REVIEW (1939-1946)
For more detailed information click here
Source Material
The review of the Troop through the War years from 1939-1945 has been aided enormously by the recovery of the Troop Log covering the period 1939-1943, which was in the possession of Robin McDougall. Unfortunately, the Troop Log covering the period from 1943-1946 has not been tracked down, but the Peewit Patrol Log covering the period 1943-1945 has provided a useful insight into the troop's activities during the latter part of the war. The Troop's Court of Honour Minutes has also provided useful information covering the 1939-41.
Other sources include a number of Greenock Telegraph articles written during the war, as well as a small pamphlet written in 1992, which provides a short summary on Summer Camps and the Scouts involved. This pamphlet was based on the relevant Troop Logs which were still with the Troop at that time. Recovering these logs would clearly provide a much greater insight into the activities and spirit of the early Scout Troop, and it is to be hoped that they might yet resurface. Finally, the testimonies of various 70th ‘Old Boys’ have been invaluable in gaining information on individuals, and establishing how troop nights were run during the war years.
This web page is based on a review entitled 'Weathering the Storm' that made use of these sources and was written about 2007-8. The full chapter can be read by using the link at the top of the page.
1. On the Brink - The Troop from 1939-1940
The history of the 70th Scout Group from 1933 to the summer of 1939 has been covered elsewhere and reflected a steadily growing Troop led by efficient and enthusiastic leaders. At the start of 1939, the group was in the highly capable hands of G.S.M. Ian Dunlop who played an active role in the Troop and possibly the other sections as well. Ian Hardie was Scout Master with 5 years experience under his belt, and there were three A.S.M.s who had come through the Troop as Scouts, P.L.s and T.L.s - namely Eoin Steel, Wilson Hill, and Alan Hardie (Fig. 1). There were four established patrols with four new PLs who had been promoted the previous September (Dick Leggett, Jim Crawford, Ian Munro and Harold Hastie) (Fig. 2). It also seems likely that a fifth patrol (the Owls) made up of older Scouts with Archie Brown as PL was in existence.
Figure 1 The 70th Leader Team at the start of 1939 (Ian Dunlop, Ian Hardie, Eoin Steel, Wilson Hill and Alan Hardie
Figure 2 The 70th Patrol Leaders at the start of 1939 (Dick Leggett, Jim Crawford, Ian Munro, Harold Hastie and possibly Archie Brown).
The Troop was full and and attendances at Troop meetings and church parades were regularly high. Then, in March 1939, there was a setback. Both Alan and Ian Hardie resigned. Alan was heavily involved with the Territorial Army (especially with war looming) while Ian probably had to focus more on his studies at Glasgow University. It is clear that the Troop was sorry to see them go. The Court of Honour (COH) minutes stated that Alan 'was one of the oldest members of the Group having joined it shortly after its formation'. (The term 'oldest' is a bit misleading since they actually meant longest serving.) When older brother Ian made his final appearance at a Troop meeting on 3rd March 1939, he was presented with an engraved fountain pen from the Scouts, and Eoin Steel made a speech. Ian is said to have 'replied with emotion'.
Despite these departures, numbers remained high and the monthly church parade to Finnart Church at the end of May had a turnout of 28, which was considered 'excellent'. However, on Sunday 3rd September 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced on the radio that a state of war now existed with Germany. Ominously, that same day witnessed severe lightning and a thunderstorm that caused damage in Greenock and Gourock. It was a portent of what was to come over the first three years of the war.
In fact, war had almost broken out in 1938 – prompting Imperial Scout HQ in London to advise Scout Groups that they should carry on as usual, even if it meant a Troop being led by P.L.s or an A.S.M. The Munich Agreement prevented war in 1938, but the preparations then made meant that Civil Defence (CD) organisations were already well organised when war came in 1939. There were grave concerns over bombing and submarine raids on the Clyde and its shipbuilding facilities, and it was generally believed that nothing could stop the bombers with the result that towns and cities would be reduced to rubble within weeks. There was also the fear of gas bombs and the need to distribute gas masks to the whole population. On that first Sunday of the war, Greenock volunteers worked feverishly to fill sandbags which could be used to protect important public buildings. Schools were closed for a week, probably to tape up windows and to make other preparations. Blackout regulations were speedily introduced with the first blackout occurring on Friday 8th September.
Figure 3 George Brown
Alan Hardie was the first 70th member to be called up as he was in the Territorial Army Royal Engineers based at Fort Matilda. In fact, he was called up on the 24th August, about a week before war was declared. As the months went by, Leaders and Rovers were increasingly called up for the armed services, essential industries or war production. Those adults unable to join the services were encouraged to contribute towards the war effort by joining the Air Raid Precautions (ARP), Clyde River Patrol or the Home Guard. There also was an expansion of army, navy and air defence cadet units, which pulled a fair number of boys away from the Scouts. An Air Training Corps (ATC) was started up in the town and any boy wishing to get into the RAF really had to be in the ATC if he was to stand a chance of getting through the selection procedure. George Brown (Fig. 3) who was the 70th's Troop Leader from 1941-44 was one of the Scouts affected by this, and had to cut back on Scout commitments to take part in ATC activities.
With so many of the 70th's Leaders, Rovers and older Scouts joining up or taking part in various war duties, numbers started to tumble. By October, it became necessary to drop from four patrols to three. The Fox patrol name was dropped as it was the newest of the four patrols. However, it was actually the Woodpigeon patrol that was disbanded. This was done by renaming the Fox patrol as the Woodpigeon patrol and distributing the Scouts of the original Woodpigeon patrol amongst the remaining three patrols. The Troop Roll for October 1939 is the only one that has survived from the Thirties and consisted of 3 leaders and 19 Scouts (Figures 4-).
Figure 4 The leadership team in October 1939 (Ian Dunlop, Eoin Steel, Wilson Hill and Troop Leader Dick Leggett.
Figure 5 The Curlew Patrol in October 1939 (PL Ian T. Munro; SPL J. Nicol Smith; Murray McCreery; John Menzies; Ian Mitchell; Jim Tosh).
Figure 6 The Wolf Patrol in October 1939 (PL Harold Hastie, SPL Alistair McGregor; Alistair Allan; Alan MacFadyen; Jack Davies (missing); George Kinnell.
