|
Vere Talbot Bayly and his friend Roy (last name unknown) were photographed together, proably outside Roy's home in Bath. The photograph was undated, but probably taken about 1910. The Boys are wearing the uniform of the early Boy Scout movement. As with so many of the photographs taken at this time, there is a sad aspect to this image. He served in World War I a War which resulted in horendous casualties, virtually desimating an entire generation. According to The Commonwealth War Graves Commision, a 2nd Lieutenant Vere Talbot Bayly was killed on the May 8, 1916. He was only 19 years old. He was serving with the 7th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment. Lieutenant Bayly was the only son of Isabel H. J. Bayly, of "Oaklands," Lansdown, Bath, and the late Langton G. Bayly. At first I assumed that these boys were brothers but from the above I now think that Vere was a friend of Roy. Based in the way the inscription is written, it looks like Roy survived the War. I would guess him to be about 12 or 13 when the photo was taken, dating it to around 1910-11. An interesting aspect is that these boys were photographed at about the same time William D. Boyce encountered the famed Unknown Scout in London, an encountered which launched the American Scout movement. Thus it has the Unknown Scout would have looked, complete with his sturdy hiking stick.
Vere Talbot Bayly and his friend Roy (last name unknown) were photographed together. At first I assumed that these boys were brothers but from the above I now think that Vere was a friend of Roy. We know from Civil Registry (birth records) that Vere was born in Kensington, a district in central London. I would guess the boys to be about 13 or 15 when the photo was taken. Verve was killed in in World war I during 1916. Based in the way the inscription is written, it looks like Roy survived the War. But we know nothing more about him.
The photograph was taken outside one of the boys' home in Bath--a resort town west of London. Based on the inscription on the back, it was probably Roy's home.
Lord Baden Powell organized the English Boy Scouts in 1907, although it was something he was thinking about for a long time. At the time this photograph was taken in 1910-11, the organizaton was only a few years old.
Based upon the age of the boys in the photograph, it was probably taken about 1910-11.
The Boys are wearing the uniform of the early Boy Scout movement. They wear the campaign hats that became a symbol of Scouting along with a light khaki shirt. Notice how they have rolled up their sleeves. There were no short sleeve Scout shirts at the time. Notice the tab hanging diwn from the shoulder at the boy at the right. I'm not sure what that represented. Only one of the boysears a kerchief, starbge as otherwise they have the full uniform. I'm unsure about the colot of the kerchief or how it is tied. They also wear dark shrts, I think blue and dark kneesocks.
As with so many of the photographs taken at this time, there is a sad aspect to this image. He served in World War I a War which resulted in horendous casualties, virtually desimating an entire generation. That was the year the British fought the horific Battle of the Somme. World War I was a terrible bloodletting and time and again in HBC pages we find that the children we have loaded during this period were killed in the War. The numbers are difficult to comprehend. Seeing the individuals involved makes in more real. According to The Commonwealth War Graves Commision, a 2nd Lieutenant Vere Talbot Bayly was killed on the May 8, 1916. He was only 19 years old. He was serving with the 7th Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment. Lieutenant Bayly was the only son of Isabel H. J. Bayly, of "Oaklands," Lansdown, Bath, and the late Langton G. Bayly.
An interesting aspect is that these boys were photographed at about the same time William D. Boyce encountered the famed Unknown Scout in London, an encountered which launched the American Scout movement. Thus the photograph here shows how the Unknown Scout would have looked, complete with his sturdy hiking stick.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
