Vanessa Collingridge and the team answer listener’s historical queries and celebrate the way in which we all ‘make’ history.
Programme 4
24ÌýApril 2007
Sea Scouts on Coastal Watch
Making History listener Cathy Allen’s grandfather was a member of the Sea Scouts at the beginning of the First World War. She wrote to the programme requesting more information about the role of Sea Scouts in a scheme known as Coastal Watch.
On March 25th, 1911, Baden Powell wrote a letter to the Admiralty asking for permission to establish Sea Scouts as Seamen, and Coast Watchers. Approval was given. Coast Watching was, as far as Baden Powell was concerned, not a 'time-filling' activity, but a real need.
Baden Powell wrote in 1911:
"The general scheme of Sea Scouting for Boy Scouts was outlined by my brother Warington Baden-Powell, who although a King's Counsel in Law, is also an old sailor, and has kept up his interest in the sea by spending most of his time sailing when he is not at work in the Admiralty Court. As he possesses the heart of a boy, he is well fitted to explain the aim of Sea Scouting.
"Sea Scouting is not necessarily a scheme for turning out a boy as a ready-made sailor with a view to his going to sea. But rather to teach him, by means which attracts him, to be handy, quick and disciplined man, able to look after himself and to help others in danger.
"Boat handling, swimming, and saving life in the water can be taught to inland troops just as well as those belonging to the coast...
"When it is possible to get a floating club house ... the sea spirit enters still more into the boy's mind..."
The duties of Sea Scouts were supposed to be non-military – patrolling bridges and telegraph lines against enemy spies, delivering notices/billeting, relief work, guarding estuaries and assisting coast guards. Eventually honours were meted out to scouts injured in the line of duty, which suggests there was some risk involved.
The Reverend Michael Foster is Chair. Of the Scout History Association he argues that the scout movement was militarized at this time, but that we need to see this in the context of the increased militarization of the whole of society, and the pushing of the ethos that it was the duty of every citizen to defend his country.
Making History also consulted Paul Moyniham the Archivist at the Scouts Association.
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Environmental Threat to Welsh Coastal Archaeology
Making History listener Jane Pearson and a friend discovered some old peat diggings and fossilised tree trunks on the beach at Tywyn in Gwynedd which had been revealed by the winter storms. She contacted Making History to find out more about them.
Gwylim Hughes, Director of Cambria Archaeology told the programme that the fossilised tree trunks are remnants of an ancient Neolithic forest, a time when the peat deposits were also laid down. The peat diggings are evidence of the search for fuel in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. However, far from revealing new archaeological evidence, the sea off the Wales coast is in fact damaging important sites – particularly along the cliffs of the south west. Gwilym Hughes told the programme that a great deal of effort is being made to record as much coastal archaeology in Wales before it is lost to natural processes.
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Holidays to the Third Reich
Making History received several letters, emails and telephone calls after the previous week’s item on holidays to the Third Reich. These included correspondence from Gary James, archivist at Manchester City Football Club which was the first team to play in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in 1937. The club still has a Nazi pennant from that visit.
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý
Contact Making History
Send your comments and questions for future programmes to:
Making History
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4
PO Box 3096 Brighton
BN1 1PL
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý