campsites to be used by the 70th, when a number of Scouts spent a weekend camp there in March 1954. The campsite passed muster and was then used by Brian for the Troop's Easter Camp that year (see website). This was the first documented substantial camp since the troop’s restart in 1947. There are hints in the troop log that summer camps may have taken place at Everton before 1953, but there is as yet no evidence to prove that. Evidence of Brian’s success in raising the camping standards of the 70th comes from the fact that he organized the 70th Scouts to put on a camping display at the Battery Park as part of the Coronation week celebrations in May 1953. This may have been one factor that resulted in the 70th being chosen as the Greenock Troop to enter the County Competition in 1954.
Brian may well have organized hikes on a regular basis, most of which were not noted in the troop log. The one exception is a winter hike that Brian set up for three Senior Scouts that involved hiking up Glen Luss, over Ben Chaoroch (approx.. 3000’), then down the Gareloch to Kilcreggan.
Brian also took the ‘Duty to God’ aspect of the Scout Promise very seriously. For example, at the Invereck Easter Camp of 1954, he held a Scouts Own every morning with a different Scout providing a Bible reading at each one. The Troop also paraded to Sandbank Church on the Sunday morning, and then several Scouts hiked to Kilmun in the evening hoping to attend an evening service there. Scouts Owns were also held in Finnart Church on a Sunday evening about twice a year. On the 7th March 1954, Brian preached from the pulpit – something that the Troop Scribe had never seen before.
Service to the community was also taken seriously. During the Coronation week celebrations in May 1953, the 70th collected toys and books for a children’s ward at the Royal Infirmary – a project that was continued long after Brian had departed the 70th.
In June 1954, Brian was asked by the District to train Scouts from the various troops to put on a signaling display for the Chief Scout’s visit to Greenock. During the 1950s and 1960s, the 70th Troop dominated district signalling competitions when it came to semaphore and it is likely that Brian was the initial catalyst for that.
Brian had the ability to inspire Scouts, partly because he had a genuine interest in encouraging and motivating their Scouting progress. For example, in September 1952, Brian presented several Scouts with good attendance certificates that he had personally designed and hand drawn. One of the recipients (Douglas Brown) still has his certificate. On another occasion at the Invereck Easter Camp, Brian left the camp on the penultimate morning to cycle into Dunoon. The reason for this trip was not given in the log books, but it is likely that he was purchasing a card, cake and present for Douglas Brown, whose birthday was celebrated that afternoon in camp. In addition, Brian was not one to ask Scouts to do anything that he was not prepared to do himself. For example, during Bob-a-Job week in 1953, Brian shared the honour of raising most money - £3 15 shillings (the equivalent of £107 today). On another occasion, he changed inspection one Friday night such that the Troop Leader inspected the Scouters, rather than the Scouters inspecting the Patrols. Brian could also take a joke. In January 1954, the Troop Scribe (Graham White) described a trip to “Puss in Boots” at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow. This included a cartoon of Brian and a comment regarding his ‘bald patch. Brian ‘praised’ the scribe for instigating one of the neatest pieces of slander ever executed by a Scout.
Not surprisingly, Brian features highly in the Troop and Patrol Logs covering 1950-54. The following are just a few examples.
*In September 1951, Brian produced a ‘Camp fire’ made up of sticks and red crepe paper. One such campfire of that description still survives, but it is not known whether it was the original version or not. Brian was a keen proponent of campfires both at camp and at troop nights, and there is evidence of him introducing new songs and telling yarns. There is also evidence of him being a good piano player.
* In May 1952, Brian and John Cook were both absent from the troop meeting because they were playing cricket – a rare example of Brian prioritizing a non-Scout activity over Scouting.
There is evidence that Brian was a keen photographer as he was responsible for taking photographs of the troop and individual patrols during 1952 (available on the web site). This lends support to the theory that he took the photographs of the Cub Pack and Scout Troop in 1949 (available on the web site).
There is evidence that Brian was a keen photographer. For example, he took most of the photographs that appear in the troop log for 1952 (available on the web site). This might suggest that he took the photographs of the Cub Pack and Scout Troop in 1949 (available on the web site).
The Court of Honour (COH) minutes reveal that in 1953, Brian proposed buying a hut and converting it into a Scout headquarters. This would cost approximately £300 (about the equivalent of £8600 in 2021), not including the cost of ground, erection etc. Nothing more came of this and the dream of a Scout HQ remained a dream until 1968. Brian also instigated the publication of a Troop magazine in May 1954, and a few of these were produced, an example of which can be found on the website.
The COH minutes for May 1954 also provide the first clues of Brian’s impending departure when he suggested that a Bull patrol consisting of older Scouts should be formed to run the troop should he leave. This patrol was indeed formed and Brian eventually resigned at the end of September 1954 following a seamless hand over to Ian Blake. According to Douglas Brown, Brian’s commitment to Scouting was so strong that his academic studies were suffering. As a result, his father insisted that he needed to step back from Scouting in order to gain the qualifications that he needed.
That wasn’t Brian’s last contact with the troop though as he attended a social evening held on the 8th October 1954 to celebrate the Troop’s 21st anniversary. Brian was presented with a gift from Victor Clark as a small token of thanks from the troop. Brian also visited the troop in January 1955 along with Victor Clark and ran a short campfire. Finally, at the annual meeting of the Finnart Church Congregation during March 1955, the following statement was made, “The Scout Troop has lost the services of Mr. Brian Hodgson as Scout Master owing to other commitments, but thanks to the ground work performed by him early in the year, a more than full enrolment of boys has been achieved. The overall efficiency of the troop is being maintained and, with a little more camping experience, we hope to recapture the county flag honours for Finnarts Own. The number of boys on the troop register is 45.”
A number of photographs on the website include Brian Hodgson, such as a photo of the leaders and PLs taken in the summer of 1953, the Troop photograph taken on the 11th Dec 1953, the weekend camp of March 1954, and Easter camp held at Invereck in 1954.
Brian eventually qualified as a Science teacher and moved to Germany where he taught at the international school. He also returned to Scouting and rose to the dizzy heights of District Commissioner when in Germany.
Hodgson, Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest Hodgson and his wife were Brian Hodgson’s parents and lived at 81 Newton Street, Greenock. Before that, they lived in Northumberland, then Midlothian, Edinburgh. Ernest was transport manager with Walkers Sugar refinery when he lived in Greenock, and he was also a keen supporter of the troop, gifting a cup in June 1950 aimed at encouraging competition between the patrols. The Cup was first presented to the Seal Patrol in May 1951. Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson lent their support on many occasions; examples include the annual senior dance in December 1952 and a fund raising social night during March 1953. The latter included a raffle where the prize consisted of 6 fresh eggs donated by Mr. Hodgson. Remarkably, he won the raffle, but immediately auctioned the eggs to raise more money for the troop. It should be noted that eggs were rationed to one egg per person per week from 1943 to 1954. Mr. Hodgson was also present when the Troop photograph was taken in December 1953, but was not in the photograph itself. In February 1954, Mrs. Hodgson helped out with a Troop wide game in which the patrols were required to phone Brian’s house to receive instructions. In June 1953, GSM Victor Clark presented Mr. Hodgson with a Thanks Badge on behalf of the troop.
Inglis, Ian
There are no records of Ian Inglis being born in Greenock or Gourock, so it is assumed that the family moved to the local area after he was born. It has been proposed that a photograph taken of the Cub Pack in Fancy Dress at Halloween 1952 or 1953, may include Ian Inglis. There is also an entry in the Troop Log stating that Ian Ingles sang a solo at a Scouts Own at Finnart Church on Sunday, 31 March 1957. However, there is no indication of Ian joining the troop.
Irvine, Ronald
Ronald Irvine has been tentatively identified as being present at the Cub Pack Fancy Dress Halloween Party of 1952 or 1953, However, there is no record of him joining the troop. A Ronald Arthur Irvine was born in Gourock during 1944, which would make him the right age to be in the Cub Pack when the photo was taken. However, no further information is known.
Jack, Sandy
There is no record of Alexander/Sandy Jack being born in Greenock or Gourock, indicating that the family must have moved to the local area after Sandy was born. However, it is not known where the family lived. Neither is it known whether Sandy attended Greenock Academy or was a member of the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. It is also not known when he joined the troop although there is photographic evidence of him being in the Falcon patrol in May 1952 with Douglas Brown as his PL. Following a reshuffle of the patrols in September 1952, Sandy became 1st Scout of the Seal Patrol with Andrew Whiteford as his PL. Sandy was also a member of the 70th football team that lifted the Provost Macmillan’s football shield during that month.
Unfortunately, there is no further information regarding Sandy. He left the troop at some point between September 1952 and April 1953, but it is not known what he did on leaving the 70th. Sandy is present in the troop and patrol photos of 1952, as well as a rather poor quality photograph of the successful football team, all of which are on the website.
Johnson, Ian
Ian Johnson joined the troop from the 70th Wolf Cub Pack in April 1954. Further details are provided in the section covering 1954-59.
Johnson, Kenneth W.
There are no records of Kenneth W. Johnson being born in Greenock or Gourock. However, a Kenneth William Johnson was born in Ayr during 1942, suggesting that the family moved to the local area after that. Kenneth was living in Manor Crescent, Gourock in 1962, and this might have been his address when he was a Scout. It is likely that Kenneth was a pupil of Greenock Academy and a Wolf Cub in the 70th Pack. However that has not been confirmed.
The exact date on which Kenneth joined the troop is unknown, but was probably about the middle of 1953 as he was invested during October 1953, along with S. Souter, J. Lee and R. Hartley – suggesting that all four were in the same year at
school. It is likely that Ken joined the Seal Patrol with A. Whiteford as his PL. Ken Johnstone went on to become a Patrol Leader and Assistant Scout Master (see Personalities of 1954-59.
Kirk, Ian
Ian Kirk gained his Leaping Wolf in the Wolf Cubs and moved up from the 70th’ B Pack on 1st April 1954 to join a Seal Patrol with Andy Whiteford as his PL. Further details are provided in the section covering 1954-59.
Lee, Jimmy
Jimmy Lee may have been born in 1942 or 1943. A James Lee was born in Greenock East during 1943. However, it not known whether this is the same person or not. It is also not known where Jimmy lived during the period he was in Scouts or whether he attended Greenock Academy. Similarly, it is not known whether he joined the 70th Wolf Cub Pack.
​Jimmy was invested in October 1953, which suggests that he joined the troop round about the summer of 1953.
It is not known which patrol he initially joined, but by the Spring of 1954, he was last Scout in the Seagull Patrol with Sandy Whiteford as his PL. Changes to the patrols in June 1954 meant that Jimmy’s PL in the Seagull Patrol became PL Neil Cook. However, at some point during the autumn of 1954, Jimmy was moved to the Falcon Patrol. Curiously, this transfer was questioned at a Court of Honour meeting during November 1954. It’s not clear why the transfer was questioned but nobody voted against it.
Unfortunately, there are no details on how far Jimmy got through the Scout Training Scheme or how many badges he gained. Similarly, there are no recorded details of any camps or hikes that he might have participated in. The only event mentioned that he is known to have attended was the annual party for younger Scouts on the 22nd December 1953.
Jimmy was still in the Troop during November 1954, but there is no Troop Log covering the period between March 1955 and February 1957, and so he could have left at any time during that period.
There is only one photograph on the website showing Jimmy, and that is the troop photo taken in December 1953.
Livingstone, Cochrane
Lee, Mr.
A Mr. Lee was present during the celebration of the 70th’s 21st anniversary on 8th October 1954. During the event, he was part of a panel for 20 Questions. The other members of the panel were DC J.J. Swan, Cub Mistress Isabel McBride and Mrs. Whiteford. It is possible that Mr. Lee was Jimmy Lee’s father, but that remains to be established.
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There are no records of Cochrane Livingstone being born in Scotland, and so it is assumed that he was born in another part of the UK and that the family moved to the Greenock area after he was born. A large number of families certainly moved into Greenock and Gourock during the war years. However, no background information on Cochrane and his family has been unearthed to date.
It is not known when Cochrane joined the Troop, but it is possible that he might have been one of the Scouts that joined when the 70th was restarted in 1947. Moreover, he might even have been in the troop before it amalgamated with the 59th.
Cochrane is present as the bespectacled Scout in the Troop photograph taken in May 1949. He was also reported in January 1950 to be the 1st Scout of the Wolf Patrol with A. Gunn as his PL. Cochrane clearly left the troop at some point between January and August 1950 as he was not present in the troop rota for September 1950. However, it is not known why he left or what he did after leaving.
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Logan, Jimmy
On Monday 11th January1954, Scouters and some of the older Scouts went up to the Theatre Royal in Glasgow to see the pantomine ‘Puss in Boots’ starring Jimmy Logan. In part two, Jimmy Logan sang ‘Sausage is the Boys’ which clearly had a big impact as the Scouts decided that this was a song that needed to be included in the campfire repertoire.
Lyle, P.
The Troop’s Coronation Brochure of 1953 identified P. Lyle as last Scout in the Wolf patrol with John Heap as his PL. However, this is the only indication of a P. Lyle being present in the troop, and it is not known what his Christian name was. As he was last Scout, it suggests that he joined the Troop to the Scout Troop in late 1952 or early 1953 when he was about 10 or 11 years old. However, there are no birth records corresponding to a P. Lyle being born in Greenock or Gourock between 1942-43. There are no other references to him in the available records and he is not present in the Troop photo taken in December 1953, so it must be assumed that he left the troop fairly soon after he joined.
McCulloch, Anita
Anita McCulloch was an Assistant Cub Mistress (Baloo) when Betty Neilson was Akela of the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. There is no background information regarding Anita and it is not known when she started helping out at the Cub Pack, but she is present in the 1949 photograph of the Group. It is also not known when she left the 70th, but she was not included in the list of leaders provided in the Troop’s Coronation Brochure of 1953. Peter Morrison recalls meeting Anita in Morrison’s Supermarket round about 2019 and believes that she was living in Gourock at that time. It is not known when or where Anita was born or what she did on leaving the 70th..
