One hundred years ago in 1914 the First World War broke out, bringing tragedy to families across the UK who lost loved ones in the fight.
That same year, scouting was born in Northwood.
The war against Germany was just a few days old when, on August 17 at North House, in Chester Road, Northwood, an inaugural meeting was held by a Mrs Townsend – after whom the nearby Townsend Way would later be named.
Her daughter Claire, two doctors, local clergy, the bank manager, the schoolmaster, Roland Brown, of St Helen’s School, and Harry Neal, the local builder, were all at the meeting and decided their contribution to achieving victory in the war would be to give the town a scout troop.
David Horchover, of the Ruislip, Eastcote and Northwood (REN) Scout District, said: “There is not a lot of information about the early activities of the 1st Northwood troop, but we do know that during the war they stood guard at strategic bridges, provided a messenger service for the police, patrolled the cliffs with coastguards and their ‘all clear’ bugles became a welcome sound to Londoners sheltering from the Zeppelins.
“They also assisted St John’s Church, in Halowell Road, which was built in 1915 and immediately turned into a military hospital for wounded servicemen, treating more than 2,000 soldiers.”
The young scouts longed to be more active and joined a Pinner Troop to form a unit of the Scouts’ Defence Corps, receiving drill and marksmanship training.
Similar to the activities of REN scouts today, they also collected waste paper, sold Christmas cards and ran dances and fetes.
“Between the two wars, scouting really developed in Ruislip, Eastcote and Northwood and many scouts went to International Jamborees and even served at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953,” Mr Horchover said.
“In 1939 the country found itself at war once again and scouts went to work on the land, planting, weeding and harvesting, something which the Northwood troop excelled at.”
Today, the 1st Northwood Scouts, based in Northwood Way, is made up of 100 young people.
To celebrate the centenary, more than 250 scouts from the REN District will travel to an outdoor activity camp in Kanderstag, Switzerland.
Each scout will be given an exclusive badge to show they were involved in the centenary year.
