Baden Powell Boy Scouts
 

Hi Gents,
This came as part of an auction lot I bought recently, I will be selling it so please bear that in mind if answering!! Just wondered if anyone could give any info on it as I know nothing on these! Thanks in advance,
Wilf.

Mmm. Top half does not seem to match with bottom half. Top half - fine detail and well made. Bottom half - crude and looks to have been brazed on at a later date.

Hi Wilf,
'Baden Powell Boy Scouts' are Scouts who follow the traditional way of scouting. But that badge intrigues me as the Baden-Powell Scouts Association was not established in UK until 1970 by members of the movement who felt the old traditions were being lost.

The Tudor (Kings) crown has me puzzled and I look forward to reading what others, better informed than me have to say about it, failing which I will make some guesses.

Added later: I have just read Peter's reply which is along the lines of my thinking, that the top half has nothing to do with the bottom half.

Regards,

John

Thanks Lads, here's the back, BPBS is one piece, attached to the crown, 3 lugs are all the same plus same colour so would appear to have been done at the same time, only one loop to the top piece, I would expect 2 if it was for something else?? Appreciate the comments, cheers,
Wilf.

Should have added, this came with it too, marked silver to the rear with
REGD No 563052 on the bottom,
Wilf.

Wilf,

Your first badge does look correct from the rear.

the second badge is a Baden-Powell Girl Guides Promise Badge dating from around WW1.

regards

Among my books is 'The Boy Man' by Tim Jeal. 'The life of Baden Powell', and in it I find a reference to the 'Scouts Defence Corps' raised by Baden Powell in 1915, followed by 'Service Scouts', and I read of a quarter of a million Scouts serving in WW1, with 10 000 of them being killed.

There is quite a bit to wade through in what is a rather hefty volume, but I will press on as I think I might find the answer there.

John

I think I was on the wrong track when initially I linked this badge with what is today known as 'Baden Powell Boy Scouts', the part of the Scout movement which sticks to traditional values, and am of the opinion the badge has a WW1 connection, or even a little earlier.

Prior to WW1 in Melbourne, Australian Scouts were split into 'Military' and 'Peace' Scouts and Baden Powell exposed himself to vilification in the Australian press when he turned away from a rally of almost 800 military-style Scouts, declaring he would only inspect 'Peace Scouts', this was in line with his contention that Scout training produced better leaders than the collective training of Army Cadets.

Britain, Australia, Canada and South Africa featured in Baden Powell's efforts to settle the issue of military training for boys immediately prior to and on the outbreak of WW1, and somewhere along the line I reckon this badge fits into the picture. Pinning it down may not be easy, but this post sure has aroused my curiosity over the issue and I have pencilled it in as something to be followed up.

Thanks for posting a picture of this badge.

Regards,

John

On the usual web site, I was running 'Boy Scout Badges' when I came across the War Office formation sign under the heading '1940's War Office Rover Crew'. Rovers being the, was it 18 - 25 years old Scouts - something like that.

I did a search on Google hoping to find an illustration of the badge we are looking for, but no luck, just another reference to the War Office Rover Crew.

I do dot know if there is any connection here with Baden-Powell Scouts, just posting my findings.

Regards,

John

I have to say the badge does look odd, even to my inexperienced eye. It looks as if it's been cobbled together with the letters brazed onto the crown.

Ooops, sorry - duplicated post

That was my first thought when I saw the badge, but allowing for it perhaps being genuine I have tried to pin it down, but no luck, apart from a wild guess at perhaps it emerged as a result of Baden-Powell's engagement with the War Office over the training of boys in WW1, perhaps military scouts of Australia, then there is that reference to a War Office Rover Crew in the 1940's. None of it I find conclusive, and any of it just might be true. I give up but I have enjoyed scratching around over it.

John

I get your point entirely. I do the same. The joy comes when you get a result. You've got to get rid of all the crows before you find the peacock eh?

I'm sure that it's a badge that scout collectors would love to have, A page that some may like to read.http://www.netpages.free-online.co.uk/bbs/bbs.htm

Some times badges like this are / were made to represent events or ceremonies. I have this one (below) which is official issue, made from cast lead, awarded after a secret ceremony in Sweden. Yes this one was issued to me and no I can't remember what the ceremony was all about, the whole week was utterly exhausting and it was one of the last things we did, i do remember it was done at night :o The thing is that unless you were there or did the ceremony at some future date, which very few people get to do, you would never know what this badge of mine was for (not even the top people in the Scout Association would know, Bear Grylls would probably just eat it).