Figure 7 The Woodpigeon Patrol in October 1939 (PL James Crawford; Second Dennis Woodward; Ronald Mackay; Jim Buchanan; George Brown; Hamish Steel).
A recruitment effort led to the arrival soon afterwards of the McDougall brothers (Robin and Neil from the 23rd), and Ronald Herbert (Fig. 8).
Figure 8 New recruits in 1939 (Neil McDougall, Robin McDougall and Ronald Herbert
Dear Harold,
Will you please convey to the court, notification of my resignation from the post of GSM in the 70th Renfrewshire Troop? This I must do in view of the fact that I have been appointed to duty in Lochgilphead, Argyll. I resign with great regret from this office which I have held since 1935, for, since I came to the group in 1934 as ASM, I have become a close friends of many Scouts. Together we have learned many things and all the camps and meetings which we have had together I shall always remember wherever I may be.
Good wishes to all
Ian Dunlop
Although it had been known for about a month that Ian was resigning, the Troop had not got itself sufficiently organised to arrange a presentation for him. Later, a gift of a book token worth one guinea was posted to him. Ian did not sever all connections with the group during the war and made frequent visits. For example, he visited the Troop's Christmas party on the 15th December 1939 (Fig. 9)
Figure 9 Ian Dunlop's visit to the troop on 15th December 1939 ((Dennis Woodward, Ian Dunop, Ian Mnro, Ronald McKay, Nicol Smith, Sandy Campbell, Jim Crawford, Harold Hastie).
Figure 10 The Saviours of the Troop (Rev. Stewart and Wilson Hill).
However, the fact remained that the Troop was left with no GSM, no SM and only two ASMs (Wilson Hill and Eoin Steel). At this point, the Reverend Stewart (later to be called 'Pop') stepped in and took on the role of GSM (Fig. 10). He was not involved in running any of the sections, but he carried out the paperwork and kept a 'fatherly' eye on proceedings by occaionally dropping in on Troop meetings, thus allowing Eoin and Wilson to focus on running the troop. This was a role which he continued throughout the war years. Eoin Steel took on the role of Chairman for the COH, suggesting that he might have been considered the senior partner, while Wilson took on the role of Group Secretary. The Scoutmaster position remained vacant, possibly because there was an age limit of 21.
For the next two months, Eoin and Wilson worked hard, but despite their efforts, numbers kept falling. In November, four Scouts resigned (Alan MacFadyen, Hamish Steel, Jim Tosh and Duncan McKenzie) and another two transferred to a Gourock troop (Alistair Allan and Jack Davies). This left only 18 Scouts in the Troop. The next blow came in January 1940, when Eoin Steel was called up for the forces, leaving Wilson on his own.
It must have been a daunting prospect for a 19 - 20 year old with only a year's leadership experience. In fact, he was not that much older than some of the Scouts, and so establishing any sort of authority must have been difficult. It says a lot for Wilson's character that he stuck to his task and eventually succeeded in keeping the Troop in operation throughout the war. So just what kind of person was Wilson Hill, and why was he able to stick around when so many others were pulled away? Wilson's background and progress through the Troop was described elsewhere. Briefly, he had had gained his King's Scout Badge, and was promoted to Patrol Leader then Troop Leader before becoming an Assistant Scout Master in September 1938. Wilson showed an impressive commitment to the 70th Troop and District Scouting over the next 5 years and kept a meticulous account of events in the surviving Troop Log for October 1939 to 1943. This includes several invaluable photos which he developed himself - photos that give an insight into the Scouting and individuals of that period. Considering the amount of time he spent on Scouting, it it is remarkable that he found time to serve on the Clyde River Patrol during the war. This fitted in with his life-long love of sailing and it is known that Wilson took a keen interest in the Greenock Sea Scouts. He was a very clever man by all accounts, and was always coming up with new ideas on how to run the Troop. A remark in the Court of Honour minutes indicates that Wilson was renowned for his new 'projects'. He did not always get his own way and there are times when the PLs and SPLs appear to ‘rein’ Wilson in, leading to some grand old arguments. It says much for the relationship that Wilson had with his PLs and SPLs that they could argue without falling out with each other - a credit to all concerned.
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Wilson was talented and physically fit, so why was he not called up for the forces? There are two reasons for this. Although he was very fit, his general health was not great and there are several occasions during the war years when he was absent from Troop meetings due to ill health. It is reputed that he had tuberculosis although it is not known whether he had this as a child or at an older age. Tuberculosis is caused by a microorganism that affects the lungs. In the Thirties, it was relatively widespread and there were no effective medicines available to combat it until the late 1940s when streptomycin was discovered. Right up into the 1960s, sufferers were confined in isolation clinics on the edges of town or in the country. The rationale for such clinics was to limit the spread of the disease and to allow sufferers to breath freash air rather than the smoky, coal-fired atmosphere of towns or cities. The Scout Centre behind Paisley (Peesweep or Lapwing Lodge) was one such isolation centre. Patients were generally bed bound and spent several months (or even years) resting and recuperating before they were judged to have recovered (if at all). It is easy for modern society to underestimate the effects of such diseases since it is so used to a large range of medications for a large number of diseases. In Wilson's day, things were very different. Having had tuberculosis, Wilson would not have been accepted into the forces since the disease could recur. Indeed, there are several occasions in the Forties when Wilson was absent from the troop because of illnesses which lasted several weeks, for example November 1940, December 1941, and November 1943.
The second reason why Wilson was not called up was his work. It is believed that he gained a University degree - possibly completing it in 1942 - and then worked for the Royal Naval Torpedo experimental establishment for the rest of the war (Fig. 11). Wilson was involved in the design, testing and development of torpedos, and was originally based at the Torpedo factory at the Battery Park. During the war, however, much of the work was transferred to Alexandria as it was closer to the testing centre on Loch Long. That made it increasingly difficult for Wilson to regularly attend the Troop towards the end of the war. Wilson was the right person in the right place at the right time to see the Troop through the difficult early years of the war. Nevertheless, he did not have his problems to seek. In the first half of 1940, attendance at troop meetings was poor and irregular, varying from just 3 Scouts on some nights to about a dozen. Despite that, the Scouts worked hard to collect waste paper for the war effort throughout 1940. This was no easy job and many hours were spent on it, not just Troop evenings. That level of commitment must have made it difficult to find time for normal Scouting, and it is likely that little progress was made with badgework. For example, there was only one hike to Everton during the first year of the war. Camping was also disallowed during the early months of the war, and it must have felt to the Scouts that Scouting had become all work and no play. Those Scouts that 'stuck it out' demonstrated impressive commitment.