MacDiarmid, Alisdair D.
Alisdair MacDiarmid’s name was frequently misspelt in the Troop Records. He was also nicknamed ‘Daisy’, although the reason for that is unknown. Alisdair was born in Kelvingrove during 1937, but it is not known when the family moved to the Greenock area or where they lived. Alisdair was with the troop during the late 1940s and early 1950s, and it is possible that he might have joined the troop fairly soon after it was reformed in 1947. He was certainly in the troop photograph taken in May 1949.
It is not known which patrol Alisdair was in during the late 1940s. However, a troop reshuffle in January 1950 resulted in him being 1st Scout in the Seagull Patrol with J. Gunn as his PL. Another reshuffle took place during September 1950,
with Alisdair being promoted to Second of the Curlew Patrol with George Crawford as his PL. Alisdair would have been about 13 at that point. In the Spring of 1951, Alisdair was promoted to Patrol Leader and was probably still only 13. It is not known for certain which Patrol he led, but he was reported to be PL of the Wolf Patrol following a troop reshuffle during June 1951. At that point, John Ross was his Second.
There is very little information regarding Alisdair’s progress through the Scout training scheme or the number of Proficiency badges he gained. It is likely that he gained his Second Class Badge before the summer of 1950, as he was working on his First Class Badge during the Autumn of 1950. In February 1951, Alisdair was also appointed as one of six instructors tasked with training a couple of Scouts each. Alisdair was responsible for training his two Scouts on First Aid and cooking.
Alisdair’s Scouting skills were such that he was picked for the 70th team that entered the District Ambulance Competition of 1951, as well as the team that won the District Signaling Competition of the same year. The latter team was awarded the William Shearer Memorial Trophy and consisted of PL J. Cook, PL G. Crawford, PL A. MacDiarmid and Second D. Brown.
Scouts Owns and Church Parades were a regular part of the Troop programme, and Alisdair read one of the lessons at a Scouts Own in Finnart Church in May 1951.
Alisdair’s last night with the 70th was on the 16th June 1951 when the troop “said goodbye but good luck to PL Alastair MacDiarmid” The troop scribe wrote the following, “PL Alastair MacDiarmid has now left us as his family take up residence in Perth. The troop extends their thanks to Alistair for his service and record to him their best wishes in his new neighbourhood. Alistair will be remembered by all of us by his good work.”
Sadly, there was a later reference to Alisdair in the troop log for the 9th Oct 1953, when it was stated that “The flag was flown at half mast because Alistair MacDiarmid died in Perth on his 16th birthday”. No other details were provided.
A small number of photographs on the website include Alisdair, such as the Troop and Group photographs of 1949, and a rather poor quality photograph of the winning signaling team of 1951.
McDonald, Ross
Ross MacDonald was in the 70th troop for about 4 years. Birth records suggest that this was Donald Ross MacDonald who was born in Gourock during 1938. Ross was a pupil at Greenock Academy in the year above Peter Morrison. He was also in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack and is present in the Pack photograph taken in May 1949. It is likely that Ross was one of the boys that joined the Wolf Cub Pack when it restarted in 1947.
Ross probably moved up to the Troop during the summer of 1949, but is not known which patrol he joined. However, following a reorganization of the troop during January 1950, he was placed in the newly reformed Curlew Patrol with John
Slater as his PL. A further reorganization of the patrols in September 1950 resulted in George Crawford becoming his PL. Yet another reorganization occurred in June 1951 with Ross moving to the Wolf Patrol as 2nd Scout, with Alistair McDiarmid as his PL. However, by May 1952, Ross was in the Fox patrol with A. Duncan as his PL. By September 1952, Ross was 1st Scout in the Fox Patrol, and by the Spring of 1953 he was promoted to be the Second of the Seal Patrol with A. Whiteford as his PL.
Ross was one of the Scouts that cycled to the Gryffe Reservoir in May 1951 to investigate a potentially new campsite. They set up camp and had a meal, but a farmer appeared in the evening and told them that they could not camp, despite the fact that permission had been obtained from another source.
The final reference to Ross in the available records is a photograph that was probably taken during the summer of 1953, showing Ross as a member of the 70th team that took part in the District Ambulance Competition that year. It is not recorded when Ross left the troop, but it was probably September or November 1953 as he is not present in the troop photograph taken in December 1953.
A number of photographs on the website include Ross MacDonald, such as group photographs taken in May 1949, troop and patrol photos taken in 1952 and the ‘Ambulance Team’ of 1953.
On leaving school, Ross qualified as a lawyer and became a partner at Neill, Clark and Murray.
McElwee, James M.
Mr. James M. McElwee was not a member of the 70th group, but held district appointments during the 1950s and 1960s. His name crops up a number of times in the available log books. A fuller account of this is provided in the section covering the Bob Millar years (1960-66). It is also known that he was the assessor for First Class Hikes in 1954 and probably took over that role in that year. He assessed A. Shearer and I. McKenzie for their hike.
McEwing, R.
The Troop log contains a list of patrols for the start of the 1954-55 session, which identifies an R. McEwing as a member of the Curlew Patrol. However, there is no other mention of an R. McEwing in the troop records, and it is possible that this might be an error and that the name should read B. McEwing (see below).
McEwing, William (Billy)
It is thought that Billy McEwing might be William Hendry McEwing who was born in Gourock during 1942. He is not present in the Troop photograph taken in December 1953, suggesting that hey joined the 70th during the first half of 1954 when he would have been about 12. He attended a four-day camp at Everton led by Douglas Brown during Wed 11th-Sat 14th August 1954 and was with the troop until 1956. Further coverage is provided in Scouting Personalities for 1954-59).
McFarlane, Ian
Ian McFarlane was a long-serving member of the 70th from the 1940s to the 1960s as Wolf Cub, Scout and ASM. His full name was John Sheridan McFarlane and he was born in Greenock during 1938. His father was Hugh McFarlane who worked as an analytical chemist, and the family lived at 1, The Craigs, Greenock.
Ian was a pupil at Greenock Academy and was in the year above Peter Morrison. It is possible that he might have been one of the boys that joined the 70th Wolf Cub Pack when it restarted in 1947, and he is present in the Pack photograph taken in 1949. He also participated in a day hike for the Cubs up Corlic Hill that took place during May 1949.
It is not known when Ian moved up to the Troop, but it is likely to have been during the summer of 1949. It is also not known which Patrol he initially joined, but following a troop reshuffle in January 1950, he ended up in the Seal Patrol with John Cook as his PL. In June 1951, Ian was transferred to the Curlew Patrol and now had George Crawford as his PL. By May 1952, Ian was a 1st Scout, and in September 1952, he was transferred to the Falcon Patrol where he now had Douglas Brown as PL. About a year later, he was promoted to Second of the Falcon Patrol. However, his spell as a Second was brief because, in November 1953, Ian was promoted to PL of the Fox Patrol with R. Mackinnon initially as his
Second, followed by Robin McGill in May 1954. At that point, the Fox Patrol consisted of PL I. McFarlane, Second R. McGill, I. McKenzie, H. Kerr, R. Hartley and J. McKenzie. At the beginning of September 1954, Ian resigned as PL of the Fox to become Troop Leader and one of the flag bearers at parades for the 1954-55 session.
Ian progressed well through the Scout Training Scheme, gaining his Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class badges, followed by the Venturer’s Badge and Bushman’s Thong. Finally, he was one of five 70th Scouts who gained their Queen’s Scout certificates from the Chief Scout Lord Rowallan on the 19th June 1954. The other Scouts concerned were A. Whiteford, Douglas Brown, Bob Miller and Sandy Whiteford. As far as is known, they remain the only 70th Scouts to have received the certificate from a Chief Scout. Inevitably, Ian would have amassed a healthy number of proficiency badges on his journey towards the Queen’s Scout Badge. Unfortunately, it is not known how many proficiency badges he gained, although it is known that they included the Ambulance, Handyman, Tracker, Public Health and Despatch Rider. Another notable achievement occurred in May 1954 when Ian was awarded the Coronation Cup for “Best Scout of the Year” – an honour that he shared with Second Neill Cook. Both winners also received a sheath knife.
Unfortunately, the log books provide very little information on weekend camps or hikes. However, Ian was one of 7 Scouts who cycled up to the Gryffe Reservoir in May 1951, in order to try out at a new camping site. He also attended a weekend camp at Invereck during March 1954 - the first time that the 70th had camped there. This was followed by a week-long Easter camp the following month, when Ian led a patrol consisting of Sandy Whiteford, Neil Cook, Robert McKinnon, Stephen Pearce and Milton Runcie (see website for details). Ian also attended Easter Camp at Invereck the following year to help the leader team. However, no written account of that camp survives. As far as competitions are concerned, Ian was chosen for the 70th team that won the District Ambulance Competition of 1953.
On the 8th October 1954, Ian led a hand-picked patrol that broke the flag at a social evening that was held to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the troop. He then as question master for a panel game of 20 questions. In December 1954, Ian and the other PLs were involved in organising a Whist drive for parents and friends by the PLs.
During his period as PL, Ian was a member of the Court of Honour (COH) and maintained the COH log book from November 1953 till June 1954, a document that has been important in piecing together the history of the 70th during that period. The Troop Log has proved useful in that respect. For example, it was noted that Ian led the campfire on the 4th Feb 1955, but it is not known how frequently he carried out that role.
There are several photographs on the website that include Ian McFarlane as a Cub or Scout, such as the Group photos of 1949, the Cub hike up Corlic hill in 1949, the troop and patrol photos of 1952, the troop photo of Dec 1953, Easter camps 1954 and 1955, and Lord Rowallan’s visit in 1954.
Ian was still Troop Leader as of the 9th September 1955, but must have resigned during the last part of the year to join the ranks of the Scouters. He served as an ASM from 1956 to 1963. These periods are covered esewhere in the website (links to be added).
McGill, Robin (Blondy)
There is currently no background information on Robin McGill or his family. Scottish birth records suggest that he might have been being born in Paisley during 1940, in which case his family would have moved to Greenock after his birth. However, it is not known where they lived. It is also not known whether Robin attended Greenock Academy or joined the Wolf Cub Pack.
Robin’s nickname in Scouts was Blondie or Blondy, presumably because he had blonde hair. If Robin was born in 1940, he may have joined the troop during 1951. There is certainly photographic evidence of him being in the Seagull Patrol
during May 1952, with David Slater as his PL. However, at the start of September 1952, there was a reshuffle of the patrols which resulted in Robin being transferred to the Fox patrol where he had Alistair Duncan as his PL. By April 1953, Robin had reached 1st Scout status, and was then promoted to Second of the Fox Patrol in May 1954, with I. McFarlane as his PL. After 1954, Robin went on to become a very popular PL for the Fox patrol (see Scout Personalities 1954-59).
The Troop Log identifies some of the activities that Robin participated in between 1951-1954. During Bob-a Job week of 1953, he volunteered to help man one of the two shoeshine boxes that the 70th tried placed on Greenock’s main shopping street. He also attended the annual junior party that took place on the 22nd Dec 1953. An indication of Robin’s character and Scouting abilities can be gleaned from the fact that he was chosen to be a member of a special patrol that broke the flag at a social evening held in October 1954 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the troop. In addition he was part of the signalling team that put on a display of semaphore that evening.
Robin eventually left the troop in March 1956 and further information about his Scouting experiences can be found in ‘Scouting Personalities (1954-59)’ on the website. There are also a number of photographs on the website that include Robin, such as the patrol and troop photos taken in 1952, and the Troop photo of Dec 1953.
Mackay, Mr.
Mr. Mackay was an Assistant Scout Master in another Troop during 1953, and was responsible for accepting entries for the Cappielow Scouts Sports Day held that year.
McKelvie, David
David McKelvie was present in the troop between 1951 and 1954. Birth records suggest that this might be David John L. McKelvie who was born in Gourock during 1941. However, that remains to be confirmed and further information regarding David’s background has yet to be found. For example, it is not known whether David attended Greenock Academy or was a member of the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack
It is highly probable that David joined the Troop before the summer of 1951 as he was identified as a member of the Fox Patrol on the 8th June 1951, with Alastair Duncan as his PL. At the beginning of September 1952, David was transferred to the Seal Patrol where Andrew Whiteford was now his PL. However, by April 1953, he had moved to the Falcon patrol as 2nd Scout with PL Douglas Brown as his PL. He gained his Second Class badge during January 1954.
McKenzie, Donald
Not much is known about what David did when he was in the troop other than that he was one of the Scouts that manned the shoe shine boxes that were placed on Greenock’s main shopping street during Bob-a-Job week of 1953. He also attended the junior party held on the 22nd Dec 1953. The last mention of David in the available records was in January 1954, and he might have left the Troop that same year. However, the troop log covering 1955-57 is missing and so it is not possible to be sure. It is also not known what he did after leaving the troop.
David McKelvie is present on some of the photographs shown on the website, such as the Troop and patrol photographs of 1952 and the troop photo taken in December 1953.
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Donald was the younger brother of Kenneth McKenzie and it is reported that the family moved to Greenock from the Highlands, although their address in Greenock at the time is not known. Both brothers had a pronounced Highland accent. Birth records suggest that Donald’s full name might have been Donald George S MacKenzie and that he was born in Stoer during 1939.
Donald attended Greenock Academy and was in the same class as Peter Morrison. He was also a member of the 70th Wolf Cub Pack, although it is not known when he joined. He is present in the Pack photograph taken in May 1949, as well as
photographs of the Cub hike up Corlic Hill that same year. He is also present as a Seconder in another photograph taken of the Cub Pack in 1951.
Donald probably moved up to the Troop on the 8th June 1951 and he was placed in the Falcon patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. It is not known when he left the Scouts, but it must have been during the 1951-52 session as he is not included in any of the Group photographs taken on 2nd May 1952. Unfortunately, it is not known what he did after leaving Scouts.
