NOSTALGIA: Legendary founders of scouting for boys and girls visit Portsmouth
February 22 would also have been his wife’s birthday, but the amazing thing is there was a 32-year age gap between them. However, they married in 1912 and had three children.
Robert Baden-Powell was born on February 22, 1857, and Olave Baden-Powell (née Soames) was born on February 22, 1889.
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Hide AdRobert was in the army and served in South Africa during the Second Boer War most famously successfully defending Mafeking during its 217-day siege.
He began the scout movement on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour in 1907. He retired from the army in 1910 and formed the Boy Scouts Association. He died in 1941, aged 83.
Olave Baden-Powell took over the guiding movement in 1915 after her husband had tried but failed to integrate girls into the scouts. Olave took up the mantle and girl guiding never looked back.
After the Second World War she travelled the world establishing girl guide movements.
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Hide AdShe died in 1977 and her ashes were taken to Kenya to be interred with her husband’s.
In this photograph the couple were visiting Portsmouth and are seen with local Sea Rangers on board HMS Implacable in 1937.
On Sunday night my colleague Bob Hind will be publishing a superb photo of Implacable. Look out for it here about 8pm.