Remembering the Wangle III tragedy

A national tragedy

In August 1950 a group of ten Sea Scouts from the 1st Mortlake Group set sail for a trip to France. They arrived safely in Calais, but on the journey back home their boat, a “whaler” named Wangle III, disappeared completely and they never made it back to the English coast.

The exclusive Daily Telegraph photo published on 31 August 1950 is believed to be the last photo taken of the ‘Wangle III’. The 27′ whaler was being towed out of Dover Harbour some days before it was tragically lost. This photo was handed in to the court of inquiry.

A Channel wide search was made with ships and aircraft but found nothing. After several weeks six Scouts washed ashore on the Dutch and German Frisian islands. Four bodies were never recovered. It is still the biggest loss of life the the Scout Association has suffered in a single accident.

The ten boys and men that perished in 1950 were: Lt. Cmdr. John Weeden (1917); William Patrick (Bill) Towndrow (1932); Bernard Bell (1924); Donald Edward (Olly) Amos (1924); Robert Edward (Bob) Walford (1933); Peter Frederick White (1932); Brian Alan (Soley) Peters (1933); William Woods (1934); Maurice Alan Percival (1934); Kenneth Black (1926).

The Scouts are buried together in a grave that is still cared for by local Scouts on Texel, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, off the coast of Holland.

When the 1st Mortlake Sea Scout Group closed in December 1999, the colours and one remaining fragment from the stern of the boat were donated to the Texel Scout Headquarters.

A commemoration plaque is to be seen in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin on Mortlake High Street.

A memorial service

A special memorial section to remember the Scouts of the Wangle III will be held during the Eucharist service at the Church of St. Mary The Virgin, Mortlake High Street on Sunday 23rd October. The service will be attended by Commissioners and other senior Scouters representing the District, the County and national headquarters.

Visit Texel

Plans are underway for local Scouts to visit the site on Texel Island where the Sea Scouts are buried and meet the Texel Scouts who still carefully tend the memorial garden and gravestone.

The gravestone and memorial as it is today. The horizontal slab which shows a large map of the fateful journey was donated by Richmond upon Thames District