Cambridge District Scout Archive
Cambridge Scouts engaged in two World Wars and many lesser conflicts and it is not surprising that some became prisoners of war. These men, ex Scouts and Scouters from Cambridge District, generally slip into obscurity – confinement generally limits the behaviour that feeds the standout stories offered elsewhere on this site.
POWs were not included as a separate category in the post WW2 collection of war roles. See Local History/ WW1 WW2/ Collection of war service details 1945. Individuals were presumably counted in the numbers by service.
This record will grow as more come to light. It is currently divided into two parts, WW1 and WW2 as these are the wars with known POWs. However we are aware that no year has passed since the start of Scouting in which British Troops have not been involved in a war or action.
The following is a list; some have pages which give fuller details.
WW1
- Bernard Porter Luscombe SM 3rd Cambridge See People/ Individuals/ Early Warrants/ Tales from Early Warrants Attempted escape.
- W Shaw Possibly Cambridge Scout Died whilst in German hands
- E G J Cooke ‘Our Scout Column’ in the local press reported in August 1916 that E G J Cooke, former SM, of the London Scottish, was a prisoner of war. An Edwin George Joseph Cooke of the London Regiment is recorded as marrying Hilda V Palmer near Cambridge in 1916. His home address in the POW records is Igham (not clearly identified anywhere – possibly Isleham). A ‘Pte Cook’ is later identified as being in Germany in ‘Our Scout Column’.
- George Turner Waldegrave (Rev) later Commissioner for Hong Kong and Silver Wolf, was at Emmanuel College Cambridge. Mr. A W Coombes I have not yet identified. Reported here in the local Cambridge press by C T Wood DSM. Roles that G T Waldegrave held in Cambridge District have not yet been identified.
- SM G F Stearn St Catherine’s from 1913 was 2nd Lt Royal Fusiliers and listed as a POW in the University War List. Named in local press as SM. G F Stearn.
- SM Hattersley Emmanuel College. Sidney Martin Hattersley, later POW Doeberitz Camp, MC, Croix de Guerre Colonel, died on active service WW2 from illness. Named in local press as SM. Hattersley. Records in National Archives concerning his experience of treatment of POWs.
WW2
| A H S Coombe Tennant | Oflag VI B (Escaped) | 53rd – 1933 | |
| Christopher Mark Morrice Man | Japan | 53rd – 1934 | |
| H Gordon | Germany | ||
| Thomas Jack Beilby | Japan | ||
| Leslie John Collis | Japan | 25th c.1934 | |
| Samuel Wilfred Whitley (brother of) | Japan | 28th | Died of cardiac beriberi |
| Thomas Leonard Whitley (brother of) | Japan | 28th | |
| John (Jack) Smith-Hughes | Crete (Escaped) | 60th | |
| Kenneth Frederick Baines | Japan | 2nd c.1932 | Died diphtheria & malaria |
| Harold James Glascock | Japan | 2nd c.1932 | Drowned Saigon harbour |
| Ken Hichisson | Europe | Girton | |
| John Russell Edney | Japan | 5th | |
| Henry Raynor Stocking | Europe (Stalag Luft) | 5th | MI9 |
| (Henry) Donald (Antony) Yates | Borneo | University | |
| Ronald Kitson | Thailand | 44th | |
| Leslie William Turton | Greece 1941 | 7th |
- A H S Coombe Tennant See People/ Individuals/ Cambridge Scouters Escaped from Oflag VI B and returned to the UK.
- H Gordon Listed in an incomplete card index as H Gordon (Germany, nr Hanover). Hans was a German refugee, presumably from near Hanover, who was temporarily transferred to Canada with two other refugees as a prisoner but later returned to work in the British Forces. See Refugees and Evacuees.
- Leslie John Collis See Local History/ WW1 WW2/ Collection of war service details 1945 and Individuals
- John (Jack) Smith-Hughes Captured. Escaped by submarine having acted as a guerilla, returned to Egypt and later returned to Crete as a member of SOE. Involved in the planning and kidnapping of German General.
- Joseph ‘Ken’ Hichisson Scout from age of 8 until about 2000. Co founder and later GSL of Girton troop. RAMC Captured at Dunkirk and POW until 1944.
- Henry Robert Stocking DFC Recruited MI9 whilst in PoW camp and supported others to escape. Involved in Great Escape as organizer. Declined the opportunity to escape to support others in future escapes. See separate page
- H D A (Donald) Yates Capt. His post war testimony is quoted in the War Crimes records.
- Ronald Kitson 4D Camp 1st Cambridge Reg. Captured 15/2/1942 Photo as Scout in local history webpage.
- Thomas Jack Beilby captured in Adam Road, Singapore, released 2nd Sep 1945 1st Bat Cambridgeshire Reg. Initially listed as ‘Missing’, later Camp No.8 Thailand. Wife D H Beilby later DCM.
- Leslie William Turton was badly injured in Greece and captured. Released in 1944 he was killed in a road traffic accident returning to his base after home leave.
The Early SM of the 13th Maurice Mansfield Eastwell was a Major in the Cambridgeshire Regiment and listed as a Commandant of a Reception Camp. These were bases for the repatriation of British servicemen who had been Prisoners of War.
William Walter Hall Lance Corporal with the Royal Engineers was with the Cambridgeshire Regiment when they went to Singapore. He was not captured but part of party of 19 which took a small motor vessel and avoid capture. Three died on the voyage to Sumatra, one of which was W W Hall. His family relate that he was a Kings Scout in Cambridge but do not know which troop. He lived in Trafalgar Street New Chesterton and attended Cambridge Grammar school; the 7th is perhaps most likely but his name has not yet been found in school records as a Scout.
A ‘GUESS WHO’ piece from the Cambridge North Chronicle No. 18 of 1989 gave
The answer in the next edition was Ken Hichisson, Treasurer for Cambridge North at the time. He had preceded this paragraph with the equally pertinent observation ‘For myself , Scouting taught me a lot about living, particularly how to mix with others in a common cause.’
General lists of POW’s are not yet available.
Whilst there are no comparable numbers for Cambridge District in October 1947 Ampleforth College gave the following analysis:
Although never more than 40% of boys were in Scouting for over 2 years
- Scouts provided 438 members of the armed forces Non scouts 432
- Scouts prisoners <35% Non Scouts >65%
JWR Archivist Jan 2020
Cambridge District Scout Archive 