I have been given access to the very earliest records of the 13th Cambridge Scouts from 1910. These Scouts are in direct contrast to the list of Scouters of the same era. All are local, the Scouters are very often University men; the Scouts have less idiosyncratic names of two or three parts, none of the four or five part hyphenated names some in the Scouters list show; none have memorable careers recorded in the periodicals of Church, School, University or Military.
That being so I have started to look in the records of the Cambridgehsire Regiment, not because there is any direct link – that was the finction of the OTC and Territorial Forces not the Boy Scouts – but because it is likely that some local lads went into the local regiment when the call came.
The search has just begun and will rely on finding names from the very earliest of Troops and a thorough search of those born in the 1910s and 1920s.
So far three names have turned up, Benjamin Robert Thompson (See page under People/ Individuals/ Cambridge Scouts), and the two Whitley brothers from WW2 (See Local History/ WW1 WW2/ Rolls of Honour/ 28th Roll of Honour.
Two POWs, two deaths, one MM (the first located) (See Structure/ District/ Early Support/ Military Gallantry Medals). If you are aware of any stories please let me know.
JWR
Cambridge District Scout Archive 