Figure 11 The Torpedo Factory before the houses were built on the other side of Eldon Street.
Considering the problems faced by the troop during 1940, it is not surprising that a crisis point arose when the future of the Troop hung in the balance. That crisis point occurred at the first Troop meeting of the new session on Friday 13th September 1940. Apart from Wilson, there were only 3 PLs, 1 SPL and 5 Scouts present. A discussion took place about whether the Troop should stop for the duration of the war. Future prospects looked bleak. A large proportion of the Troop had either left to join the forces or the merchant navy, or were committed to work or war duties. The troop lacked an official Scout Master, while several Scouts would be unable to attend during the winter months because of studies and work. The Troop Leader Dick Leggett was about to join the RAF and all the Seconds (McGregor, Smith and Woodward) were resigning due to business, home guard and other duties. Finally, the two remaining PLs could not commit themselves to regular attendance. All things considered, it seems remarkable that anyone would want to continue, but a vote was held and the decision was taken to continue. It was close though. Robin McDougall who had joined the Troop in November 1939 had the casting vote that decided the issue one way or the other. The Court of Honour discussed the matter further after the Troop meeting. Despite the vote, there was an air of pessimism and there was a suggestion that the Troop's affairs 'would be wound up if necessary' at the AGM in October. On the other hand, there were many references to Ian Dunlop's leadership and efforts in holding the troop together during the Thirties. The possibility of amalgamating with another Troop was raised, but this was strongly opposed. Instead, the COH took the wishes of the Scouts on board and decided to 'struggle on'. Perhaps it was the thought of Ian's example that caused the rump of the Troop to persevere and eventually succeed. The one bright point on the horizon was the prospect of a large number of new recruits from the Wolf Cub Pack.
At this point, Harold Hastie became the new Troop Leader and it is quite possible that he played an important role in the regeneration of the troop. He was quite a character by all accounts and although he often overstepped the mark, it appears that life was never dull when he was around. He and Wilson had the occasional 'set to' but this was always sorted out and things started slowly to improve. The AGM on the 11th October 1940 was set as an important deadline. If the Troop showed no sign of recovery by then, it would be time to call a halt.
2 From Rags to Riches October 1940 to September 1942
The 11th October deadline came and went almost without comment in the COH minutes. A month had made a big difference and there was no more gloomy talk of winding the Troop up. The Wolf Cub Pack had provided a fresh intake of nine new recruits (Fig. 12), which had caused the troop numbers to rise sharply back up to 21. It is fair to say that the Wolf Cub Pack was crucial to the Troop’s survival in the autumn of 1940.
Figure 12 Some of the Wolf Cubs that made the troop viable again (Alan MacKay, Alasdair Maclaine, Andrew Webster, Jim Morton, Fraser McLeod). Not shown - Johnstone Patterson, A. McKechnie and Neil McGill.
2 From Rags to Riches October 1940 to September 1942
Having gained so many recruits, it was necessary to reorganise the patrols, and a rather strange proposal was made by SPL John Menzies , whereby the patrols should be reorganised by getting the Scouts to stand in a line with tallest to the right and shortest to the left, then splitting the Scouts into three patrols by numbering in threes. This would have several advantages in that the Troop would be split evenly, discourage favouritism, and prevent friends sticking together too much. This proposal was seconded by Second Alan MacFadyen, but was opposed by two of the PLs present (Ian Munro and Ian Mitchell). They argued that PLs should have some say in who was in their patrols and that the customary procedure should not be changed. However, they were overruled by a paper ballot of 4-2. Strange though the decision might seem, it at least demonstrated that the COH was a democratic body and that the PLs did not always get their own way! The new roll in October 1940 now stood as follows:
GSM Rev. Stewart; ASM Wilson Hill Troop Leader Harold Hastie
Curlews PL Ian T. Munro; SPL John Menzies; Neil MacDougall; Ronald Herbert; Neill McGill; Alasdair Maclaine; Alan MacKay.
Wolves PL Ian Mitchell; SPL Alan MacFadyen; George Kinnell; A. McKechnie; Andrew Webster; Jim Morton.
Woodpigeons PL James Crawford; SPL George Brown; Robin MacDougall; Johnstone Patterson; Fraser Macleod; Collin Reid.
To take into account the increase in new members, Wilson proposed a separate Scout Council for the non-promoted Scouts to express their views. This caused an ‘uproar’ in the Court of Honour which is described elsewhere. The proposal was withdrawn, clearly demonstrating that the running of the Troop was a partnership between the PLs and Wilson. Wilson could not dictate terms and probably had no desire to do so. None of these disagreements appeared to affect the united desire of Wilson and his Scouts to keep the 70th going, and in December 1940, Wilson proposed taking out a warrant as Scout Master. He was duly awarded his warrant on the 25th February 1941. This might suggest that he was approaching his 21st birthday in 1941.
The new year 1941 started with gloomy news all round. The war was not going well with Britain and the Empire still standing alone against the might of the German war machine. It would be almost another year before the USA joined the war, while Russia had a treaty with Germany that kept it neutral for another 6 months. There was also gloomy news for the Scout movement with the death of Baden Powell in Kenya at the age of 83. He was the first and only Chief Scout of the World and was mourned by Scouts across the globe. Baden Powell's full title was the Rt Hon. Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell O.M., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.B., LL.D, and if it had not been for the Second World War, he would almost certainly have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He had been nominated in 1939, but the outbreak of a World War that year made the presentation of a peace prize unthinkable.
