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Baden-Powell in Sudan, 1934.
From: Lazlo Nagy, 250 Million Scouts, 1985

Baden-Powell describes his arrival at Port Sudan in 1934:

PORT SUDAN

Looking at all this crowd, I felt a little disappointed at seeing only one Scout. But directly I landed there was sudden roar, and out from their ambush behind the trucks on the railway rushed a horde of wildly yelling Sudanese Scouts. They ran into a horseshoe formation, and were suddenly silent, at the alert. A fine cheery-looking lot, smartly dressed (with turbans instead of hats), and eidently well disciplined…."

These Sudanese are very plucky fellows, and though in the very old days they proved pretty tough enemies against us, they have since showed themselves very brave and faithful as soldiers in our service.

I found that in addition to the Scouts belonging to Posrt Sudan there was also one Scout from every Troop in the country. Some of these boys had come a thousand miles to meet me. Most of them had never seen the sea or big ships and many had never seen other Scouts before. So it was a great day for them, and greater still when they learned that it was the wedding-day of his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester.

THE RALLY

We had a further Rally in the evening, round the camp-fire. It was a ripping good show. The Scouts sang songs and did ward dances. One in particular fetched the crowd, where a Patrol of eight danced in single file round the fire, the Patrol Leader being dressed in a robe and playing a drum, and each boy dancing most ridiculous steps of his own.

Then they formed up in two lines facing each other and kept up the singing while each one in turn stepped out into the middle and danced a few fantastic steps; after which they danced off again in single file. It would be quite an easy and effective show for any Patrol to perfonn, provided that every fellow played the ass thoroughly well all the time. Then they did some awfully good tumbling, one boy playing the clown and imitating each stunt grotesquely.

From Baden-Powell, African Adventures, 1937

The ribbon at the left displays the colors of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. It is an honour conferred mostly on officials in colonial affairs, foreign-service officers, diplomats, and others who have performed important duties in Commonwealth countries. Baden-Powell was created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order (G.C.M.G.) in 1927 by King George V.

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