On a chilly and damp afternoon several hundred people attended the ceremony today. Surrey Scouts, Woking District Scouts were represented by members across all sections, and the 1st Claygate Scout and Guide Band led the parade. We were honoured to have the County Commissioner Joe Rogerson in attendance.
The Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums formed the rear of the parade filling the cemetery with the sounds of their bagpipes.
Our Individual Remembrance today was Colonel John Skinner Wilson. Col Wilson was a leading figure in the Scout Association and was directly recruited by General Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement when Baden-Powell was visiting India in 1921.
Wilson ran Gilwell Park for the Scout Association in the early 1920s. He was Director of the Boy Scouts International Bureau for 15 years, responsible for co-ordinating various Scout movements within countries and between them prior to the establishment of World Scout Regions. His role included being responsible for training policy and courses for Scouts.
Wilson introduced an international Scout badge in 1939, a silver fleur-de-lis on a purple background surrounded by the names of the five continents in silver within a circular frame.
As Captain Wilson, he was a member of the British Army Intelligence Corps. He served with Military Intelligence (Research) from July 1940 and then, from December with the Special Operations Executive (SOE). In the SOE, he was determined to introduce many of the requirements for Scout badges into SOE’s training regime. Such badges, still in the Scouting syllabus throughout the wartime years can clearly be equated to SOE’s training syllabus for secret agents, and some of those badges are still awarded today.
Col Wilson did not die in conflict and died in 1969. His private papers are kept by the Imperial War Museum and may be read here.
Our poem today was The Rainbow by Leslie Coulson.
County Commissioner Rogerson delivered a highly motivational and inspirational speech about the benefits of Scouting on young people and how it equips them for later on in life.
The Last Post was sounded by a member of the 1st Claygate Scout and Guide Band and the Pipers’ Lament was delivered by a lone piper from Gordon’s School.
The Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph were spoken by members of Woking Scouts.
There were wreaths laid on behalf of Surrey Scouts, Woking District Scouts, Woking District Explorer Scouts, The American Battle Monuments Commission and the Glider Pilot Regiment.
Our Standard Bearer was Alan Lopez and our Senior Standard Bearer was Tom Milne who paraded the Union Flag. Rob Bennett led prayers and a blessing prior to the 1st Claygate Scout and Guide Band playing the National Anthem.
Thank you to the Scouts for providing the sound and Mike for the photos. Thank you to Paul McCue and Graham Deeley for the research into the commemoration of Colonel Wilson.
Brookwood Last Post 