Sam Cooke, Cornwell Scout
The Guardian, Friday, 21 July, 1939
A Scout Hero
“V. C." FOR LANCASTER BOY
Displayed Gallantry in Illness
SEVENTEEN-YEARS-OLD Boy Scout Samuel Cooke of the 16th Lancaster (St. Paul's) Group, was a shy hero on Friday night. Lying on a bed in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, where he recently had a foot amputated, Sam heard his conduct during a long illness described as "gallant, heroic and cheerful”.
SEVEN YEARS' ILLNESS.
He was the centre figure in a brief ceremony, when the Mayor of Lancaster, (Coun. Mrs. Musgrave Hoyle) presented him with the Cornwell Badge, the scouts V.C awarded him, as reported in last week's " Guardian," for his bravery during an illness of seven years. He is suffering from spasticity of the legs. Since the illness began seven years ago he has been in hospitals at Liverpool, Manchester, Windermere, and finally at Lancaster. His father is a well-known Lancaster business man and Sam had resided with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Bond of 39, Bridge Road, Lancaster.
The Cornwell Badge, of which there are only two holders in the North-West County Division of the Scouts movement, was instituted as a memorial to Jack Cornwell, the London Scout, who was awarded the V.C. at the Battle' of Jutland.
A PLEASANT SURPRISE
The Mayor handed Sam the bronze medal inscribed with the letter " C," a cloth replica which will be sewn on his Scout's uniform, and also provided a pleasant surprise for him when she gave him a large basket of fruit.
Those present at the ceremony included Captain John Welch (Infirmary President), Mr. and Mrs. W. Cooke, (the boy's parents), Mr. and Mrs Bond (his uncle and aunt), District Scout Commissioner, J Dodds Drummond, Group Scoutmaster the Rev. H. Hardman, Scoutmaster E. Whittle, Scouts N. Whittle and G. Fairweather (St. Paul's), Mr. L. H. Slater (Handicapped Scouts' Section), Miss K. M. Clarke (Matron at the Infirmary), Dr. J. A. Gibson, Ald. W. Procter, Messrs. J. Howie and C. Whiteside, (Infirmary Management Committee), Mr. F. A. Milne (Infirmary Supt. Secretary) the Rev. D. Birney (Vicar of St. Paul's, Scotforth) and Mr. V. Smith.
Captain Welch welcomed the Mayor and District Commissioner Dodds Drummond, who apologised for the absence of County Commissioner T. W. Helme, who is attending the Rover Moot in Scotland, gave a history of the Cornwell Badge, and said the occasion was a memorable one for it had never happened in Lancaster before and it was only the second time it had happened in the North-West County Division for a Scout to be given what was familiarly known as the V.C. of Scouting, the Cornwell Scout decoration, which had been won by their Scout, Sam Cooke.
“GALLANTRY, HEROISM AND CHEERFULNESS.”
He had been awarded the decoration for gallantry, heroism and cheerfulness under most trying circumstances which he did not want to enumerate. They could take it from him, however, that if any boy won that decoration he had jolly well deserved it, and Sam had jolly well deserved it.
Describing the badge, Mr. Dodds Drummond said the letter "C" inscribed on it, meant not only "Cornwell”, but also the courage which made Cornwell a hero.
PRIVILEGE FOR MAYOR.
The Mayor handed the decoration to Sam and said it was a great privilege for her to think that during her year of office she had the pleasure of giving him a badge which, she knew, he deserved so much. It was very gratifying to her and to everybody in Lancaster to think there were boys like him upholding and displaying the greatest courage possible under very trying circumstances and she was sure that all the Scouts and everyone who knew him were really proud of him. She hoped he would recover to be able to be a really outstanding example to those in every walk of life. The Mayor was thanked for her task by Mr. Drummond and Group Scoutmaster Hardman, who also thanked the Matron and staff for the facilities they had given to the Scouts to visit Cooke.