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Figure 13 The Death of Baden Powell marked in the Troop Log and the Greenock District service
Scouts in the modern age might find it hard to appreciate the admiration and respect with which Scouts held BP when he was alive. He was an inspiration to all and his speeches and writings had a huge impact on many generations of Scouts. Like all other Scout Troops in the land, the 70th marked his departure by flying the flag at half mast at the next Troop meeting on the 10th January 1941, and there was a service of remembrance organised by the District on the 12th January.
However, life went on and there was a heavy emphasis on training the new recruits over the next few months. Sandy Campbell who was waiting to join a merchant ship helped out as an unofficial ASM during this period. As the summer approached, hikes were organised along the 'Right of Way' and to Everton. Camping restarted at Everton and there were two weekend camps over the summer. The rewards for all this hard work were ever increasing numbers. There was now a steady influx of boys from 'down south'. For example, Roy and Norman Taylor joined the 70th in June 1941, having been members of the 36th Portsmouth troop. Roy Farling also came to Greenock from Portsmouth early in the war. Alan Jubber was another incomer, although his family moved from England to Greenock much earlier in 1936 because his father was employed as a designer at the Torpedo factory. Later 70th recruits from down south included Michael Close, Maurice Offord, Edward Pearce, Rodney Smith, Tony Treadwell and possibly Austin Craigie and Paul Pryce (Fig. 14).
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This influx was due to a substantial movement of labour to support war industries on the Clyde such as the Torpedo Factory and the shipbuilding industry. There were also various naval and seaplane bases set up on the Clyde. For example, the RAF set up a flying boat maintenance base in the Battery Park to service Catalinas (Fig. 15), while Sunderlands were serviced at the Gairloch. All of ths activity pulled in servicemen, workers and their families from around the UK and it is noticeable how many visiting servicemen offered their help to both the Troop and the District during the second half of the war.
Figure 14 Examples of 70th Scouts whose families moved from England to Greenock or Gourock (Alan Jubber (1936), Roy Farling (ca. 1941), Michael Close (ca. 1942), Maurice Offord (ca. 1942), Edward Pearce (ca. 1942), Tony Treadwell (ca 1942) and possibly Austin Craigie (ca. 1941) and Paul Pryce (ca. 1942).
Figure 15 The Catalina base at the Battery Park and convoy in the river.
There was a very good reason for this influx. It is perhaps not generally appreciated that the River Clyde was the only major UK river that was relatively safe from enemy bombing. True, there were serious raids on the Clyde during the war, but the bombers concerned had to fly in without fighter escort and they could not carry out a sustained bombing campaign. Consequently, the Clyde became a crucial part of the war effort, not only with respect to shipbuilding, but as a safe haven for convoys. The two Queens (Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary) plied regularly between America and the Clyde, transporting the American and Canadian troops that were to play such an important role in final victory (Fig. 16). It was also a safe marshalling point for the gathering of convoys, including the assembly of the invasion fleet for Operation Torch - the invasion of North Africa.
Figure 16 The liners Queen Mary (the Grey Ghost) and Queen Elizabeth in war time caumoflage sailing as troop carriers
By September 1941, the Troop’s situation had changed completely since the crisis meeting held a year previously. The Troop was doing well again and now boasted 22 Scouts. The Troop Roll now read as follows
GSM Rev Stewart. SM Wilson Hill Troop Leader George Brown
Curlew Patrol PL John Menzies; SPL Andrew Webster; Neill McGill, Alasdair Maclaine, Alan MacKay, Norman Taylor, Roy Farling
Wolf Patrol PL Robin MacDougall; SPL Ronald Herbert; Thomas Forsyth, Jim Morton, Stewart Tosh, Neill Robertson, John Ellis
Woodpigeons PL Alan MacFadyen; SPL Sandy McKechnie; Johnstone Patterson, James MacIntyre, Collin Reid, Eric Duncan, Alan Jubber
The year 1942 dawned with glimmers of hope for Britain's future. Both Russia and the USA had now entered the war and there was a possibility that the war might start swinging the Allies way. On the other hand, the Japanese had taken Singapore on the 15th February 1942 and sunk two of Britain's best battleships (the Prince of Wales and the Renown). On the Eastern front, the Germans advanced steadily for Moscow and came perilously close to taking it. In the North African desert, Rommel pushed British forces back into Egypt, and there was the possibility that both Egypt and the Suez Canal would be lost. The Battle of the Atlantic was also at a critical point with heavy losses of merchant shipping. At the start of 1942, it took a lot of foresight and optimism to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, by the end of 1942 the war had swung the Allied way with victories at El Alamein then Stalingrad. People dared to hope for victory. In a sense, it was a similar story for the Troop. It had ‘hung in’ through three difficult years and as 1942 wore on, it reaped the benefits of an expected by product of the war. With the increasing importance of the Clyde as a relatively safe port for shipping and manufacture, there was an ever increasing influx of skilled workers and military personnel into the area, especially from England. Many brought their families and this had the effect of dramatically increased numbers of pupils at Greenock Academy. As a spin off, many of the boys coming to the area wanted to take up Scouting, and the 70th was one of the Troops to benefit from this.
George Brown now took over from Harold Hastie as Troop Leader (Fig. 17), and was to prove a source of huge support for Wilson over the next few years. Harold himself joined the Rovers and frequently visited Troop nights to help out when he could. This was important because there were various times during the war years when Wilson's health gave out. Since there were no other leaders, the Troop had to cope as well as it could, and it fell to the Troop Leader and the PLs to keep things going. For example, Wilson fell ill towards the end of November 1941, and was out of action for the whole of December. The next three troop meetings were run by the PLs and the Seconds with various 'drop ins' by the Rev. Stewart and Harold Hastie.
Figure 17 Troop Leaders from 1939-1945 (Dick Leggett (1939-1940), Harold Hastie (1940-1942), George Brown (1942-1944), ?? (1944-1946)
Wilson had recovered by January 1942 and he returned to the troop with even greater vigour than before. His innovative nature was revealed in February 1942 when he reshuffled the patrols to produce a greater 'gang spirit' withon each patrol. The boys were now grouped into patrols that reflected friendships under the natural and chosen leader of each 'gang'. For some reason not explained, the Wolf Patrol was disbanded and a new patrol called the Peewit Patrol was formed, made up chiefly of boys from the Cardwell Bay district who had all came up from Wolf Cubs together. The Woodpigeon Patrol now mostly contained boys who had joined as a batch between September and October 1940, while the Curlew Patrol mostly contained senior boys such as ex PLs and SPLs. Any new boys joining the Troop were to be added to this patrol.