McKenzie, Ian
No background information has been discovered relating to Ian McKenzie in terms of his birth, family or home address. It is also not known whether he was a pupil at Greenock Academy. However, there is evidence to suggest that he was not in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack.
Ian McKenzie joined the troop on the 20th February 1953 along with Jimmy Harvey, which suggests that the two of them were friends and that they either transferred from another Troop or joined without previous experience. Ian and Jimmy were perhaps unique in the 70th for being mentioned in the Scouting publication “The Scout” for gaining their Tenderfoot badges during 1953.
It is not known which Patrol Ian initially joined, but by the Spring of 1953, he was in the Fox Patrol with A. Duncan as his PL. He then joined the Seal Patrol as 2nd Scout about the summer of 1953 with Andy Whiteford as his PL. In March 1954, he briefly joined the Falcon patrol and was then promoted in June 1954, to became 1st Scout of the Fox Patrol, with Ian McFarlane as his PL. Ian was eventually promoted to PL (see Scouting Personalities 1954-59).
Ian gained his Second Class badge during January 1954, then appears to have made rapid progress through his First Class badge as he undertook his 1st Class journey with Alistair Shearer during September 25th-26th, 1954. This was passed in October 1954 following assessment of the hike logs (note that Alistair’s hike log survives). During the hike itself, Ian and Alistair camped at Invereck and Ian tried his hand at swinging on a creeper. Unfortunately, it broke and he fell into the river fully clothed. It is not known for certain whether Ian finally gained his First Class Badge, but it seems probable as the journey was usually the last test to be taken.
It is not possible to identify all the hikes and weekend camps that Ian may have been on as these were rarely mentioned in the log books. However, it is known that he was at the Invereck Easter Camp held during April 1954. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs. He also attended the Easter and Summer camps held in 1955 (see Scouting personalities (1954-1959).
Ian was one of the Scouts that manned the two shoeshine boxes that the 70th set up in Greenock’s main shopping street during Bob-a-Job week of 1953. However, Ian failed to show the same commitment to Bob a Job Week in 1954, and he was brought before the Court of Honour in May 1954 to explain why he had failed to raise any money at all. Ian was unable to provide a satisfactory answer for his tardiness and the Chairman of the Court informed him that he would have to be omitted from any chance of promotion. Ian clearly mended his ways after that because he was eventually promoted to Patrol Leader (see Scouting personalities (1954-1959).
Ian was a member of the 70th football team that beat the Gourock troop 5-0 during October 1953, with Ian scoring one of the goals. The team also beat the 5th Renfrewshire 2-1 during December 1953. Later that month, Ian attended the Junior Xmas party. Ian was also a member of the Seal Patrol when they came up with the name of ‘Venturer’ for the Troop’s new canoe in November 1953. Each Patrol was asked to propose a name and the Seal came up with the name that was adopted.
Ian McKenzie is present in several photographs shown on the website, such as the football team of 1953, the troop photo taken in December 1953, Easter Camp 1954 and Summer camp 1955. Ian probably left the troop round about the summer of 1956. Unfortunately, it is not known what he did after that.
McKenzie, James
(see Scouting Personalities 1954-59)
McKenzie, Kenneth
Kenneth McKenzie was the older brother of Donald McKenzie and was the year above Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy. Both Kenneth and Donald had strong Highland accents as the family had moved to Greenock from the Highlands. Birth Records suggest that Donald and Kenneth were born in Stoer during 1939. To date, it is not known where the family lived in Greenock or what Mr. McKenzie did for a living.
Kenneth was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack during the late 1940s and he might have been one of the boys that joined when the Pack was restarted in 1947. He was one of the older Cubs present in the Pack photograph taken in 1949 and was in charge of the Pack flag. However, other photos suggest that he was neither a Seconder nor a Sixer, which might suggest that he had recently joined the Pack.
It is likely that Kenneth moved up to the troop during the summer of 1949. It is not known which patrol he joined initially but, a rearrangement of the troop during January 1950, resulted in him being in the Curlew Patrol with John S. Slater as his PL. Another reorganization of the troop during September 1950 saw Kenneth transferred to the Wolf Patrol where Andrew W. Gunn was his PL. On the 8th June 1951, the number of patrols was increased from four to six. As a result, Kenneth was promoted to Second of the Curlew Patrol with George Crawford as his PL.
Unfortunately, there are no further references to Kenneth MacKenzie in the troop log, which suggests that he left the troop at some point between the summer of 1951 and the spring of 1952. It is not known what he did after leaving the troop.
McKinnon, Robert
At present, there is no background information regarding Robert McKinnon, his address or his family. It is also not known whether he attended Greenock Academy. It is unlikely that he was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack as he was recruited in late October 1953. Therefore, it is not known whether he had previous Scouting experience with another troop. Birth records identify that a Robert Johnston MacKinnon was born in Gourock in 1939, and a Robert Harrison McKinnon was born in Greenock West in the same year. If either of these individuals correspond to Robert, he would have been about 14 when he joined the troop.
Robert was initially placed in the Curlew Patrol, but was transferred the following week to the Fox Patrol. In March 1954, there was a vote at the Court of Honour to see who would be the next Second of the Falcon Patrol. Robert gained the most votes, but SM Brian Hodgson stated that he wanted Robert to remain in the Fox Patrol. No further details were provided as to why that would be the case. Therefore, the ‘sitting’ Second of the Fox Patrol was transferred to the Falcon patrol, and Robert became the new Second of the Fox Patrol. In May 1954, Robert was considered for promotion to PL of the Curlew Patrol, but Neville Mort gained more votes. As a result, Neville gained promotion and Robert was transferred to the Curlew Patrol to be his Second. Robert was promoted to PL during the 1954-55 session. This may have been in September 1954, but it is not known which patrol he took over.
Robert gained his Second Class Badge in January 1954, which is only 3 months after he joined - suggesting that he might have had prior Scouting experience. He was also interested in picking up new skills, and took part in a practical and theoretical pioneering course aimed at PLs and Seconds that was run by David Slater in November 1954. Unfortunately, it is not known whether Robert gained his First Class Badge or how many proficiency badges he gained. However, it is known that he completed his 1st Class hike with Neville Mort on the 14-15th April 1954 during Easter Camp at Invereck. This suggests that it is highly probable that he finally gained the 1st Class badge, especially as he was promoted to PL.
It was only a week after Robert joined the troop that he was playing for the 70th’s football team and scoring a goal in the team’s 5-0 victory over ‘the Gourock Troop’ (presumably the 6th Renfrewshire) during October 1953. He also played in a game against the 5th Renfrewshire in December which the 70th won 2-1.
Robert attended the troop’s Easter Camp at Invereck during the 10th-18th April 1954, and was in a patrol led by Ian McFarlane. During the camp, Robert read a passage from the Bible at one of the daily Scouts Own held each morning. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs. He may also have been on other camps and hikes that are not recorded in the available records.
In April 1954, it was decided that Robert should be brought before the Court of Honour as he had earned nothing during Bob-a-Job week. However, that incident did not affect him adversely as he was promoted eventually to PL. It is also significant that Robert was chosen for the special patrol that broke the flag at the the social event held in October 1954 to celebrate the troop’s 21st anniversary.
Robert appeared to lose interest in Scouting after the summer of 1955, and eventually resigned inNovember 1955 when he was probably 16. It is not known what he did after that.The website contains photographs that include Robert McKinnon, such as the Troop photograph of December 1953 (link needed) and photos taken at Easter Camp 1954.
McLeod, Alistair
Alistair McLeod was in the year above Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy. Birth Records suggest that Alistair was born in Gourock during 1939. However, there is no other background information regarding him or his family.
Alistair was in the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack and it is possible that he might have been one of the boys who joined the Pack when it was restarted in 1947. Photographs taken in May 1949 show that he was promoted to Seconder in the Cub Pack. He was also photographed participating in the Cubs’ hike up Corlic Hill in 1949. However, there is no record of him joining the troop and it is assumed that he left Scouting once he left the Cub Pack. Unfortunately, it is not known what he did after that.
MacNeill, Douglas
There is currently no background information on Douglas or his family. Therefore it is not known where he lived or whether he attended Greenock Academy. It is also not known what his father did for a living. It is possible that Douglas’s full name was Douglas Ian MacNeill and that he was born in Greenock West during 1937. However, this needs to be confirmed.
Douglas was not identified in any of the photographs taken in 1949, which suggests that he was not in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack and may have joined the troop just after the summer of 1949. It is not known which patrol he initially joined, but a troop reorganization carried out in January 1950 resulted in him being in the Wolf Patrol with A. Gunn as his PL.
By September 1950, Douglas was 1st Scout in the Wolf Patrol. Following a reshuffle in June 1951, Douglas was promoted to Second of the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL . If Douglas was indeed born in 1937, he would have been about 14 by this time. At some point during the 1951-52 session, Douglas returned to the Wolf Patrol as its Patrol Leader. This would most likely have occurred during 1951. His Second was John Ross. Douglas was still PL of the Wolf Patrol at the start of the new 1952-53 session.
The available records provide no information on how many badges Douglas gained, or how far through the Scout Training Scheme he got. There is also no information on any hikes or camps that he might have attended. In terms of competitions, Douglas was chosen as a reserve for the 70th team that won the District Signalling Competition in 1951, and was a member of the 70th team (team B) that came second to the 70th’s team A in 1952. He was also a member of the 70th football team that lifted the Provost Macmillan’s football shield in 1952.
It is not known when Douglas resigned from the troop, but it may have been fairly soon after the summer of 1952 as he did not attend any of the COH meetings after September 1952. It is not known what he did after leaving the troop.
Photographs on the website with Douglas MacNeill present include troop and patrol photos taken during 1952, as well as the photo of the B-team that came second in the District Signalling competition of 1952.
Meek, Alec
Alec Meek was a Rover Scout in another Scout Group who lived at 21 Nelson Street, Greenock. During 1953, he was responsible for issuing tickets for an evening cruise that was one of the events taking place during the Coronation Scout Week.
Miller, Robert Kennedy
Robert Miller played a leading role in the history of the 70th during the 1950s and 1960s, both as Scout and Scout Master. This section focuses on his progress as a Scout. In the 70th, he was generally called Bob or by his nickname ‘Eccles’. The reason for this nickname is not known. It might have been related to the character Eccles in the Goon Show. There might also be a link to the Goon phrase ‘He’s fallen in the water’ as there was an Invereck camp where Bob was ‘slagged off’ for not going swimming. On the other hand, it may be because Bob was known for cooking delicacies in camp.
Bob was born in Greenock during 1938, and lived at 18 Johnstone Street, Greenock. His father was Archibald Miller who worked as a Flesher (Butcher) . It is possible that Bob attended Greenock Academy, but there is no evidence of him being in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack.
Bob was first mentioned in the Troop Log (June 1951) as being last Scout of the Curlew Patrol with George Crawford as his PL. Therefore, it is likely that Bob joined the troop close to or on that date. In September 1952, James Whitefield became Bob’s new PL, and by April 1953, Bob had risen to be 1st Scout. At some point between April and November 1953, Bob was promoted to Second of the Fox Patrol, and was then transferred to the Falcon Patrol in November 1953. Bob was then promoted to PL in March 1954, presumably of the Curlew Patrol. The Scout Master (Brian Hodgson) actually made up a campfire song on the night to mark Bob's promotion. A meeting of the Court of Honour during the Spring of 1954 discussed the possibility of forming a Bull Patrol made up of senior Scouts. However, it was not until June 1954 that Bob resigned from his patrol to act as a ‘stand by’ should a PL or second be absent in one of the patrols.
In terms the Scout Training Scheme, it is not recorded when Bob gained his Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class Badges. Nor is it known when he gained his Bushman’s Thong. However, it clear that he successfully achieved these awards as he completed his Queen Scouts Badge during 1954, and was one of four 70th Scouts to gain his Queens Scout certificate from the Chief Scout Lord Rowallan in June 1954. Bob must also have gained a substantial number of proficiency badges but there are no details of how many he got or what they were.
Bob was a very keen camper and hiker and it is likely that he participated in far more camps and hikes than were mentioned in the available troop records. The first camp that Bob is actually recorded as attending was a weekend camp to Invereck during March 1954. Bob also attended the week-long Easter camp held there the following month. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs. A few months later, Bob Miller, Sandy Whiteford and Graham White attended the Blair Atholl Jamborette, as well as a 4-day summer camp at Everton led by Troop Leader Douglas Brown.
In terms of competitions, Bob was picked for the 70th team that entered the District Ambulance Competition of 1953. He was also in the 70th football team during 1953. Finally, he was part of the 70th team that won the District Signaling Competition in June 1953. On a more light-hearted note, he was part of a Scout team that took on the Scouters in a knotting game during October 1953. The Scouters team were Brian Hodgson, DC JJ Swan, Victor Clark and David Slater. The Scout team was Graham White, Neil Cook, S. Bacon and Bob Millar. The result was not revealed in the log. Bob was also a runner up for the Coronation Cup competition held on 28th May 1954. As a result, he was awarded a small sheath knife.
The Troop Log suggests that Bob was an enthusiast of campfires (indoor and out). For example, during April 1954, there was a campfire where Douglas Brown, Bob Miller, A. Whiteford and Brian Hodgson gave a song to the assembled Scouts. Bob finally resigned as a Patrol Leader on the 3rd September 1954 to join the ranks of the Scouters (see Personalities 1954-59 and 1960-67 - links needed).
There are quite a few photos on the website with Bob as a Scout including the troop and patrol photos of 1952 and 1953, Victor Clark’s wedding, the Inveresk weekend camp 1954, Inveresk Easter camp 1954 and Everton camp 1954.
