{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Imagine being handed an urgent message and told to get it across town quickly, knowing that lives might depend on your route choice, memory and bicycle. For many Scouts during the First and Second World Wars, this wasn\u2019t an exercise. It was community service on the Home Front.  ","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EToday, instant messages, mobile phones and online maps make communication feel effortless. In 1914, the picture was very different. Few homes or public buildings had telephones, and letters and telegrams remained the main ways to share information. Telephone and telegraph lines needed to be kept clear for emergencies, so Scouts stepped in as local messengers using the skills they practised every week: navigation, observation, cycling, memory and knowledge of their neighbourhoods.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithin a week of the outbreak of war, Scouts were positioned in police stations, military headquarters and even Parliament, ready to carry messages at a moment\u2019s notice. Their training made them useful in a world where a broken line or delayed telegram could slow an emergency response.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/2rdhvkm0/first-world-war-scout-messenger-boys-2.jpg","width":6888,"height":9247,"altText":"A Sepia photograph of four Scouts, three on bicycles, talking to a police officer outside of a police station","caption":"Scout messengers in the First World","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EBadges such as Clerk, Cyclist and Guide reflected the practical skills behind this work. A messenger needed to remember instructions accurately, read a map, maintain a bicycle and understand the quickest route through familiar streets. These badges remind us that wartime service often depended on everyday abilities which become crucial in a crisis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/rh2fbxnl/practical-skills-badges.png","width":1667,"height":471,"altText":"Three badges, each with a brown background and green outer ring. On the left badge, there\u0027s a red hand pointing. On the middle badge, red spokes make the green ring into a bicycle wheel. On the right badge, there\u0027s a red pen and white paper. ","caption":"The Guide badge (Left), Cyclist badge (Centre), and Clerk badge (Right).","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 1915, Robert Baden-Powell designed the famous recruitment poster \u003Cem\u003EAre YOU in this?\u003C/em\u003E, placing a Scout among the people contributing to the war effort. The image was dramatic, but the message was rooted in reality: young people were helping to keep communities connected, organised and resilient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/4qyhc3bf/img032.jpg","width":1408,"height":2154,"altText":"A recruitment poster from the First World war, captioned \u0027Are YOU in this?\u0027. The drawing shows a Scout along side soldiers, factory workers and nurses, all contributing to the war effort.","caption":"Are YOU in this?","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EScouts who volunteered for wartime duties could receive service badges recognising the time they gave. The requirement that at least three hours counted as a day\u2019s service shows how seriously this contribution was recorded. Whether a Scout completed 28 days, 50 days or far more, each journey formed part of a wider network of voluntary effort.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/g1snr0v0/war-service-badges.jpg","width":3334,"height":942,"altText":"Three badges in a row, the left badge is a red rectangle with \u00271914\u0027 in gold with a crown in the middle. The centre badge is similar, but with \u00271918\u0027 instead. The right badge is a red circle with gold concentric circles around a crown with the words \u0027war service, 900 days\u0027 around it. ","caption":"War Service Badges for 28 days (Left), 50 days (Centre), and 900 days (Right) of service. ","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EBy the late 1930s, Britain was preparing for another war, and Scouts were again part of the planning. In February 1939, the National Service badge was launched to recognise emergency skills and war-service work, like carrying messages. Later that year, a Civil Defence badge was created specifically for Scouts, underlining how important their role had become.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EInitially the National Service badge could only be earned by Scouts but from November 1939, Cubs, Rover Scouts and volunteers could also receive it. The Civil Defence badge is the only badge Scouts have required parental permission to earn.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/ylhfcnqe/national-service-badges.png","width":1667,"height":472,"altText":"Two badges, the first is a red rectangular badge with the letters \u0027N\u0027 and \u0027S\u0027 in gold, separated by a crown. The second is a green circle with a yellow shield in the middle and text saying \u0027boy scouts\u0027.","caption":"The National Service (Left) and Civil Defence (Right) badges.","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EBy 1939, phone boxes were a familiar sight on many streets but home telephones were still rare. Telegraphs were still used when speed mattered, and both systems relied on wires and poles that could be damaged during air raids. When communications failed, Scouts could once again become the link between people, services and places.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the Second World War, Scouts supported Air Raid Precautions, ambulance and fire services. In the Blitz, they helped pass on urgent information about where assistance was needed, often in dangerous conditions. Fourteen Scouts from Bristol, Coventry, London and Jarrow received gallantry awards after risking their lives during air raids.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe story of messenger Scouts is a powerful reminder that service isn\u2019t always loud or visible. Sometimes it\u2019s a bicycle in the blackout, a memorised route, a folded message and the determination to get through. In wartime, those small acts helped communities keep going.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/ncwhtuyy/scouts-in-the-second-world-war.png","width":1197,"height":760,"altText":"Two black and white photographs of Scouts helping on the Home Front, the left photo shows a Scout sat outside a telephone box, the right shows two scouts on bicycles","caption":"Scouts in the Second World War helping on the Home Front","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EVisit our \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/our-history/our-online-exhibitions/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Online Exhibitions\u0022\u003Eonline exhibitions\u003C/a\u003E to find out more about Scouts\u2019 wartime work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"Discover the full Poppy \u0026 Scouts range","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https://shop.scouts.org.uk/new-in/poppy-scouts-uniform-badge-2026-32507#selection.color=7469\u0026amp;selection.size=7331\u0022 title=\u0022Poppy \u0026amp; Scouts Uniform badge\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022#selection.color=7469\u0026amp;selection.size=7331\u0022\u003EPoppy \u0026amp; Scouts Uniform Badge\u003C/a\u003E, created in partnership with The Royal British Legion is inspired by the brave Scouts who served as messengers during both World Wars.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Poppy \u0026 Scouts range","id":null,"url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/scouts-events/scouts-poppy","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#006ddf","title":"Poppy \u0026 Scouts range","image":"/media/ycamz1xd/rbl_squarelongcta.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dd4f47579e08f0","imageFocus":"","imageId":91313,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"24 August 2026","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"Poppy \u0026 Scouts range","title":"Poppy \u0026 Scouts range","url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/scouts-events/scouts-poppy","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about Scouts and Remembrance","url":"/supporters/remembrance/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Visit our online exhibitions page","url":"/about-us/our-history/our-online-exhibitions/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Discover Scout Store\u0027s remembrance range","url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/scouts-events/scouts-poppy","newWindow":false}],"id":90860,"nodeName":"Cycling, communication and community service: messenger Scouts in wartime","title":"Cycling, communication and community service: messenger Scouts in wartime","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/2rdhvkm0/first-world-war-scout-messenger-boys-2.jpg?cc=0.0000000000000002469067421560,0.3811784286144294,0,0.19982081438329974\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dd3476bccab750","caption":"First World War Scout Messenger Boys (2)","type":"jpg","size":4714643,"width":6888,"height":9247,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Cycling, communication and community service: messenger Scouts in wartime","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"How Scout messengers passed urgent information during the First and Second World Wars. 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