As a result of this reorganisation, the February 1942 Troop Roll now stood at 20 as follows;
GSM Rev Stewart; SM Wilson Hill; Troop Leader George Brown
Curlew Patrol PL Alan MacFadyen; SPL John Menzies; Andrew Webster; Sandy McKechnie; Ronald Herbert.
Peewit Patrol PL Stewart Tosh; SPL Alan Jubber; John Ellis; Roy Farling; Jim MacIntyre; Eric Duncan; Duncan Kerr.
Woodpigeons PL Robin MacDougall; SPL Jim Morton; Alasdair Maclaine; Alan Mackay; Neil Robertson; Colin Reid; Austin Craigie.
During February and March, more recruits started appearing and on 27th March, there were 29 Scouts present at the troop meeting. As a result, another reorganisation of patrols was required with the reinstatement of the Fox patrol, making it the second oldest patrol after the Curlew to survive into the modern era. The troop had now returned to its pre-war strength of four patrols with John Menzies being promoted to take charge of the new patrol. The rota now stood at 29 Scouts as follows (the members of the Peewit and Woodpigeon Patrols were not specified in March 1942 and so it is assumed that they were unchanged from February);
GSM Rev Stewart; SM Wilson Hill; Troop Leader George Brown
Curlew Patrol PL Alan MacFadyen; SPL Andrew Webster; Andrew MacMillan; Alan Nicol; Paul Pryce; Ian Conn; William Smyth.
Peewit Patrol PL Stewart Tosh; SPL Alan Jubber; John Ellis, Roy Farling, Jim MacIntyre, Eric Duncan, Duncan Kerr
Woodpigeons PL Robin MacDougall; SPL Jim Morton; Alasdair Maclaine; Neil Robertson; Colin Reid; Austin Craigie
Fox Patrol PL John Menzies; SPL Alan MacKay; Michael Close; Edward Pearce; Campbell Conn; Fraser Millar; Eric Duncan, Gordon Graham
And still they came! On the 15th May 1942, 31 Scouts were present at the troop meeting and a large percentage of these were taking part in hikes and cycling trips. The only Troop photo known to exist during the war years was taken at a Troop meeting in April 1942 showing 26 Scouts of those 31 (Fig. 18). It is interesting to compare it with the Group photograph taken in 1937. The most obvious contrast is the variability in uniform. Several of the Scouts are in school uniform or smart jackets (Fraser McLeod, William Smyth, Alan Nicol, Campbell Conn, Maurice Offord, and Gordon Graham) while others are wearing a different neckerchief or uniform from the type of uniform normally worn by 70th Scouts (Michael Close, Austin Craigie, Paul Pryce, Edward Pearce and Ronald Fraser). All the Scouts in school uniform had joined a month previously, and so it is possible that they had been unable to get a uniform in that time. The Scouts in different styles of uniform are believed to be some of the English Scouts who moved to Greenock with their families during the war. Another interesting fact is that many of the boys who had joined within the previous month were in the same class and were aged 13 or 14 (Andrew MacMillan, Alan Nicol, Paul Pryce, Bill Smyth, Campbell Conn, Fraser Miller, and Jock Kerr). Andrew MacMillan, Jock Kerr, and Bill Smyth had also been Wolf Cubs in 1937, which begs the question why they had not joined the troop earlier. Alan Jubber and John Ellis, who were also in the same class, had joined 6 months previously.
Figure 18 Troop photograph taken on 17th April 1942 (photographer unidentified). SM Wilson Hill standing at the very back.
Back Row: PL Alan McFadyen; Michael Close; SPL Alan Jubber; Austin Craigie; Fraser McLeod; Fraser Millar; Roy Farling; William Smyth; Andrew MacMillan; PL Robin McDougall
Middle Row: Paul Pryce; Alasdair Maclaine, SPL Andrew Webster; Alan Nicol; John Ellis; Campbell Conn; Neil Robertson; Ian Conn
Front Row: Duncan Kerr; Edward Pearce; Eric Duncan; Maurice Offord; SPL Alan MacKay; Jim McIntyre; Gordon Graham; Ronald Fraser
Absent from the photograph; TL George Brown; PL John Menzies; PL Stewart Tosh; SPL Jim Morton
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Wilson Hill's work rate during the first eight months of 1942 was incredible. Although he was occasionally assisted by various Rovers, he was still the only warranted leader, and so he was responsible for troop meetings, church parades, waste paper collections, badgework, equipment, hikes and camps. The remarkable thing is that he went even further. Recognising that it was difficult for one leader to get Scouts through their badges at troop meetings, he held training and testing session on Wednesday nights at his own home. He also organised an ever increasing number of outdoor hikes, cycles and weekend camps to further encourage Scouts through badgework. The records speak for themselves with many Scouts getting through their Tenderfoot and Second Class badges in about 6 months. As the year wore on, Wilson seemed to work even harder. During the summer, he organised no fewer than 5 weekend camps at Everton. Troop meetings even continued into July. The troop was buzzing and by all accounts was even more active than before the war. The future of the 70th looked assured.
3 Wilson Hill steps back - September 1942 to September 1943
For most of 1942, Wilson was a human dynamo, spending a huge amount of time on all sorts of Scouting activities. He even had District roles, such as District Badge Secretary. That all changed in September. Suddenly, Wilson stepped back from the 'action' and made only occasional visits to the Troop for the rest of the year. Although Wilson was still Scoutmaster, the week-to-week running of the troop now fell on the shoulders of a new arrival called Ronald Chalmers who was described as an acting ASM. It is not stated why Wilson stpped back so dramatically, but there are a number of possible reasons.
One possibility is that he burnt himself out over the year and wanted to take a break from Scouting. However, that does not ring true. All his efforts had borne such obvious fruit that it seems more likely that he would have wanted to keep going. People usually ease off when they are failing to make progress, or feel as if they are getting stale. Neither was the case here.