Miller, Clark
Very little is known about Clark Miller and his background. He joined the Group in the early part of 1953 as an Assistant Cubmaster, possibly about the same time that Miss Marjorie Gibson took over from Betty Nelson as Akela. The 70th’s Coronation Brochure published in 1953 stated that he was an ex scout and that ‘(he) has the training and Scout ideals and should have no difficulty in gaining his warrant.’ In the same brochure, Clark was listed as a member of the Rovers.
The following year at a Court of Honour (COH) held during May 1954, SM Brian Hodgson stated that Clark was taking out an ASM’s warrant and would be joining the troop in June 1954 as its only warranted ASM. In June that year, Clark attended another COH meeting and agreed to take on the troop records. However, no other references to Clark have been found in the available records, either as an Assistant Cubmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster. It is not known when he left the group or what he did afterwards. A photograph taken outside Finnart Church during the summer of 1953 includes Clark Miller.
Miller, Jimmy
Nothing is known about Jimmy in terms of his date of birth, background or address. It is also not known whether he was a pupil at Greenock Academy or a Wolf Cub in the 70th Pack. It is also not known when exactly he joined the troop. The first mention of Jimmy is in the 70th’s Coronation Brochure which may have been written about April 1953. At that point, he was in the Seagull Patrol with Sandy Whiteford as his PL. As Jimmy was listed as last Scout, it suggests that he may have joined the Troop at some point during the 1952-53 session. At some point, he must have been transferred to the Curlew Patrol, as he was transferred from the Curlew Patrol to the Seal patrol in March 1954. However, in June 1954, he was transferred to the Falcon patrol, again with Sandy Whiteford as PL.
Unfortunately, there is very little information regarding Jimmy’s progress through the Scout Training Scheme, the number of badges which he gained or the various camps or hikes that he might have participated in. However, it is known that he gained the Bookman, Jobman and Missioner Proficiency badges during the Spring of 1954. Jimmy was also picked for the 70th football team to play the 5th Renfrewshire in December 1953, although he was unable to play that day. He also attended the junior Xmas party on the 22nd Dec 1953. Jimmy was last mentioned in the COH minutes for the 5th November 1954 as he had not been attending Scouts. It is presumed that he left the troop fairly soon after that. Jimmy is present in the Troop photograph taken in December 1953.
Peter Morrison was born in 1940 and attended the same class at Greenock Academy as Robin Webster, Neil Cook, Neil Gunn, Graham White, Adrian Matheson, Neville Mort and Bill Fraser. Peter was the Seconder of Douglas Brown's Six in the Cub Pack during 1949, but it is not known when he joined the Pack. He also climbed Corlic Hill with the Cubs that year. Although the weather was very good, Peter's memories of the hike were of getting his foot stuck in the mud. He recovered his foot, but not the boot. To cap it all, the ants ate his sandwiches, so he looked pretty disgruntled in the photos taken that day. He was eventually promoted to Senior Sixer and it is likely that he moved up to the Troop on or about the 8th June 1951.
Morrison, Peter
Peter was placed in the Seal Patrol with John Cook as his PL. He was still with the Seal Patrol about a year later in May 1952, by which time Sandy Whiteford was his PL. However, Peter left fairly soon after that, and was no longer in the troop by September 1952. Although he enjoyed the Friday night meetings, he disapproved of the way discipline was imposed.
Peter remembers being very ambitious at the age of 10 and was really keen to be chosen to sing 'Holy City' at a forthcoming Cub concert. There was a sing off between Willie Bain and himself to see who would get the honour. However, the nod went to Willie. As compensation, Peter and another Cub sang “We’re a couple of swells.”
Peter went on to become a successful lawyer and singer and frequently appeared on the BBC during the late 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s, he co-hosted 'Songs of Scotland with the folk singer Alistair MacDonald. At various other shows, Peter used to recount how he was bested by Willie Bain in a singing contest all those years ago.
Peter is present in a number of photographs on the website, such as the photographs taken of the pack in 1949, the hike up Corlic Hill, photos of Cubs taken in 1951, and the troop and patrol photos taken in May 1952.
Neville’s full name was Neville Cowan Mort, and he was born in Gourock on the 5th November 1940. He was in the same class at Greenock Academy as Peter Morrison, and his father was the police chief in Greenock. Neville was in the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack, and belonged to the same six as Douglas Brown and Peter Morrison. It is not known when Neville joined the Pack, but he was present in the Pack photographs taken in May 1949.
Neville almost certainly moved up to the troop round about the 8th June 1951 to join the Seagull patrol with David Slater as his PL. In September 1952, Neville was transferred to the Wolf Patrol as 2nd Scout, this time with Douglas
Mort, Neville (1940-2006)
MacNeill as his PL. By about April 1953, Neville was 1st Scout in the Wolf patrol with John Heap now PL, then in November 1953, he was promoted to be the Second of the Fox Patrol. In January 1954, Neville came third in the annual GSM’s cup, then in May 1954, he was promoted to PL of the Curlew Patrol with R. Mackinnon as his Second. A photograph of the troop lining up for a parade outside Finnart Church in June 1955 also suggests that Neville was appointed as flagbearer for the Troop Flag.
As far his progress through the Scout Training scheme is concerned, it is likely that he gained his Tenderfoot Badge during the second half of 1951. He then gained his Second Class Badge in October 1953. It is not known whether he gained his First Class Badge, but he certainly completed his First Class journey in April 1954 and this makes it likely that he eventually gained the 1st Class badge itself. It appears unlikely that he would have gained his Queen’s Scout Badge as he left the Troop when he was about 15. It is not known how many proficiency badges he gained, but they included the Bookman, Speaker, Starman, Weatherman and Stamp Collector.
It is not possible to identify all the camps and hikes that Neville attended as many of these were not recorded, but he attended a weekend camp to Invereck in March 1954, as well as the 1954 Easter camp held at the same campsite. During the camp, Neville completed his First Class journey along with Robert McKinnon. He also provided a bible reading at one of the daily Scouts Own held each morning. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs. Neville also attended a 4-day ‘summer camp’ at Everton led by TL Douglas Brown during 1954, as well as the Easter Camp held at Invereck in 1955, when he was PL of an Owl Patrol. During the camp, he was one of the Scouts involved in building a raft called the ‘Basin’. The raft was duly launched and given its trials. According to the log, “All those who dared to go on it had to swim back.”
In terms of competitions, Neville was chosen for the 70th team that won the District Signalling Competition in June 1953. He also took part in the Scout Sports day held at Cappielow Park in June 1953, coming second in the 100 yard race for Scouts aged 11-12. In addition, he was a member of the 70th’s football team during 1953.
Neville also had a short spell as Troop Scribe, writing up the Troop Log from March to May of 1954. The last reference to Neville was of him attending the Court of Honour in March 1955. It is not known when he actually resigned, but it is likely to have been close to the summer of 1955, by which time he would have been about 15. It is not known why Neville left the 70th at that point, or whether he transferred to another troop or school. He certainly seemed to maintain an attachment to the Troop, for the very last reference to Neville in the Troop Log was in April 1957, when the scribe wrote, “Neville Mort, who used to be in the troop, paid us a visit tonight.” The scribe also included a cartoon of a very elderly gentleman with a walking stick representing the 17-year old Neville. As far as personal recollections go, Peter Morrison was friendly with Neville and considered him a ‘good lad’.
​It is not known what Neville did after leaving school, but he eventually moved to the Southwest of England and was appointed as a director of a company called Redruth Brewery Limited. The company manufactured beer at ‘The Brewery, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 1RB. Neville was living in Dorset when he passed away in 2006 at the age of 65.
Neville is present in various photographs on the website, including the Cub photos taken in 1949, troop and patrol photos taken in May 1952, photos taken outside Finnart Church in 1953, the troop photograph of Dec 1953, the Invereck camps of 1954, and a Scout parade in 1955.
Nelson, Betty
Betty Nelson was responsible for restarting the 70th Wolf Cub Pack in 1947 and becoming its Akela. She had originally been with the 59th Group and when she moved to the 70th, she persuaded Douglas Brown to be her Senior Sixer and to act as the Pack’s ‘Recruitment Officer’. She remained Akela for about 6 years and the 70th’s Coronation Brochure published in 1953 announced her resignation as follows, “We were sorry to hear of the resignation of Miss Nelson who has been Akela of the Cubs since the troop restarted in 1947. We wish her good luck with her new pack. She certainly handed us the material to make good Scouts.”
In terms of personal recollections, both Douglas Brown and Peter Morrison remember Betty as being a super person. The author also met Betty and her husband in 2006 and found her to be a very friendly and outgoing personality. Betty provided many of the Cub Photographs that are present on the website covering the period 1949-1953. Betty, herself, is present in some of these. Finally, later log books reveal that Betty visited the Troop during its summer camp near St. Andrews in 1978, and signed the Visitors page in the troop log book.
Nisbet, John
John Nisbet was born in Greenock West during 1943. He lived at 6 Park Avenue, Greenock and his father was Mr. Alex M. Nisbet, who was a teacher. John was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack and moved up from the Pack to the Troop on the 26th Mar 1954, along with S. Scott and H. Kerr, suggesting the threesome were classmates at school. It is not known which Patrol John joined initially, but a reorganization of the patrols during June 1954 resulted in him being in the Seagull Patrol with Neil Cook as his PL. A more detailed account of John’s Scouting is provided in Personalities of 1954-59 (add link).
Parish, Douglas
Nothing is known about Douglas Parish or his background. There is no record of him being born in Scotland. However, a William Douglas Parish was married in Greenock during 1972 and this might be the same person.
Douglas was a junior ASM who helped out with the 70th during 1951. In May 1951, he introduced a new game called handball which proved popular, and also ran the first campfire for several months. This proved very successful. By September 1951, he had run several campfires and the Troop log stated that ASM Parish ‘now leads the choir which is getting very proficient in many songs. We now end up with the 23rd Psalm and when sung properly by the Scouts it has a wonderful sound and also fittingly ends the evening’s campfire.’
This is the first mention of the 23rd Psalm being used to finish off campfire and it became the traditional way of ending campfires well into the modern era. It is not known whether Douglas left the troop in 1951 or 1952, but Victor Clark told the Court of Honour that his reasons for leaving were ‘too deep to go into’. It is not known what he did when he left the Troop.
Paterson, Eric
There is no background information on Eric Paterson or his family. However, birth records show that an Eric Hetherington Paterson was born in Greenock West in 1940. If this is the same person, then he would have been 13 when he joined the troop during the second half of 1953. Eric was invested in January 1954, but it is not known which patrol he was in at that point. However, following a troop reorganization in June 1954, he was reported to be in the Seal Patrol with Graham White as his PL. Eric made a name for himself on the 17th December 1954 when he was the only Scout to arrive at Finnart School on time (6.30pm) for a dance with the Finnart Guides. The rest of the Scouts thought that the dance started at 7.30pm and so Eric either endured or enjoyed being the sole Scout in a company of Guides for an hour before
the others came. The records are then very quiet regarding Eric until January 1956, when the COH minutes stated that an ‘Eric’ had been considered for promotion to second. The only other reference to an ‘Eric’ was in January 1957. This involved a game of British Bulldog where the captors had just wrestled ‘big Eric’ to the ground when the minister walked in, causing JR. Blake to switch games to something quieter. It is not known when he left the troop or what he did after he had left. The troop photograph taken in December 1953 is the only photograph that includes Eric.
Pearce, Stephen
Very little background information currently exists on Stephen Pearce or his family. There is no evidence of him being born in the local area. However, a Stephen Pearce was born in Cathcart (Glasgow) in 1938. If this is the same individual, then the family must have moved to the Greenock area after he was born. It is thought likely that such a move might have occurred during the 1952-53 session as he was identified as being in the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL during the first half of 1953. He is also in the Troop photograph taken in December 1953, and it is clear that Stephen was one of the older Scouts.
In January 1954, the Court of Honour could not make up its mind choosing between Stephen Pearce or Robert MacKinnon as the new PL of the Curlew Patrol. In the end, the Court took the rather unusual step of giving each of the candidates a four week trial at leading the patrol. The records do not specify what the result of that experiment was. However, there are indications that Stephen may have been promoted to Second of one of the Patrols. By June 1954, Stephen would have been about 16 and it was decided to form a Bull Patrol of older Scouts consisting of Douglas Brown, Bob Miller and Stephen Pearce. It was also decided that Bob and Stephen would act as ‘stand in’ PL and Second respectively should they be needed by any of the patrols. However, in September 1954, Stephen returned to the main body of the troop as the newly promoted PL of the Fox patrol with Robin McGill as his Second. The Fox Patrol remained under his leadership for the 1954-55 session. It is not known whether Stephen had previous Scouting experience, but it seems unlikely as he gained his Second Class badge in January 1954.
In terms of camps, there is a possibility that Stephen was at the Invereck weekend camp held in March 1954, as there is a photo which labels one of the Scouts present as SP. There is firmer evidence of him being present at the following Easter Camp held in April 1954 at the same campsite. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs (add link).
Stephen was chosen as one of the Scouts that gave a display of signalling at the social evening held in October 1954 to celebrate the Troop’s 21st anniversary.
The Fox Patrol Log had a couple of titbits regarding Stephen. In June 1955, a special song was sung at campfire in celebration of Stephen’s birthday. It was also stated that Steven Pearce received ‘a long overdue badge’. Unfortunately, the nature of the badge was not revealed. The following week, it was reported that “during patrol corners, an unnamed member of the Fox patrol put his PLs hat in the basin and turned on the water. When PL Pearce found out, the unnamed member of our patrol following the hat.” The author of that little piece was Robin McGill and it seems likely that he was the ‘criminal’.
Stephen left the troop on the 9th September 1955 when he would have been about 17. However, it not known what he did after that. Stephen is present in the Troop photo of December 1953 and photos taken at Easter Camp 1954.
Pearson, I. Mr.
