halesowenscouts

HALESOWENROOTS

This photograph was submitted by Anthony Farrar and shows the scout troop from about the 1910-1914 era.

Anthony writes 'Quite a poignant picture really, when you consider, that most, if not all the boys in this photograph probably served on the Western Front during the War. How many returned – we will never know.'

November 2022: - Anthony Farrar has updated the information about this photograph. The young man holding the drum

is his grandfather, Bertram Foster Johnson, who was a Lewis gunner with the 7th Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry.

He won the Military Medal, aged 19, near Ypres, in 1916. He was invalided home , later that year after being shot in the head on the Somme. He survived. However, his brother, Frank Edward Johnson, joined the Worcestershire Unit, then joined the Machine Gun Corp and was killed exactly four months after he joined and two months before the end of the war'

Richard Baker of Halesowen and District Scouts writes ' 2^nd Halesowen Scout Troop were active around the time suggested by Mr Farrar. In June 1912 they were the holders of the “ County Express Trophy" and their Troop Leader was Alec Boucher, who was also a teacher at Halesowen Church Schools. Could it be Mr Boucher in the photograph, 4^th from the left on the front row with his left hand resting on the trek cart?

Second Lieutenant Alec Edward Boucher was awarded the Military Cross for gallant conduct on the battlefield during the Somme offensive and was killed in action whilst serving with the 11^th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 18^th November 1916 , aged 27.'

The soldier above is Second Lieutenant Alec Edward Boucher while the picture of the scout leader is taken from the Scout Photo above.

There appears to be a definite likeness .Can anyone confirm they are the same person?

D Wakeham writes ' I can confirm that the Scout Leader of the Halesowen Scout troop shown in the photograph of 1910-14 is indeed Alec Edward Boucher of Rudge Heath Claverley. Alec Boucher was my great uncle and family photographs I have can confirm him as the scout Leader shown in your photograph.'

WOLVERHAMPTON ROLL OF HONOUR WORLD WAR 1
Boucher Alec Edward Lieutenant M.C. 11th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment Son of Benjamin and Fanny Boucher, of Rudge Heath, Claverley, Wolverhampton.. Died - 18 November, 1916. Aged - 27. Memorial - Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, France.11.1.18

ALEC BOUCHERS ARMY RECORD

Information about the Wolverhampton Roll of Honour and Alec Bouchers Army Record submitted by Richard Baker

Mike Boucher writes

Have just come across the picture of the Halesowen Scout troop circa 1910/14 on the Halesowen Roots website. I can support Dennis Wakelam in identifying Alec Edward Boucher as the scout with his hand on the cart. I believe that he received the Military Cross for bringing back a wounded comrade from no-mans land between the front lines under fire. You may be interested to know he had three brothers Ernest, Cyril and Denis who also enlisted and both Cyril and Denis were wounded in action but survived. Cyril and Denis were both bell ringers at Claverley and the whole team enlisted with the KSLI on the same day in 1914. Cyril was my grandfather and named his eldest son, my father, Alec. Cyril's youngest son Ernest George flew Hurricanes and Typhoons in the Second World War was shot down in October 1943, evaded capture and got back in January 1944 only to be KIA in August 1944. His story is told in The Faithful Few by Andrew Long

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