Flags, poles and finials

Cambridge District Scout Archive

The following flags are held in the Cambridge District Scout Archive Collection. Not all flags are shown here nor are they presented in date order. A selection of the different styles and layouts are covered.

Flags:  1^st, 8th, 16^th , 22^nd, 23^rd, 25^th, 44^th, 54^th, 55^th,

22^nd Cambridge troop flag     early narrow Fleur de lis finial: Brass                 push joint no bayonet

St Georges flag                       Spear head finial: Brass                      bayonet twist joint

Dedication: This flag is / dedicated to / the Glory of God / and in Honoured / memory of all those / Scouts who gave / their lives for / their Country in / the 1939 1945 war        / 24 – 2 – 57

55th CambridgeTroop flag                    early narrow Fleur de lis finial: Brass                        bayonet twist joint    

Cub Scout jubilee flag       leaping wolf finial: Brass       bayonet twist joint

Venture Scout flag      wide fleur de lis,    Finial: White metal     screw joint

25th Cambridge Sea Scout troop flag. The pole socket is behind the brass fleur de lis on this finial, the twist projecting at the bottom of the finial traps the flag              The pole is one piece

Cambridge Boy Scouts Association flag No flag pole or finial

44th Cambridge No flag pole or finial

1st Cambridge Sea Scout Troop No flag pole or finial

19th Cambridge Wolf Cub with affiliation (Wesley)

54th Cambridge Cub flag with location. The 54th ran two packs for a time Arbury and Chesterton

Flags of note held elsewhere within the District

‘The new troop colours kindly presented by Miss Davis, headmistress…’ ‘The colours were worked in light blue on dark blue background and…   They take the form of the Chesterton coat of arms surmounted by the fleur de lys and bearing underneath the official Be Prepared scroll.’
April 1913 concert report CC 12^th Cambridge Box 2

The 12^th scarf was and is variations on light and dark blue. Note the gaps and the unstitched ‘ESS’ as the name changed to Viscount from Viscountess.

The three badges on the top left are:

• 1937                5^th International Scout Jamboree Nederland
• 1956                Sandringham camp
• 1957                50^th Anniversary

Perse School 5^th Cambridge

Held at Perse School, intertwined PS and V (5^th) inside C (Cambridge).  Perse Pelican top right     Photo from Perse The First 400 years

Held by 11^th/9^th

13th Cambridge A poor photograph of a very faded brown flag which is 100 years old. It is the original colours of the 13th, in the original colour brown as was the scarf. They were changed around 1916. It is fringed, as are the 5th and Duxford flags.

The 13th also retain this brass standard holder on a brown webbing belt. It bears no date.

Duxford flag and hand carved flag pole

The flag pole is full length, the top only shown here.  Held at Duxford Scout Centre

County Pennant following HQ format.  Held by county.  This is a standard County pennant shape.

Cambridge Archives

c 1923

1932 13th Cambridge New Patrol flags for Owls, Peewits, Woodpeckers and Bulldogs

1934    55^th Cambridge Troop flag for   ₤1/14/-.  A ‘Union Jack’ cost 6/6 and a patrol flag1/-.

1941 – 46 A banner rather than a formal flag, the 12th Cambridge Air Scouts existed from 1941 to 1946. Someone found the material from somewhere in this time of rationing.

1949    District            agreed to purchase colours   St George’s flag, and District Flag.  To consult the District and then IHQ on design.  No designs were received and DC then P R Arthur  put forward designs which were moderated by IHQ.

1950    Three stands for colours to be made District Minutes

1950    26^th Cambridge           received their new colours.

1951    District Colours received ₤7/7/9        To be dedicated 1951 St Georges Day.

1967    Instructions for carrying the colours ar the St Georges Day parade – flags at Carry, Carry – Gather in, Carry – flying free

1969 13th presented with new standard

1975    A special commemorative flag has been presented to the Cub section by John Chambers, available to all District and County events for next year.         (See Diamond Jubilee flag above)          CSG

A notable flag from Cardiff

When Captain Scott’s Antarctic Expedition ship, the Terra Nova, sailed into her home port of Cardiff on 14 June 1913, she …(was) …bearing the colour of the 4th Cardiff Scout Troop, this little green flag had accompanied the expedition to the Antarctic and back.

https://museum.wales/articles/2013-06-14/The-scout-flag-that-we

H Q descriptions of flags

4’ x 3’  Rifle Green with Scout Badge and motto in the centre of the flag in yellow (Rifle Green –the Colour of the uniform of The Rifles as currently worn by the Gurkha’s.)

JWR Archivist Feb 2019