Mr J. Pearson was not associated with the 70th Scout Group, but was mentioned in the Troop Log as being the Convenor for the District Signalling Competition held during June 1952 for the William Shearer Memorial Trophy. A Captain Ian Pearson was later identified as the examiner for the competition held in June 1961, but it is not known yet whether this is the same person. Assuming that this is the same person, Captain Pearson had been captain of a minesweeper based in the Mediterranean during the 2nd World War. After the war, he leved on the Esplanade and his son, Andrew, was a member of the 70th Scouts during the 1960s. Captain Pearson was a very practical man and built a canoe for Andrew in his attic. Unfortunately, the canoe was too big to get down from the attic, so Captain Pearson, then had to build a skylight window in order to get it out.
Philips, I.
Nothing is known about I. Philips in terms of his date of birth, family background, address or Christian name. It is also not known when he joined the Troop, but it must have been during the late 1940s as he was identified as a Scout in the Seagull Patrol with J. Gunn as his PL at the beginning of January 1950. He might have joined the troop after May 1949 as he is not in the Troop photograph taken that month. On the other hand , he might have been absent on the day the photograph was taken. In September 1950, he was promoted to Second of the Seagull Patrol with David Slater as PL. There is no other mention of him in the records and he must have resigned at some point during the 1950-51 session. It is not known what he did after leaving the troop.
Hamish Rankin joined the troop on the 19th March 1954. A full account of his Scouting history is provided in Personalities 1954-59 (link needed).
Rankin, Hamish
Robertson, Archie
Very little is known about Archie’s background. An Archibald Allen Robertson was born in Gourock during 1939 but it remains to be confirmed whether this is the same person. It is not known where he lived or what occupation his father might have had. It is likely that Archie was a pupil at Greenock Academy, but that too needs to be confirmed.
Archie joined the troop at the end of March 1951 along with Tommy Grant. The log book entry implies that they were not coming up from the 70th Cub Pack, and may have transferred from another Troop. It is not known which Patrol Archie joined initially, but following a reshuffle in June 1951, he was in the Seagull patrol with David Slater as his PL. At some point during the 1951-52 session, he was transferred to the Falcon Patrol with Douglas Brown as his PL. This was still the case in April 1953. However, there are no further references to Archie in the surviving records and it is likely that
he left the troop round about the summer of 1953. Archie Robertson is present in patrol photographs taken during May 1952.
Robertson, Stuart
It is not known when or where Stuart Robertson was born. A David Stuart Robertson was born in Gourock during 1940, while a Stewart Thomson Robertson was born in Greenock East during 1941. Both spellings (Stuart and Stewart) are quoted in the Troop records. At present, it is assumed that Stuart Robertson born in Gourock is more likely to be the Stuart/Stewart mentioned in the records. However, it is not known where he lived or what occupations his parents might have had. Neither is it known whether he attended Greenock Academy or joined the 70th Wolf Cubs.
It is possible that he joined the troop at the beginning of June 1951 as a reorganization of patrols identified Stuart being allocated to the Fox patrol with Alastair Duncan as his PL. The reorganisation might also be indirect evidence
that Stuart moved up from the 70th Pack with other Cubs. Over the Summer of 1952, another troop reshuffle saw Stuart transferred to the Seagull Patrol where David Slater was his PL. By about April 1953, Stuart was 2nd Scout in a Seagull Patrol that was now led by Sandy Whiteford. During March 1954, Stuart was considered for promotion to Second of another patrol, but it was Robert McKinnon that got the nod on that occasion. However, Robert was duly promoted to Second of the Seagull Patrol in May 1954 with Neil Cook now in charge.
Stuart gained his Second Class Badge in December 1953 and was duly ‘ducked’. Unfortunately, the troop log is missing from Mar 1955-Feb 1957 and so it is not known how much further Stuart got through the training scheme. It is also not known how many proficiency badges he gained, but it is known that he gained the Missioner Badge. It is also known that Stuart attended the Junior Xmas Party in December 1953, and was one of the seven Scouts involved in a signaling display during the social evening that was held in October 1954 to celebrate the Troop’s 21st anniversary. Unfortunately, the missing Troop Log makes it impossible to tell when he eventually left the troop or whether he was promoted to PL. The latter seems unlikely as he is not mentioned in the Court of Honour minutes over that ‘gap’ period.
Stuart is present in a photograph taken of the Fox patrol in May 1952, and the troop photograph taken in Dec 1953 (links needed).
There is some uncertainty regarding John Ross’s background. A John Ross was born in Gourock during 1940, but other evidence suggests that the John Ross in the Troop was born earlier than this. Therefore, it is possible that he was born elsewhere and that the family moved to the district after he was born. Unfortunately, it is not known where the family lived or what occupation John’s father was in. Similarly, it is yet to be confirmed whether John attended Greenock Academy or joined the 70th Wolf Cub Pack.
John probably joined the Troop about the summer of 1950 as he was reported to be in the Curlew Patrol in September of that year. George Crawford was his PL. John was then rapidly promoted to Second of the Wolf Patrol by June 1951 at which point Alistair McDiarmid was his PL. By May 1952 his Patrol leader was D. MacNeill. John was
Ross, John
then considered for promotion to PL in September but was pipped to the post by Jim Whitefield. However, John did not have long to wait before he was elected PL of the Seagull Patrol in November 1952.
Unfortunately, no information has been unearthed on how many badges he gained or how far through the Scout Training Scheme he progressed. Neither is it known how many camps and hikes he might have participated in.
The troop log reports that in April 1952 John was involved in collecting and arranging the colours of all the Scout groups that attended the District annual St George’s Day Parade held in Finnart church. He was also reported to be a member of the 70th football team that won the Provost Macmillan’s football shield during September 1952.
John was last mentioned as attending a Court of Honour meeting during February 1953. Therefore, it seems likely that he resigned at the end of the 1952-53 session. John is present in the troop and patrol photographs taken in 1952.
Rugman, M.
There is a possibility that M. Rugman might have joined the troop in 1954. Further information is provided in the Section covering 1954-59.
Rowallan, Lord
On the 19th June 1954, the Chief Scout Lord Rowallan paid a visit to Greenock. Brian Hodgson was in charge of a signalling display involving Scouts from different troops in the district (about half were from the 70th troop). They practiced at the Hall on the 18th. During the Chief Scout’s visit, he presented Queen’s Scout badges to five 70th Scouts – Andy Whiteford, Douglas Brown, Ian Mcfarlane, Robert Millar and Sandy Whiteford.
Runcie, Milton
Milton Runcie was born in Greenock West during 1939 and lived at 181 Eldon Street, Greenock. His father was Mr. W. Milton Runcie who was a dental surgeon. Milton had a younger brother (Albert) who was also in the 70th. It is assumed that Milton attended Greenock Academy, but it is not known whether he was in the 70th Cub Pack or not. This appears to be unlikely as one might have expected Milton to have joined the Troop from the Cub Pack during 1950. It is not known when exactly he joined the Troop and it is possible that he might have transferred from another troop during late 1951 or early 1952. Alternatively, he might have joined with no previous Scouting experience.
Milton was first identified as being a member of the Falcon Patrol in May 1952, with Douglas Brown as his PL. However, in September 1952, he was transferred the Wolf Patrol where Douglas MacNeill was PL. By the Spring of 1953, he had moved again, this time to the Curlew Patrol J. Whitefield was PL. He was still with the Curlew Patrol in June 1954. Unfortunately, it is not known whether he got promoted during the period 1955-57 as the log book covering that period is missing.
In terms of his progress through the Scout Training Scheme, it is not known when he gained his Tenderfoot Badge, but he gained his Second Class Badge during January 1954. It is not known whether he gained his First Class Badge as he may have been present in the troop during the ‘gap years’ 1955-57.
In terms of camping experience, Milton attended the Easter camp held at Invereck in April 1954 at Invereck. During the camp, he gave a bible reading at one of the daily morning Scouts Owns. However, it is not known what other camps and hikes he might have participated in.
Milton was still with the troop in June 1954 and it is not known when he left, due to the missing Troop Log book. It’s also not known what he did after leaving the 70th. Milton is present in the photograph taken of the troop in December 1953.
Scott, Robin
No background information on Robin Scott is known. It is known that he was in the Curlew Patrol in June 1954 with Neville Mort as his PL. He also attended the Easter camp held at Invereck during 9th-15th April 1955, where he was in an Owl Patrol led by Graham White and Neville Mort. However, there are no other references to him in the available records and it is not known when he left the troop or what he achieved when he was in the troop. Such information might only be gained by recovering the missing troop log book covering March 1955- February 1957.
Scott, Stuart
Stuart Scott moved up from the Cub pack to the Troop on the 26th Mar 1954, along with J. Nisbet and H. Kerr. He also attended the long weekend camp at Everton in 1954. Full details of his Scouting years are provided in the section covering 1954-59.
Slater, David (From Scout to PL)
Birth Records indicate that a David Gordon Slater was born in Gourock during 1937. However, it is not certain that this is the same David Slater that was in the 70th. David is believed to have had two brothers (John and Harry) both of whom were in the 70th, but it is not known where the family stayed at the time or what occupation(s) the parents had. It is likely that David attended Greenock Academy, but it is not known whether he was a Wolf Cub.
If David was born in 1937, it is likely that he joined the troop in 1948, possibly only months after the troop was re-established in 1947. Unfortunately, no written accounts survive for the 1947-49 period. However, David is present in the troop photograph taken in May 1949. It is not known which patrol David was in during the 1940s, but a rearrangement of the troop in January 1950, saw him promoted to Second of the Seagull Patrol. His Patrol Leader at that point was
John Gunn. Another reorganization took place in September 1950 which resulted in David being promoted to PL of the Seagull Patrol, with I. Phillips as his Second. David was probably only 13 at this stage and was still to gain his Second Class badge. In June 1951, Iain Campbell replaced I. Phillips as David’s Second. David was still a patrol leader in October 1952, but may have resigned at some point between October and December 1952 as he was not one of the PLs forming the Guard of Honour at Victor Clark’s wedding in December 1952. Moroever, the troop’s coronation brochure written about April 1953 reported that he was in the Rover Scouts.
In terms of the Scout Training Scheme, it is not known how many badges David gained or how far through the Scout Training Scheme he progressed. However, he was involved as a PL in training Scouts. In June 1951, was instructing Scouts on Knots and Rules of Health. In terms of competitions, David was chosen for the Ambulance team to enter the District First Aid competition of 1951.
The only photographs on the website that show David Slater as a Scout are the troop and group photographs of 1949..
Shearer, Alistair
Alastair Shearer was born in Greenock East during 1940. However, it is not known where he stayed or what his parents did in terms of employment. It is also not known whether he attended Greenock Academy or joined the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. It is likely that Alistair joined the troop at some point during 1951 as the first mention of him in the Troop Log was during February 1952 when a competition was run to test various Scouting skills. It was reported that “Scout Alastair Shearer won the individual championship by repeating the ten Scout Laws in 35 seconds!” As a result, Alastair won the GSMs Cup for best Scout that year. It is not known which patrol Alastair was in when he first joined the troop, but he was in the Wolf patrol in May 1952 with D. McNeill as his PL. During September 1952, Alastair was transferred to the Curlew Patrol where James Whitefield was his PL. Alastair was promoted to Second of the Falcon patrol in June 1954, where
Sandy Whiteford was his PL.
Alastair was a member of the 70th football team that won the District football competition for the 1952-53 session. He was also in the team during the 1953-54 session. In addition, he was one of the eight Scouts selected to give a semaphore display at the social evening held in October 1954 to celebrate the troop’s 21st anniversary.Alistair also did his bit when it came to fund raising. During Bob-a-Job week of 1953, he was one of the seven Scouts who manned two shoeshine boxes on Greenock’s main shopping street.
Alistair went on to become a Patrol Leader and Scouter, resigning eventually at some point in 1959. Further details can be found in the section covering 1954-59. Alastair appears in a number of photographs on the web site such as the troop and patrol photos taken in 1952 and 1953, and the football team of 1952-53.
Slater, David (ASM)
David Slater probably resigned as a PL between October and December 1952, and it is known that he was a Rover Scout by the spring of 1953. The first clear reference in the troop log to David being an Assistant Scout Master (ASM) was in the summer of 1953 when it was stated that he helped at several camps at Everton during the summer of 1953. Unfortunately, no detailed records of these camps are known to exist. At this point, David would have been aged 16 if he had been born in 1937. David continued to act as an ASM after the summer and appears to have been the only ASM helping Brian Hodgson during 1953. During that period, David took every third Friday-night meeting. In September 1954, it was revealed that Brian Hodgson would be resigning as Scout Master at the end of the month, but by this time both David Slater and Andy Whiteford were ASMs, and were soon to be joined by Douglas Brown and Bob Miller. There
are some indications that David may have gained his warrant as an ASM during the latter half of 1954.
David is mentioned several times in the Troop Log book during 1953 and 1954. For example, in October 1953, the District Commissioner J.J. Swan visited the troop. As part of the programme, the Scouters (Brian Hodgson, JJ Swan, Victor Clark and David Slater) took on a team of Scouts (Graham White, Neil Cook S. Bacon and Bob Millar) at a knot tying challenge. The result was not revealed. On another occasion (Saturday 27th Nov 1954), David offered a practical and theoretical pioneering course for PLs and Seconds. In the morning, practical pioneering was undertaken at the ‘quarry’, and, in the afternoon, theoretical work was done at at David’s house.
David was a regular attender at the Court of Honour from November 1953 to November 1954, and also took responsibility for camping and attendance during the 1954-55 session. In October 1954, David stated that the troop was 37 strong and that recruiting would have to stop once they reached 40 due to the small size of the hall. Following this, there was a debate over the possibility of having two troops meeting on different nights (like the Cubs). However, the resulting vote was 8-1 against. On another occasion (November 1954), concerns seemed to be raised about David testing his younger brother (Harry Slater) on his Second Class, but it is not known what the result of that was. David was probably present as an ASM at a number of camps, other than the ones already mentioned at Everton. There is some photographic evidence suggesting that he was part of the group that investigated Invereck in March 1954.