Another possibility is that he fell ill after the summer. However, it seems unlikely that a replacement should suddenly appear at that very moment. Moreover, Wilson, himself, introduced the new man to the Troop and attended a couple of meetings in October.
A third possibility is that Wilson had to step back from Scouting commitments for family reasons. His father died on the 13th November 1942 and it could be that he was ill for some time before that. Wilson may have been spending more time with the family to help out both before and after his father's death. There is some support for this theory since Wilson returned to the Troop in the new year and regularly attended over January and February. After that, however, his commitment was never the same.
Another explanation could have been work. It is possible that Wilson graduated from University in 1942, and started work with the Royal Torpedo Factory Research Establishment in September. Once he started there, work would take priority over everything else. On the other hand, it is known that several of the Torpedo Factory staff were transferred from Greenock to Alexandria during the war. If Wilson had started work before 1942, he might have been one of the staff members transferred, making it extremely difficult for him to attend troop nights.
Whatever the reason, the baton now passed to Ronald Chalmers with Wilson Hill helping out when he could. Unfortunately, very little is known about Ronald Chalmers and the only photograph of him was taken during a hike over the Right of Way (Fig. 19). An interesting observation from the Peewit Patrol log book is that Ronald Chalmers may have been a bit of a disciplinarian since the Scouts always referred to him as 'Mr. Chalmers', whereas Wilson Hill was called 'Wilson'. On the other hand, there are several instances where Mr. Chalmers did not appear to have full control. It is interesting that the Rev. Stewart visited the troop during two of the first three nights that Mr. Chalmers was in charge. One might be tempted to think that he was being 'checked up on', but it is equally likely that the Rev Stewart was being supportive for the first few meetings. Alan Jubber and Bill Smyth, Mr. Chalmers came from Edinburgh and was a draughtsman at Scotts Shipyards during the war. He lived in single digs during his time in Greenock and it was felt that he was rather lonely. He was probably a private, introverted kind of man, which might explain why he was not as popular as Wilson amongst the Scouts. On several occasions he was late for Troop meetings, and it is possible that might have been involved with the ARP or the NFS. On one occasion, he had to cut a troop meeting short in order to do fire watching.
Figure 19 Ronald Chalmers and 70th Scouts on the 'Right of Way' hike on 16th May 1943 (Photographer Wilsn Hill).
The year 1943 dawned with ships on the Clyde blasting out the V for victory code on their horns - three short blasts and one long. The Germans had suffered two devastating defeats towards the end of 1942, one at the hands of British and Commonwealth troops at El Alamein and another at the hands of the Russians at Stalingrad. The Battle of the Atlantic had passed its crisis point of 1942, and countermeasures against the U-boats were starting to have an impact.
As far as the 70th was concerned, Mr. Chalmers continued to run the show and seemed to be making a good job of it. His application for a warrant as ASM was approved in April 1943, and attendances at troop meetings were regularly over 20 Scouts. Chalmers also organised hikes, a visit to the Renfrew swimming pool, and a weekend visit to the Spylaw Scout Hostel in Edinburgh in April 1943.
The troop log stops on the 30th May 1943 and although there was almost certainly a new Troop log it has not yet been located. Therefore, information for the rest of the war is extremely sketchy, and is dependent on the Peewit Patrol log. At the beginning of 1943, this patrol consisted of PL Stewart Tosh; SPL Alan Jubber; John Ellis; Roy Farling; Tony Treadwell, Ronald Fraser and Maurice Offord (Fig. 20). Compared with the previous year, Tony Treadwell, Ronald Fraser and Maurice Offord had joined the patrol while Jim McIntyre, Eric Duncan and Duncan Kerr had left it. Stewart Tosh also left the Patrol feairly early in 1943 such that Alan Jubber became PL and Roy Farling became SPL.
Figure 20 The Peewit Patrol at the beginning of 1943 (PL Stewart Tosh, SPL Alan Jubber, John Ellis, Roy Farling, Tony Treadwell, Ronald Fraser and Maurice Offord).
The scribe for the log is not identified although it is very likely Maurice Offord. If so, he can take credit for providing the only information available for the last two years of the war. Having said that, one has to be careful about the information provided since accounts written by Scouts are not renowned for having a proper perspective! For that reason, one has to be cautious about the entry for 11th June 1943 where Wilson Hill was 'telling Mr. Chalmers off about something or other'. There is no way of knowing whether this was a serious problem or not. There had certainly been a very wet camp at Everton at the end of May when some of the Scouts 'jumped ship' and headed home on their own. This may have had repercussions. Wilson and Mr. Chalmers may have patched things up as they ran a week long summer camp at Everton - the only such summer camp to be held during the war. However, the log states that 'this was Mr. Chalmers last acquaintance with the troop'. It is not known why he left.
4 The Troop - September 1943 to August 1944
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Towards the end of 1943, Mr. Autin appeared to be in overall charge of the Troop, but Wilson appeared more regularly in the first half of 1944 and was running testwork at his house outwith troop evenings. Another leader called 'Cheesie' was reported to be present for one evening in January. One wonders whether this could have been 'Cheesie' Dunlop - Ian Dunlop's father who was the maths teacher at Greenock Academy.
On the 14th July 1944, the patrol log mentioned the death of the Chief Scout Lord Somers who died at his home at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshore at the age of 57. He had been appointed Chief Scout on January 29th 1941, having being nominated by BP as his successor. The scribe of the Peewit Patrol log drew a sketch of a Scout flag at half mast (Fig. 21). Boy Scouts in the district wore a black arm band until the 14th August out of respect.
The new session started on the 10th September 1943 with a new ASM called Robin. At the next meeting, Robin was helped by 'John'. Later entries in the Patrol Log indicate that 'Robin' and 'John' were studying for their Highers, which is in keeping with them being Robin McDougall and John Menzies. District records show that ASM warrants were approved for William J. C. Young and Colin D. McDougall to work with the 70th but nothing else is known about them. Robin and John regularly attended the troop meetings during October, and Wilson Hill occasionally brought RAF and naval personnel to help out. One of these individuals was an RAF man called Mr. Autin and it looks as if Robin, John and Mr. Autin were mainly responsible for running the troop for the rest of the year. Once again, Wilson missed several meetings due to illness and on the 12th November, it was reported that he was up north recuperating.
Figure 21 Sketch of the flag at half mast from the Peewit Patrol Log.
5 Troubles reappear - September 1944 to June 1945
In September 1944, Wilson introduced a new leader called Mr. T. Vaughan who would take charge of the troop for the time being. Very little is known about him, but he had been a member of the 1st Throckly, Northumberland. The Peewit Patrol scribe stated that 'He is a good Scout and gave us a few games and taught us to use a prismatic compass'. District records indicate that he had moved into the town during the war and may well have worked with a number of Greenock Troops before coming to the 70th. Evidently, he had done a lot of good work, but his stay with the 70th would be brief. Wilson was present for the first meeting in October, but after that Mr. Vaughan was in charge. Wilson himself wa suffering health problems about this time and resigned his District appointment as Badge Secretary which he had held since 1942. In November, another new face appeared briefly - a Mr. Maloy (or Malloy) and for the next few weeks Mr. Maloy and Vaughan ran the troop. A Canadian leader was also helping out about this time but his name was not recorded.
The new year 1945 dawned with ships' sirens and hooters sounding the V for victory note for half an hour. There is no record of Mr. Maloy or the Canadian leader being present at troop meetings after the Christmas of 1944, and Mr. Vaughan left on the 19th January 1945. No reason for this was given, but District records show that he had moved or transferred to another part of the country. There is no indication in the Patrol Log of who took over the troop at that point.
It is not clear who was in charge of the Troop as January moved into February with Scotland experiencing week-long snow and ice that weather that proved to be the coldest spell in 50 years. Loch Lomond actually froze over between Luss and Balmaha. When the thaw started, there were numerous burst pipes and avalanches off roofs while rivers carried floating ice. At least, the cold snap avoided the need to come up with a troop programme for the last Friday in January, since all the Scouts were involved in serious sledging exploits.
In February, 1945, Lord Rowallan was elected Chief Scout. On the 1st March, several 70th Scouts including Maurice Offord and Arthur Blake met Lord Rowallan who was visiting Greenock as his first public appearance as Chief Scout! During the visit, DC James Swan organised a rousing welcome from several hundred Cubs an Scouts. In fact, Lord Rowallan's visit had been arranged before it was known that he would be the new Chief Scout. James Swan had asked him give a talk on post-war Scouting. In his speech, Lord Rowallan stated that 'Scouting is a boy's game, but a man's job.' Earlier he had spoken to the assembled Scouts and Cubs, and urged them to be loyal to the movement. They were brothers in an organisation of three and a half million boys and should do their best to keep Scouting on its high pedestal. It was a wonderful experience to be one of the brotherhood but they would need to do their best to see the realisation of their ideals.
The Patrol Log gives no indication of who was in charge of the troop beween Mr. Vaughan's departure and the summer of 1945. A 'John' is mentioned on a number of occasions (possibly John Young), but nobody else. Indeed, things seemed to be deteriorating and it is quite possible that the 70th was one of the three Greenock troops reported in District records as having no Scouters during this period. Very little training was taking place and most nights focused on games and wide games. As early as the 2nd February, the Patrol Scribe stated that he was getting sick of wide games. On the 16th March, there was another troop night consisting of 'nothing but games' and the Peewits opted out to do some signalling training.
The Patrol Log Book clearly indicates a lack of leadership and direction in the troop from the beginning of 1945. Leaders did not turn up on a regular basis and the scribe for the log book was clearly annoyed at the lack of Scouting. The following three weeks emphasise this;
13th April 1945 'No officers present so we had the characteristic games, rammies etc. No work being done. PL's do their best to keep things going without much success.'
20th April 1945 'Still nobody in charge. Everything at the brink of destruction. Some private instruction done by a few willing hands.'
27th April 1945 'MacDougall looked in but cleared out again. Arthur making progress with his tenderfoot. A bit slow though. Still games, more games etc.'
Wilson Hill must have been powerless to do anything himself, but it is also clear that he was constantly battling to get leaders in. On the 4th May 1945, he brought along a naval officer called Mr. Williams to run the troop and a little bit of order was restored for the next few weeks with the re-introduction of a more balanced programme.
On the 8th May '45, Victory in Europe (VE) celebrations started in the early hours just after midnight when ships sounded the V signal on sirens and hooters then made V signs with searchlights. Guns, rockets, signal flares and Verey lights were all set off from midnight till 1.30am. There was lots of dancing and singing, and black out restrictions were totally ignored.
The last entry in the Peewit Patrol log book is for 8th June 1945 where it was stated that the troop would be reorganised into 1 senior and 2 junior patrols. This is supported by ex-Scouts such as Eric Phillips who stated that the four patrols (Curlew, Fox, Peewits and Woodpigeons) were still operating into 1945 and that the reorganisation of the troop into 1 senior and 2 junior patrols saw the demise of the Peewit patrol. The loss of the Peewit patrol would have made sense since it was the most recent of the four patrols. Moreover, it also explains why the Patrol logbook ceased after June 1945. Therefore, it is clear that the Troop continued after June 1945. Mr. Willams was now in charge and the last entry n the patrol log stated that the navy was out in force with 2 officers and 2 ratings being present!
And there the story ends as far as the Peewit Patrol log is concerned. It is clear that the troop struggled due to a lack of leaders throughout the first half of 1945, and it is quite likely that numbers were dwindling as a result. Despite that, there were still sufficient Scouts left to form three patrols in June and there is nothing to suggest that the troop facing closure. A new leader was present in the form of Mr. Williams and he appeared to have assistance.
6 The final chapter June 1945 - 1946 (?)
History books identify the five year period 1945-1949 after the war as the 'Austerity' period. Despite the introduction of the Welfare State, living conditions were actually worse after the war than during it. Rationing increased with some commodities such as potatoes getting rationed after the war rather than during it. Eventually, the value of the pound was devalued to almost two thirds of its previous value against the dollar. Added to these economic problems, there was a growing Communist threat across continental Europe that threatened political stability. These were gloomy times and they promoted a desire among many people to find a more stable and prosperous life in the USA or the Dominions of the British Empire. It is noticeable that quite a few of the 70th 'Old Boys' were part of that trend and moved abroad either temporarily or permanently in later years. These included George Brown, Ian Mitchell, Ian Munro and Ian Hardie who moved to Canada, Ian Blake who moved to the West Indies, Ronald Reid, Archibald Brown and Alistair McGregor who moved to Australia, James McNeil and Dennis Woodward who moved to South Africa, John Telfer who moved to Africa, and John Menzies who moved to the USA then Canada.
