Sea Scouts memorial, Leysdown Cemetery

Image: © Penny Mayes Taken: 17 Aug 2005

This stone commemorates the Leysdown Tragedy of August 1912 in which 9 boys aged between 11 and 14 died when their boat capsized off Leysdown. A clear view of the plaque may be found here http://s297.photobucket.com/user/Paulwp/media/DSCF1267.jpg.html?sort=3&o=125 A stone with similar wording exists in Nunhead Cemetery, London, where the boys were buried, although the original memorial, 'Mourning Scout', designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, which depicted a bronze life-sized scout on an elaborate stone memorial, was vandalised in the 1960s and is no longer there. I have found two photos of this memorial, sourced from newspaper clippings and a commemorative book - http://s297.photobucket.com/user/Paulwp/media/Capture3.jpg.html?sort=3&o=597 http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N6ef-3RHL._SL500_.jpgCapture3.jpg Its replacement may be seen here http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4344881 The boys bodies were taken up the Thames to Rotherhithe by Naval Destroyer and then by road to Nunhead. This was front page news in the Daily Mirror http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1222953.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Daily+Mirror+frontpage:+Tribute+to+the+dead+boy+scouts The plaque reads To commemorate the Scouts of the 2nd Walworth troop drowned off Leysdown, Isle of Sheppey on 4th August 1912 Gone home William Beckham aged 12 Albert Dack aged 11 Noel Filmer aged 14 Thompson Filmer aged 12 Harry Gwynn aged 13 Percy Huxford aged 12 James Skipsey aged 12 Edward Smith aged 11 and Frank Masters aged 14 of the training ship Arethusa Further details of the event may be found here (Daily Mirror report on the centenary - David Beckham's great grandfather was one of the scouts who survived) http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-beckham-story-of-his-great-grandfather-1224493

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