One of the last events that David attended was a whist drive in December 1954. David Slater’s final troop night was in February 1955. At the campfire that night, one of the ASMs added a verse to the ‘QM store’ along the lines of ‘There was Dave, Dave, happily had to leave’. However, it was clear that the troop was sorry to see him go. Jim Harvey wrote in the Seal Patrol Log that David’s departure would be a great loss to the troop, and at the end of the meeting David was when he was given ‘a hearty Bravo’ for his service with the Troop. David resigned because his family was moving to Edinburgh. It is not known whether David continued his Scouting in Edinburgh or what else he did after leaving the 70th. David probably kept in touch for a while after leaving. For example, there is photographic evidence of David either attending or visiting the troop’s Easter Camp to Invereck in 1955.
Slater, Harry
Harry Slater was born in Gourock during 1942 and would be the youngest of the three Slater brothers who joined the troop. It is not known where he lived in Gourock or whether he was a pupil at Greenock Academy. However, it is known that he was a member of the 70th B Pack which met on Thursday evenings and that he gained his Leaping Wolf.
Harry moved up to the troop in April 1954, along with J. Kirk and Trevor Jones, suggesting that they were in the same class at school. Harry joined the Seagull patrol with Neil Cook as his PL. Very little information is provided in the available records on Harry, other than a discussion that took place in the Court of Honour during November 1954 on whether David Slater should be testing his younger brother on his Second Class. No further references were made to Harry, but it should be noted that the troop log for March 1955-February 1958 is currently missing and so it is not possible to determine when Harry left the troop.
It is possible that Harry is present in one of the Pack photographs taken during the 1950s. However, he has not been identified to date.
Slater, John
It is not known when and where John Slater was born, as there is no record of him being born in the local area. However, it is estimated that he might have been born in 1933 or 1934. Therefore, it is assumed that the family moved to Gourock after John was born, but possibly before David, his brother, was born. This would correspond to the mid 1930s. It is likely that John attended Greenock Academy, but it is not known whether he was in the Wolf Cubs. Assuming that John was born in 1933 or 1934, he could well have joined the 70th Troop between 1944 and 1946 before the amalgamation with the 59th, and would have, therefore, been one of the Scouts that returned to the 70th when Victor Clark restarted the troop in 1947. However, it has not been possible to confirm this.
The earliest evidence of John S. Slater being in the troop comes from photographs taken in May 1949 which show that
he was a Patrol Leader at the time. He also appears to be wearing epaulettes which would mark him out as a Senior Scout aged 15 or 16. There are no written accounts surviving from 1947-49, and the earliest written references to John are in the Troop Log for 1950-55. Indeed, he was the troop scribe from January to September 1950, at which point he must have resigned from the troop.
The lack of records from the 1940s means that it is not possible to describe John’s progress through the troop. However, there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that he was initially promoted as PL of the Seal Patrol and was then asked to take charge of the Curlew Patrol once it was reformed in January 1950. John’s Second in the Curlew Patrol was James Veitch.
The troop log covering 1950 demonstrates that John Slater and Brian Hodgson were the most senior Scouts present at the time, with one or other of them being in charge of the occasional troop meeting. For example, John ran two meetings in February and March 1950. However, it is also apparent from the Troop log that John had other commitments that year, namely school examinations and cricket.
John was troop scribe and wrote up the Troop log from January to September 1950, signing himself as John S. Slater. He may well have been the troop scribe for any previous logbook that might have been written in the late 1940s. However, no such logbook has been discovered to date. John was particularly good at drawing small cartoons to accompany each entry, and had the ultimate compliment of having one of his cartoons reproduced (with due acknowledgment) at a later date (1954). The last entry written by John was in September 1950 and he resigned from the troop at that point. However, he did not break his ties with the Group and was registered as a Rover Scout until at least 1953. Finally, John was identified in a photograph of Scouts taken at the gates of Invereck House at the start of Easter Camp 1955. He is in ‘civvies’ which suggests that he was either visiting or had helped push the camp gear on the trek cart from Dunoon to Invereck.
As far as personal recollections are concerned, Arthur Blake was a 70th Scout who was in the troop during the war before it amalgamated with the 59th. He recalls being in the same class as John Slater, but he does not recall John being in the 70th troop during the war. However, that does not rule out the possibility of John joining the troop at some point during 1945 or 1946.
​A number of photographs on the website include John Slater, such as the troop and group photographs taken in May 1949, a Cub hike up Corlic Hill during May 1949 (where he was helping out) and a photograph of Scouts at the gates of Invereck in 1955.
Slater, Mr.
At a Court of Honour held on the 29th October 1954, it was stated that Mr Slater would make a donation to the Troop such that a Social event to be held on the 1st December 1954 would make a slight profit. Mr. Slater was almost certainly father to John, David and Harry Slater.
Soutar, Scott
It is believed that Scott Soutar’s full name was James Scott Soutar and that he was born in Gourock during 1942. Other than that there is no background information on Scott or his family. It is probable that Scott was a pupil at Greenock Academy, but it is not known whether Scott was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack or not. It is likely that Scott joined the troop about mid 1953 as he was invested in October 1953. It is not known which patrol he joined initially, but following changes to the patrols in June 1954, he was reported to be 1st Scout in the Seagull Patrol with Neil Cook as his PL.
The only camp that he is known to have attended during 1953 and 1954 was a four-day summer camp held at Everton during August 1954. He was also at the annual Junior Xmas party in December 1953, and in January 1954, he sang an impressive solo rendition of ‘The Lord’s my Shepherds to the humming of the troop’. Scott would have been 11 or 12 at that point.
Scott remained with the troop until 1957 (see Personalities 1954-59).
Steel, Eoin C.
Eoin C. Steel was a former 70th Scout and Assistant Scout Master who was with the 70th during the 1930s (add link). He was invited to participate in a parade and Scout’s Own held at Finnart Church on Sunday 10th Oct 1954 to celebrate the Troop’s 21st anniversary. Eoin read the Old Testament lesson from Exodus III, 1-15.
Stewart, Reverend D.H.
The Rev. D.H. Stewart lived at 40 Campbell Street and was minister of Finnart Church from the late 1930s to the 1960s. He was also the Troop’s chaplain during that period, and was a very strong supporter of the Scout Group from the very moment he took up his post. The entry here relates to events that took place between 1950 and 1954. Entries relating to other periods are provided in the relevant sections.
The Troop logs provide the following entries relating to the Rev Stewart.
On the 3rd Nov 1950, Rev Stewart was one of the main guests at a parents night where ‘the Scouts gave the grown ups an exhibition on what they really do at a Scout meeting.’
Following the death of King George VI on the 6th Feb 1952, the Rev Stewart visited the troop on the 8th February and made a short speech on the King and his connections with Scouting. Patrol leader George Crawford then brought the Union Jack down to half-mast and two minutes silence followed. The troop then sang one verse of the national anthem and was dismissed.
On the 27th Apr 1952, the annual St George’s Day District Parade was held in Finnart Church and the service was conducted by the troop Chaplain, Rev. D.H. Stewart.
During 1953, the 70th produced a Coronation brochure which provided short biographies on many of those associated with the 70th. This included the following passage concerning the Rev. D. H. Stewart – “The Reverend Mr Stewart is our troop Padre and a very keen padre he is. Not many Fridays pass without him dropping in to see how the boys are getting on.”
The following was an extract from the Greenock Telegraph written during the Summer of 1953 - “New colours for the Finnart school company of Girl Guides were dedicated at the annual service in Finnart Church this forenoon. The colours lay on the communion table during the proceedings and were subsequently handed over by the school chaplain Rev DH Stewart. All the pupils were interested spectators.”
During the summer of 1953, a Scout Pageant was held to celebrate the Coronation, and this attracted big crowds. The service at the Pageant was conducted by Reverend DH Stewart and music for the hymns was provided by the Boys Brigade brass band.
On the 20th Nov 1953, the minister Rev. Stewart visited the troop meeting to inform the Scout Master that the Troop’s sale of work planned for December needed to be postponed until the Spring as the Women’s Guild was holding one.
On Sun 7th Mar 1954, there was a Scouts Own at Finnart Church where Brian Hodgson preached the sermon. The Rev Stewart provided the blessing at the end.
On the 19th Mar 1954, the Rev Stewart visited the troop meeting and gave a talk on the Communist Scout Paul Garland, who had become headline news as he had been dismissed from the Scout Movement. This was probably done at campfire and it was reported in the Seal Patrol Log that Mr Stewart would come once every month to give a yarn
On the 8th October 1954, the 70th celebrated their 21st anniversary with a social evening. The programme included a short talk and a benediction from the Rev DH Stewart MA.
​On Sunday 10th October 1954, he was present at the Church service that was held in Finnart Church to mark the 21st anniversary of the troop.
The above extracts provide a flavour of the Rev. Stewart’s connection and relationship with the 70th. It should be noted that there were also many other church services, parades and Scouts Owns that were not described in the Troop Logs, and it is also likely that the minister made several visits to troop meetings which were not recorded.
Stoddart, Raymond
Raymond Stoddart was mentioned in the troop log as a Queen’s Scout from Glasgow who visited the Troop on the 2nd Apr 1954. He also accompanied the District Commissioner (J J. Swan) and GSM Victor Clark when they visited the troop on the 28th May 1954 regarding the county flag competition.
Stronach, Captain
Captain Stronach was connected with the 6th Renfrewshire (1st Gourock; Col Darroch’s Own) Scout Group. During the Battery Park pageant of 1953, there was a ceremony where he was acting on behalf of the 6th to accept a gift from Colonel Darroch (the son of the Colonel Darroch who had sponsored the 6th). He then presented Colonel Darroch with the troop flag. After this, there was a march past at which Colonel Darroch took the salute.
Swan, J.J.
J.J. Swan was a long-serving, well-respected and much-loved figure in Greenock Scouting. During the 1950s, he was District Commissioner and his name cropped up fairly regularly in the available log books. The following list various entries in chronological order for the period 1950-54.
On the 11th Jan 1952, the DC Mr. Swan presented Brian Hodgson with his ASM warrant.
During June, 1952, Mr J. Swan, the district commissioner, was present at the District Signalling Competition and presented the William Shearer Memorial Trophy to Troop leader John Cook, who led the 70th team that won the trophy for the second time.
In May 1953, the District Commissioner sent a letter out to all Scouters regarding the events occurring during Scout Week, 1953. In addition, it was revealed that the Scouts would accept responsibility for the bonfire on coronation night. Regarding both the Scout week and the coronation bondfire, he wrote, “I would particularly appeal to you to assist in making this effort worthy of the best traditions of the movement, by encouraging your boys to come out in force when called upon to do so and by setting them the example which your leadership inspires.” Scout Week included a Scout pageant and it was announced at the pageant that Commissioner Swan had earlier sent a telegram to her Majesty the Queen, telling her of the Scout’s programme of celebrations and pledging their Royal service and allegiance. During the afternoon, he read the reply, which thanked them for their greetings, and said how much her Majesty appreciated the gesture.
On the 16th Oct 1953, DC Swan visited the troop meeting and stayed until the campfire. He was complimentary and played a game of knotting on the Scouters side against a patrol of Scouts. The Scouters involved were Brian Hodgson, JJ Swan, Victor Clark and David Slater.
On the 4th Dec 1953, Mr. Swan and four other Scouting officials arrived at the troop meeting to present wood beads to Brian Hodgson. Each of the visitors took a patrol to inspect. Mr Swan also presented a certificate to state that then 70th was ready to enter county competitions.
On the 28th May 1954, Raymond Stoddart, Victor Clark and Mr Swan paid the troop a ‘flying visit’ about the county flag competition.
On the 4th June 1954, visited a troop meeting to wish the troop luck in the County Flag Competition.
On the 8th October 1954, DC JJ Swan was a guest at the troop’s social event which was organised to celebrate the troop’s 21st anniversary. As part of the programme, a session of 20 questions took place with a panel made up of DC JJ Swan, Cub Mistress McBride, Mrs Whiteford and Mr. Lee. Mr. Swan also gave a short speech to the parents just before the interval.
Telfer, Peter
Peter Telfer’s full name was Peter Alexander Telfer and he was born in Gourock during 1938. He attended Greenock Academy and was in the same class as Peter Morrison. It is not known where he lived at the time or what kinds of occupations his parents were in.
Peter was a member of the 70th Wolf Cub Pack and is present in the 1949 photograph of the Cub Pack. He was also one of the Cubs who climbed Corlic Hill during May 1949. It is likely that he moved up to the Troop during 1949 as he was identified as a member of the Seagull Patrol in January 1950 with John Gunn as his PL. In September 1950, he moved to Seal Patrol
where John Cook was his PL. In June 1951, he was moved yet again, this time to the Curlew Patrol where George Crawford was his PL. There are no further references to Peter in the available records, suggesting that he might have left the troop during the 1951-52 session. It is not known what he did after leaving the troop. Peter is in some of the photographs taken in 1949.
Tibbles, Colin
Colin Tibbles joined the Troop on the 15th October 1954. Information on his period with the 70th is provided in the Section covering 1954-1959.
Thomson, Edmund
There is no evidence of an Edmund Thomson being born in Scotland that could correspond to the Edmund that was present in the 70th. Therefore, it is assumed that he was born elsewhere in the UK and that the family moved to the local area after he was born. It is also not known where the family lived or what the occupations of his parents might have been. It is not known whether Edmund attended Greenock Academy, but he was certainly in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack and moved up to the Troop during September 1954 to join the Seagull Patrol. His investiture was rather special as it was carried out by the Group Scout Leader, Victor Clark, during the social evening held on the 8th October 1954 to celebrate the troop’s 21st anniversary. However, there are no other references to Edmund in the troop records and it is not known when he left the troop. There is no troop log covering the period March 1955 to February 1957 and so he could have left at any point during that period. There are no photographs of him as a Scout, and it is not known what he did after leaving the Troop.