In tune with the general post-war mood, the period between 1945 and 1947 was one of uncertainty and instability that almost led to its demise. It is known that the 70th Troop was forced to stop at some point after June 1945 and was then restarted in 1947. But when exactly did it stop and why? Unfortunately, there are no written records covering this period and it proved surprisingly difficult to find any information until Alan Jubber and Bill Smyth identified two individuals who had been in the troop during this period - Arthur Blake and Matt Neilson. From their testimonies, it has been possible to piece together at least part of the story. It now transpires that the Mr. Williams reported in the Peewit Patrol Log was Sub Lieutenant Anthony Williams who was in the RNVS serving on HMS Pretoria Castle, stationed in the Clyde (Fig. 22). The Pretoria Castle was a liner which had been converted to an aircraft carrier during the war (Fig. 23) and was used for training landings and takeoffs. Tony was an enthusiastic leader in his early twenties who had been an ASM or SM in Banstead, Surrey. His enthusiasm was such that he had written a letter to the DC offering his services along with some of his mates who were Scouters to aid any short handed groups while he was in port. Needless to say his offer was taken up within a matter of days.
Figure 22 A painting of HMS Pretoria Castle in the Clyde during the war.
Figure 23 The liner Pretoria Castle before the war compared with HMS Pretoria Castle after modification to an aircraft carrier.
By this time, Wilson Hill attended relatively few troop nights, either die to illness or work. Therefore, Tony Williams was effectively the Scoutmaster from 1945 to 1946 and was probably responsible for rearranging the patrols as described in section 5. As a result of this rearangement, Maurice Offord, who was in line to be the next PL of the Peewits, was promoted as PL of a different patrol - possibly the Woodpigeons.Therefore, it now seems certain that the 70th survived 1945 and continued into 1946 - possibly even into 1947. District records certainly establish that the 70th was operating in December 1945 since they were being 'hassled' for registration fees.
Ian Wallace (Ginger) who joined the Peewit Patrol in 1944 also provided useful supporting evidence. He remembered a stream of officers and ratings coming to the troop from an aircraft carrier parked in the Clyde during the last year of the war. They used to come on Friday nights and teach the Scouts knots and signalling. They were 'hot stuff and brilliant teachers'. There were two individuals in particular who put in a lot of work and one was presumably Tony Williams. One wonders who the other was! Ian also recalled going on board the ship to get tested on semaphore for his signalling badge and being told he was as good as the person examining him. Indeed, it was a fairly frequent event for small parties of 70th Scouts to visit the ship on a Sunday. This involved being transported to the carrier by means of a motor launch from Princes Pier. On board, they would be entertained in the officers mess. The men also took the Scouts camping on a couple of occasions, although there was not a huge number of camps. Matt Neilson recalled Tony Williams taking three of the 70th Scouts to a camp at Corfe Castle near Weymouth in the summer of 1945 or 1946. The following year (1946 or 1947) he was demobbed and returned back south to Banstead, possibly to join a family business.
After Tony Williams returned home, there was nobody to take over. There was a desperate shortage of young Scouting leaders in Greenock during 1946-47 as so many ex Greenock Scouts and Leaders were still in the forces or were being called up for National Service. The 70th stalwarts of the past had been scattered far and wide during the war and it would be a year or two after 1945 before many would be demobbed. Many settled elsewhere, never to return. Others had University and careers to concentrate on. Moreover, the large numbers of servicemen that were stationed in Greenock during the war returned south, as did many of the men working in the war industries. Whole families left the town, which meant the loss of several Scouts from the Troop. A valiant effort was made by a local ADC called Jimmey Ewart to keep the 70th troop going until another leader could be found, but it was finally decided to close the troop and advise the Scouts to join the 59th. Not all the 70th Scouts chose to go down that road, but those that did included Matt Neilson, Ian Wallace, James Veitch and a Scout who may have been called Hodgson. It would be intriguing to discover whether this was Brian Hodgson - a popular Scout Master with the 70th during the 1950s.
The 70th Troop had eventually reopened by 1947 under the direction of Victor Clark when he returned to Greenock, and it is known that several Scouts from the amalgamated 59th/70th moved to the 70th, presumably those that had belonged to the original 70th. Ian Wallace was certainly one such Scout, but other candidates include Jim Veitch, John Slater, Alistair Duncan, George Crawford, and John Gunn (Fig. 24). It is not recorded how long the amalgamation between the 59th and the 70th lasted, but it was probably a matter of months rather than a year or more.
To conclude, it was generally thought that the Group amalgamated with the 59th during the war. It now transpires that the temporary amalgamation occured after the war and was a result of the peace.
Figure 24 Examples of Scouts who might have been in the 70th both before and after the amalgamation with the 59th - Jim Veitch; John Slater; Alistair Duncan, George Crawford and John Gunn (missing Ian Wallace).
Despite this, numbers were still down, and the worst blow was yet to come. At the beginning of October, Ian Dunlop announced that he would have to resign since he had been called up to serve as a navy chaplain in Lochgilphead. His last meeting with the Scouts was on the 3rd November 1939, and at the end of the meeting he was given three 'very hearty cheers'. His resignation letter to PL Harold Hastie (secretary for the COH) demonstrated his attachment to the 70th.
A series of different ASMs now started to appear on the scene. This may have been some District initiative to get servicemen with a Scouting background involved in local Scouting. Alternatively, it might have been Wilson persuading seervicement that he met through his work to help out with the Troop. The first of these appeared in February and was George McGeown who had been an ASM in a London troop and was now serving in the RAF.
The issue of uniform was a concern that was raised by the County Commissioner Arthur Muir in 194. It was proving difficult to kit Scouts out in uniform due to rationing and clothing coupons, and Mr. Muir argued the rules should be relaxed for Scouts, but it is not clear whether this appeal fell on deaf ears or not.