Tonner, Stewart (Tooty)
Stewart Tonner’s name has also been spelt as ‘Stuart’ and as ‘Tanner’ in the Troop records. However, his full name was Daniel Stewart Tonner, and he was born in Gourock during 1940. It is not known where he lived or what his parents did. It is also not known whether he was a pupil at Greenock Academy, but he was believed to be in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. It is likely that Stewart moved up to the Troop in June 1951 to join the Curlew patrol with George Crawford as his PL.
Stewart’s nickname in the Troop was “Tooty” and during October 1951, it was reported that “ ‘Tooty’ Tonner went through the ‘mill’ as his punishment for misdemeanours.” In September 1952, there was a reorganization of the patrols that resulted
in Stewart becoming 1st Scout with James Whitefield as his PL. , He was still in the Curlew Patrol during the first half of 1953, but he left the troop at some point during the second half of 1953. Stewart is present in a small number of photographs on the website that were taken in 1952. It is also believed that he might be in some of the Cub photographs taken in 1951.
Tosh, Una
Una Tosh’s brothers were in the troop during the 1930s (link needed), and Una herself was an Assistant Cub Mistress (ACM) in the 70th Cub Pack during the early 1950s. Her full name was Frances Una Tosh and she was born in Gourock during 1935. Her father was a master butcher and the family lived in Jardine Terrace. Una was an ex Guide and a member of Finnart Church, and it is believed that she started as an ACM in 1952, probably at the same time that the 70th started up a second Wolf Cub Pack. The 70th’s Coronation Brochure stated that “Una has a grounding and shows it by being a very popular, competent Lady CubMaster. We know she cannot fail to be good as her brother was attached to our troop….”
Tulloch, Miss Jean
Miss Jean Tulloch was mentioned in the Troop Log as being the Assistant District Commissioner for Cubs during 1953. She was responsible for directing an item that was put on by 20 Cubs at the Scouts pageant held at the Battery Park that year. This consisted of three mimes about the Patron Saints of Scotland, England and Wales. During a battle scene in the story of St Andrew, some of the Danes seemed reluctant to be killed!
Webster, Robin
Veitch, James
It is not known where or when James Veitch was born, but it seems certain that his family moved to the local area after he was born. There is also no firm information regarding his address or his parents employment, although it is thought that the family might have lived in Forsyth Street near Wilson Hill. It is likely that James was a pupil at Greenock Academy, but it is not known whether he was in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack.
​There is good oral evidence that James joined the Scout Troop before the amalgamation with the 59th, and rejoined when the 70th Troop was restarted in 1947. He was certainly present in 1949, and in January 1950 he was promoted to Second of the Curlew Patrol with John Slater as his PL.
There is very little information on the Troop during the mid and late 1940s, and so it is not possible to identify how many badges James gained, or how many camps and hikes he participated in. However, Ian Wallace stated that he had a strong memory of James jumping fully clothed into the swimming pool at Everton in order to get away from clouds of midges. It probably made little difference as it was pouring with rain at the time. James left the Troop during the first half of 1950, but it is not known what he did after that. He is present in photographs taken of the Group in 1949.
Wallace, Ian
Ian Wallace was born in Greenock during August 1933 and was a pupil at Greenock Academy from 1938 to 1950, where he was in the same year as Arthur Blake, Lamont MacKay, Norman Tosh and Brian Hodgson. He was one of the youngest boys in his year and much the same age as John Slater who was in the year below. Ian joined the 70th Troop during 1944, and was placed in the Peewit Patrol with Alan Jubber as his PL. He was still in the troop when the troop amalgamated with the 59th in 1946 or 1947 and might have been PL of the Peewit patrol at that point. He then rejoined the 70th when it restarted in 1947. According to Douglas Brown, Ian and Brian Hodgson played an important role in assisting Victor Clark when the troop restarted. It is likely that Ian left the troop in 1948. A more detailed account of Ian’s Scouting experiences is provide in the section covering 1939-45.
On leaving school, he qualified as a surveyor at Fyfe, Gerard and Paton, and did National Service with the RAF. He eventually became a partner with Fyffe, Gerrard and Paton before setting up on his own, then retiring in late 1992 or early 1993. A fuller description of Ian’s Scouting experiences is provided on the section covering 1939-1946 (link needed).
Robin Webster’s full name was Robin MacLean Webster and he was born in Gourock during 1940. He was in the same class as Peter Morrison at Greenock Academy and was also in the 70th’s Wolf Cub Pack. It is not known what his address was at the time he was in the Scouts, or what his parents did for a living.
The exact date of him moving up to the troop is not recorded, but it is likely to have been during June 1951 as there was a significant reorganization of the patrols at that time which saw Robin joining the Wolf Patrol with Alistair McDiarmid as his PL No further references to Robin were made in the available records and he left the troop at some point between June 1951 and May 1952 .
Webster, Robin
As far as personal recollections are concerned, Peter Morrison remembered Robin winning the Burns Essay Competition in his second year at school. However, he left Greenock Academy that year and it is thought that he moved to Edinburgh and to attend Fettes School. Peter remembers this incident particularly well as the education grant associated with the Burns Essay Competition was then given to the runner up in the competition – Peter himself. On leaving school Robin qualified as a lawyer and worked for the law society.
There are no photographs of Robin Webster as a Scout, but photographs of him as a Wolf Cub in 1949 are present on the website. One of these shows Ronald holding the Pack Totem Pole.
White, Graham
It is believed that Graham White’s full name might have been James Graham White and that he was born in Greenock West in 1940. However, his address at the time is not known, and there is no information regarding his parents. It is not known for certain whether he was a pupil at Greenock Academy, but he was certainly in the 70th’s Wolf Cub pack as a member of Douglas Brown’s six. In 1949, that comprised of Douglas Brown (Senior Sixer), Peter Morrison (Seconder), Stewart Castle, Neville Mort, Graham White and Neil Cook.
Assuming the Graham was born in 1940, it is likely that he moved up to the Scout Troop in 1951 or 1952. However, the exact date was not recorded and the first mention of Graham in the troop records is in May1952 when he was identified as being as a member of the Wolf Patrol led by PL D. MacNeill. In September 1952, there was a reorganization of the troop that saw Graham transferred to the Seagull Patrol where David Slater was PL. By the Spring of 1953, Graham was 1st Scout and the PL was now Sandy Whiteford. In September 1953, Graham was promoted to Second of the Seal Patrol with Andy Whiteford as PL, then in May 1954, he was promoted to Patrol Leader of the Seal Patrol with J. Harvey as his Second. Graham was also recorded as being a Cub Instructor in November 1953 and may well have helped out at the Wolf Cub Pack.
In terms of Graham’s progress through the Scout Training scheme, it is not known when he gained his Tenderfoot or Second Class Badges, but he gained his First Class Badge in October 1953, aged only 13. In January 1954, Graham completed his Scout Cords. Considering Graham’s remarkably fast progress, it seems inevitable that he should have gained the Bushman’s Thong and Queen’s Scout Badge. However, there is no evidence of that from the available troop records. Moreover, it appears that Graham left the troop in the summer of 1955. The reasons for his departure are not known, but if he transferred to another Troop one would have thought that he would have gained the above awards.
It is not known how many Proficiency Badges Graham eventually gained during his time in the Scouts. However, by the summer of 1954, he had gained 13 Proficiency Badges including the Swimmer, Missioner, Stamp Collector, Bookman, Starman, Jobman Linguist, Marksman and Observer. Only Neill Cook had more with 14 Proficiency Badges. By September 1954, Graham had 16 proficiency Badges and he may not have stopped there. It is not surprising that he was a runner up in that year’s Coronation Cup for Best Scout and was awarded a small sheath knife as a result. It is clear that Graham was keen to learn as much Scouting as possible. In November 1954, he was one of three Scouts who attended a practical and theoretical pioneering course that was run by ASM David Slater.
It is not possible to identify all the camps, hikes and outdoor activities that Graham might have participated in, as these were rarely recorded in the log books. However, it is known that Graham attended the Troop’s first weekend to Invereck in March 1954, as well as the Easter Camp that was held there the following month. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs. Graham also attended the Troop’s Easter Camp in 1955, where he was joint PL of an Owl Patrol. Finally, he was one of only three 70th representatives to attend the Blair Atholl Jamborette in 1954.
In terms of competitions, Graham was a member of the Troop’s football team that won the Provost Macmillan’s football shield in 1952, and remained in the team during 1953. In a game against the 5th Renfrewshire during 1953, the 70th won 2-1 with Graham scoring one of the goals. Graham also represented the troop at a Scout Sports Day held at Cappielow in June 1953 as part of the Coronation celebrations. Graham and Neill Cook came second in the three-legged race for Scouts aged 11-14. There was also an interpatrol competition held in December 1953 where the patrols were asked to propose a name for a canoe that had been built for the troop. This was won by the Seal Patrol (with Graham as its Second) with the name ‘Venturer’.
Graham was also picked to represent the 70th in various non-sporting competitions. For example, he was chosen for the Ambulance team that won the District Scout Ambulance Competition, as well as the signaling team which was equally successful that year. Another interesting little contest took place in October 1953 when the District Commissioner visited the troop. During that evening, there was a knotting competition between the Scouters and a team of Scouts, with Graham included in the latter. The result of the competition was not revealed, however.
When it came to volunteering, Graham could clearly be relied on to step forward. For example, during Bob-a-Job week of 1953, he was one of the seven Scouts who manned a couple of shoeshine boxes that the troop set up in Greenock’s main shopping street. He was also one of four 70th Scouts who volunteered in the summer of 1953 to attend a service at Finnart Church where the new colours of the Finnart School Company of Girl Guides were dedicated. In addition, he helped to run the junior Xmas party in December 1953, then in March 1954 he helped SM Brian Hodgson collect the Niger tent and groundsheet from Everton in preparation for Easter camp. Another three Scouts were meant to be helping but there was a mix up and so Graham and Brian were left to carry quite a heavy load by themselves. In December 1954, he helped organize a whist drive, and was also elected chairman of a committee charged with organizing a Scout dance later that month. Graham was clearly an outstanding Scout and it comes as no surprise to find that he was chosen as a member of the special patrol that broke the flag at the social event held in October 1954 to celebrate the 70th’s 21st anniversary.
Graham White was the scribe for the Seal Patrol Log in the latter half of 1953 and at the beginning of December 1953, he served a period as Troop Scribe - writing up the Troop Log from December 1953 to March 1954. His entries in both logs were supported by a series of excellent cartoons that illustrated Graham’s artistic skills to add to his sporting and Scouting abilities. He sometimes used his cartoons to take the mickey out of the leaders. For example, in January 1954, he drew a cartoon of Brian Hodgson that emphasised how Brian’s ‘few hairs’ were ‘expertly arranged over (his) bald patch’. Brian took this in good spirit and ‘praised’ Graham for “one of the neatest pieces of slander ever executed by a Scout”. He then added that “Second White duly received his just reward!” No further details were supplied! Graham also wrote an account of Easter Camp 1954 and this was clearly well received because he was asked to do another stint as Troop Scribe from the summer of 1954 to March 1955. At that point, a new troop log was required and it seems almost certain that a new troop log book was started in March 1955. Unfortunately, this log book is not present in the available records and it would be fascinating to recover it as it is almost certain that Graham would have started it off. The log book concerned probably covered the period March 1955 to February 1957 and its recovery would shed light on a period that is relatively light on detail at present.
Graham was still in the troop during June 1955, as he helped to organize a game of cricket in McAuley’s field, where there were about 20 Scouts on each side. However, he must have left the Troop during the summer as he no longer attended Court of Honour meetings after that. He would have been 15 at that point and it is surprising and it is not clear why he should resign at that stage considering his obvious enthusiasm for Scouting. Unfortunately, it is not known why he resigned or what he did after leaving the troop.
There are several photographs on the website that include Graham White such as Cub photographs taken in 1949, troop and patrol photographs taken in 1952, photos of teams entered by the 70th for various competitions in 1952 and 1953, the troop photograph of 1953, and the camps at Invereck in 1954 and 1955.
Whitefield, Jim
It is believed that James Whitefield was born in Gourock during 1938. However, his address has not been identified and it is not known what employment his parents were involved in. It is likely that he attended Greenock Academy, but there is no evidence of him being in the 70th Wolf Cub Pack. Indeed, it is possible that he joined the Troop without previous Scouting experience.
Jim probably joined the troop during the summer of 1950, and joined the Wolf Patrol with Andrew W. Gunn as his PL. In June 1951, the patrols were reorganised and Jim was transferred to the Seagull Patrol as 1st Scout, where David Slater was his PL. At some point between then and May 1952, Jim was promoted to Second of the Curlew Patrol with George
Crawford as PL, then in September 1951, he was promoted to Patrol Leader of the Curlew Patrol where his Second was J. Finnie. In the Spring of 1953, the troop produced a Coronation Brochure which stated that “Jim has surprised everyone by being a brilliant patrol leader although never a cub. It just shows that you are never too old to learn Scouting. Once winners of the championship. Service three years.”
As far as his progress through the Scout Training Scheme is concerned, Jim passed his Tenderfoot during November 1950 and was invested in Finnart Church. However, it is not known what else he achieved in terms of the various Scouting badges and awards. Considering the fact that he was promoted to Patrol Leader, it seems highly likely that he would have gained his Second and First Class badges, if not more.
As far as competitions are concerned. Jim was picked for the 70ths B team for the District Signalling Competition held in 1952. The team came second after the 70th’s A team. He was also in the troop’s football team that won the District football competition in September 1952, then He continued to play for the team until October 1953 at least. That month, he scored all 3 goals in a game against the ‘Gourock Troop’.
The Troop Log contains a number of miscellaneous entries regarding Jim. In May 1951, Jim would have been about 13, and it was stated that “Jim Whitefield for committing unpardonable sins went through the mill!” This might refer to a process where a Scout had to pass between two lines of Scouts and get whacked in the process. This contrasts with the following year in April 1952 when Jim was one of the Scouts collecting and arranging the colours of all the Scout Groups attending the annual District St. George’s Day parade to Finnart church.
Jim resigned as PL of the Curlew Patrol at Easter 1954 and took on the role of an Assistant Scout master. Unfortunately, there are no other references to Jim in the troop records. However, the Troop log between March 1955-February 1957 is currently missing and so there is no way of knowing how long Jim stayed with the 70th as an ASM. It is also not known what he did on leaving Scouts and school.
​A number of photographs on the website show Jim Whitefield as a Scout such as the troop and patrol photos taken in May 1952, the Signalling Team B of 1952, and the troop photo of December 1953.
Whiteford, Andrew
It is believed that Andrew's full name was Andrew A. Whiteford and that he was born in Camlachie, Glasgow during 1937. The family clearly moved to Rothesay at some point as Andrew joined the Rothesay Scout Group at some point during 1948 when he would have been 11. The Whiteford family moved to Greenock from Rothesay at some point during late 1951 or early 1952 , but no other information is known about the family or where they stayed when Andy was in the 70th. It is not known for certain whether Andy was a pupil at Greenock Academy but he was not a member of the 70th Wolf Cub Pack, and transferred to the 70th as a Second from the Rothesay Scout Troop at some point during the last half of 1951 or early 1952. He very quickly demonstrated that he
deserved promotion and was duly appointed Patrol Leader of the Seal Patrol in March 1952 with J. Finnie as his Second. In September 1952, Andrew’s Second became Ian Campbell, and by the Spring of 1953, his Second was R. McDonald. At some point during 1953, Andrew won the GSM’s Cup for Best Scout and was appointed Troop Leader whilst remaining PL of the Seal. Andy remained as PL and TL until June 1954 when he resigned both positions to become an Acting Assistant Scout Master and troop quartermaster. By that time he would have been about 16 or 17.
In terms of the Scout Training Scheme, Andrew had gained his Second and First Class Badges by the summer of 1952. He then completed his Venturers Badge during August 1952. He also gained his Scout Cords and received his Bushman’s Thong in February 1954. He finally completed his Queen’s Scout Badge in December 1953. Once he had been awarded the badge, he was ceremoniously ducked at the end of the meeting – a quaint custom of the period that involved getting soaked in the church kitchen. Andrew eventually received the certificate for the Queen’s Scout Badge in June 1954. The delay was almost certainly due to the fact that the new Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan, was visiting Greenock that month, and would be the ideal personage to make the presentation. In fact, Lord Rowallan presented 8 Queen’s Scout certificates during his visit, five of which were to 70th Scouts. This is the only known occasion of 70th Scouts receiving the Queen’s Scout Certificate from a Chief Scout. The event was photographed and reported in a couple of newspapers. However, one of the journalists wrote a rather objectionable piece which poked fun at Andy’s rather battered looking Scout hat. That may well have caused Andy a bit of embarrassment, which he certainly did not deserve. In hindsight, the article did more to demean the reporter for trying to get cheap laughs. There is no record of how many proficiency badges Andrew gained, but it is known that they included the Tracker, Public Health, Handyman, Dispatch Rider and Reader badges. He also held an Instructor’s badge, although it is not clear what this represented.
Unfortunately, the available records do not identify the camps, hikes and outdoor activities that Andy participated in, but they do reveal that he was the only 70th representative to attend the 4th Scottish International Patrol Jamborette held at Blair Atholl in August 1952. The Troop Log stated, “Andy upheld the high standard of Scouting of our troop at the Jamborette passing his Venturer’s badge - a beginning to his Bushman’s Thong and Kings Scout Badge. Andy brought a young Belgian Scout back to Greenock with him and although he met the ASM (poor soul!) it was a pity he couldn’t have met the rest of the ‘merrie band’. Everyone was very pleased that Andy was chosen from our troop and no choice could have been more popular.” The ‘ASM’ would have been Assistant Scout Master Brian Hodgson. It should also be noted that Andy was the first known 70th Scout to attend the Blair Atholl Jamborette. In April 1954, Andy was Troop Leader and Quartermaster at the Troop’s Easter Camp at Invereck. He also assisted Brian Hodgson in running the camp. Reports on this camp are available on the website along with photographs.
In terms of competitions, Andrew was in the team that won the District Signalling Competition in June 1952. He was also a member of the successful 70th football team that won the Provost Macmillan’s football shield in September 1952, and continued to play for the team during the 1952-53 session. In March 1953, Andrew captained the 70th team that won the Ambulance Public Service Vase Competition. In June 1953, Andrew participated in the Scout Sports day held at Cappielow Park as part of the Scout Week events celebrating the Queen’s coronation. Andrew won the sack race for Scouts aged 15-17.5, and came second in the 3-legged race with K. Forrest as his partner. A smaller competition involved an interpatrol competition during December 1953 when the patrols were asked to propose a name for the Troop’s canoe. The Seal Patrol came up with the winning proposal of ‘Venturer’. Finally, the Seal Patrol under Andy’s leadership came second in the Patrol of the year Championship for 1953-54. A notable event also occurred on the 6th November 1953 when the Seal won the Patrol of Month Competition. For the first time, a small sheath knife was presented to the winning PL (Andy). This was an innovation and the winning PL wore the knife for the subsequent month. There was a hole through which wool could be tied that represented the patrol’s colours. In the case of the Seal Patrol, this was red and black.
At the end of December 1952, there was a particularly special event - Victor Clark’s wedding. Andy was a member of a 3-man wedding committee that was set up in October. It was not stated what their responsibilities were, but they presumably collected contributions from the Scouts towards the Troop’s wedding present - 24 piece canteen of cutlery and a case of fruit spoons. Acting on behalf of the Troop, Andy presented this to Victor and his fiancé at a Troop meeting about ten days before the wedding. At the wedding itself, Andy was one of the 11 Scouts who formed a Guard of Honour outside the Old West Kirk at the end of the ceremony. He also acted as one of the two ushers during the service.
Andy is mentioned several times in the Troop and Patrol logs. For example, in Apr 1952, he was involved in collecting and arranging the colours from all the Scout Groups attending the annual St. George’s day parade to Finnart Church. On another occasion, during the summer of 1953, he attended the dedication of the new colours for the Finnart school company of Girl Guides at Finnart Church. He also attended the Troop’s own Scout’s Owns in Finnart Church and read one of the bible passages at the Scouts Own held in March 1954. During the Spring of 1953, Andy earned more money at Bob-a-Job than any other Scout, raising £3 15 shillings. This would be the equivalent of £107 in 2021. Finally, Andy occasionally ran the campfire during troop meetings when he was troop leader. At one campfire in April 1954, Andy, Douglas Brown, Bob Miller and Brian Hodgson sang songs learnt at Easter Camp to the rest of the troop. On another occasion during November 1953, there was a bit of a role reversal at inspection when Troop Leader Andy inspected Brian Hodgson and David Slater after breaking the flag at troop night. That same night, it was announced that Brian had gained his wood badge. As a result, Andy made a point of proposing that Brian should be ducked at the end of the meeting. According to the patrol scribe (Graham White), the troop ‘did a good job of it.’
Andy became an Acting ASM in June 1954 and this period is covered in the section covering Personalities of 1954-59. Photographs of Andrew Whiteford as a Scout include photographs taken of the troop and the patrols during May 1952, the Guard of Honour at Victor Clark’s wedding in December 1952, the troop photo taken in December 1953, Easter Camp 1954 and the presentation of Queen Scouts Certificates in 1954.
Whiteford, Sandy (1939-2010)
Sandy Whiteford was the younger brother of Andy Whiteford. It is believed that his full name was Alexander Henry Whiteford and that he was born in Camlachie, Glasgow in 1939. The family moved to Rothesay at some point. No information is known about what Sandy’s parents did for employment or when they moved to Greenock/Gourock, although this might have been late 1951 or early 1952. It is also not known where they lived in the local area or whether Sandy attended Greenock Academy.
As far as Scouting is concerned, it is reasonable to assume that Sandy started Scouting in Rothesay and it is estimated that he joined the Scout troop there in 1950. Sandy was first mentioned in the 70th records in May 1952 as a member of the Seal patrol run by his brother. In September 1952, a reshuffle of the patrols resulted in in Sandy joining the Fox Patrol with Alistair Duncan as his PL. Less than a year later, Sandy was promoted to PL of the Seagull Patrol in May 1953 with N. Cook as his Second. The 70ths Coronation Brochure for 1953 stated the following, “Sandy took a jump almost unknown in Scouting - from ordinary Scout to patrol leader. He has proved his capabilities however by leading a small in stature patrol into second place in the champions of the year competition. Service three years.”
In May 1954, Sandy took over the Falcon Patrol as PL, with A. Shearer as his and Second, then in October 1955, Sandy was appointed as Troop Leader. Further details of Sandy’s Scouting progress are provided in the section covering 1954-59.
As regards his progress through the Scout Training Scheme, it is not known when Sandy passed his Tenderfoot and Second Class Badges, but he completed his First Class Badge during December 1953 - the same evening that his brother Andy was presented with his Queen’s Scout Badge. Not long afterwards in January 1954, Sandy gained his Scout Cords and was one of very few 70th Scouts to be mentioned in the weekly publication ‘The Scout’ for gaining his 1st Class Badge and Scout Cords. Several months later in June 1954, Sandy received his Queen’s Scout certificate from the Chief Scout Lord Rowallan at the same time as his brother. Douglas Brown, I. McFarlane and Bob Miller also received their certificates and this is the only known occurrence of 70th Scouts receiving any sort of award from a Chief’s Scout.
Sandy would have gained a substantial number of proficiency badge. It is not known how many he received, but one of them made ‘headline’ news in an August, 1953 edition of the newspaper ‘The Buteman’. It was written;
“On Monday, Patrol Leader Sandy Whiteford of Seagull patrol, 70th Renfrewshire Boy Scouts passed the tests for the Swimmers Badge. Sandy, formerly resident in Rothesay, is now a member of this mainland troop and combined his test with his holiday swim.”
It is also known that Sandy held the Missioner, Starman and Jobman badges amongst his clutch of proficiency badges.
The available records provide very little information about camps, hikes and outdoor activities, and so it has not been possible to identify what Sandy did in that respect. However, it is known that he attended the 70th’s first weekend camp to Invereck in March 1954, and returned there the following month for a week-long Easter camp. A report on this camp is available on the website along with photographs (provide link). Sandy was also selected to attend the 1954 Blair Atholl Jamborette, along with Robert Miller and Graham White. This this might have been one achievement in which Sandy ‘trumped’ his brother. Further information on Sandy’s camping experiences are provided in the section covering 1954-59.
Sandy was a member of the successful 70th football team that lifted the Provost Macmillan’s football shield in September 1952, and he continued to play for the team during the 1952-53 session. Sandy was also successful at the Scouts Sports Meeting held at Cappielow in June 1953 - part of the Scout Week that was organized to celebrate the Coronation. Sandy came second in the sack race and second in the obstacle race, both of which were aimed at Scouts aged 11-14. Both Sandy and Andy were in the 70th team that won the District Ambulance Competition in 1953.
With respect to Troop competitions, Sandy came second in the annual competition for the GSM’s Cup for Best Scout during February 1954. That year the competition took the form of a signalling competition (semaphore). Douglas Brown came first with Sandy a very close second – there were only 0.25 marks between them. Sandy was also amongst the team of Scouts who put on a signalling display at the social evening held October 1954 to celebrate the 70ths 21st anniversary.
The log books covering 1952-54 provide various other titbits regarding Sandy. For example, during Bob-a-Job week in 1953, both Andy and Sandy raised the highest amount of money for any individual Scout. Each of them earned about £3.14 which would the equivalent of £107 in 2021. Following this, during the summer of 1953, the two brothers were both present as 70th representatives at a church service held in Finnart Church to dedicate new colours for the Finnart School company of Girl Guides. Finally, in December 1953, Sandy helped out at the Junior Xmas Party.
​Images of Sandy Whiteford as a Scout and Patrol Leader can be found in the troop and patrol photographs taken in May 1952 & December 1953, the ambulance and football teams for 1953, the Invereck weekend camp of 1954, Easter Camps 1954 & 1955, summer camp 1955 and a Scout parade in 1955. Sandy went on to become an Assistant Scout Master with the 70th until 1959 (see Personalities of 1954-59). Unfortunately, it is not known what Sandy did after leaving the Troop.
Whiteford, Mrs.
Mrs Whiteford is mentioned in the troop log and was presumably the mother of Sandy and Andrew Whiteford. She was present at the Social evening held on the 8th October 1954 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the 70th. One of the events on the programme was a session of 20 questions. The panel consisted of DC JJ Swan, Cub Mistress McBride, Mrs. Whiteford and Mr. Lee.
Wright, Dunky
Dunky Wright was a former Olympic runner. He presented the prizes to successful competitors at the Scout Sports day held at Cappielow in June 1953. The Sports Day was a series of events held during a Scout Week that was organized to celebrate the Coronation.
Zimmerman, Hannelore
Miss H Zimmerman was a local nurse who married Victor Clark on 27th December 1952. A few weeks before the wedding, the troop presented Victor and his bride to be with a wedding present of a canteen of cutlery and half a dozen fruit spoons. ASM Brian Hodgson was best man at the wedding, while Douglas Brown and Andy Whiteford acted as ushers. Eleven Scouts then provided a Guard of Honour outside the Church at the end of the ceremony. Hannelore was also mentioned a couple of other times in the troop log. The first time was in January 1953 when she and Victor treated the troop to a party. On the second occasion she accompanied Victor and several Scouts to a performance of Puss n Boots in Glasgow on the 8th January 1954.
