BACK in 1911, Basingstoke was hurriedly fortified to repel an invading force during the Battle of Spring Wood.

Without warning, war had been declared on England by the President of Utopia, who had landed a large expeditionary force on the south coast and had overrun the southern counties with mobile columns of troops.

Basingstoke was under siege and a re-supply column, protected by the brave Red Force, was making its way across Hackwood Park.

But the enemy, led by a Major Roberts Thomson in charge of the White Force, had cut them off before they could cross the bridge in the park.

The battle raged all afternoon until about 4.15pm when the Reds successfully rushed the supply column over the bridge to safety.

Hundreds of people from Basingstoke and the surrounding villages came to watch the extraordinary field day which involved 330 Scouts, Cadets and members of the Boys Brigades, on Easter Monday that year.

And many of those on the side of the White Force were members of Worting Scouts which, this year, is celebrating its centenary.

The group – known today as Worting St Thomas Scout Group – was formed following a meeting held at the village Reading Room, in Worting, on July 18, 1910.

David Hopkins, Assistant Scout Leader at Worting St Thomas Scouts, said: “The first Scouts were enrolled on Thursday, November 24, 1910.

They were Scouts Wheeler, Hailey, Evans, Garnett, Bowerman and Oliver.

“The troop was a joint one with Wootton St Lawrence, and the Scoutmaster was Major Roberts Thomson, of Upper Wootton Farm.

“It was only a few weeks later that the Scouts of Worting paraded with the other Scouts of the district for Lord Baden Powell, the Chief Scout, at the Corn Exchange, which is now the Haymarket Theatre, in Basingstoke.

“In January 1911, they were formally registered with The Baden Powell Boy Scout movement and, in February, a second Worting patrol was enrolled, with Scouts Rose, Pearce, Evans and Cooper.”

The Worting Scouts must have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in that special field day event at Hackwood Park.

David said the umpires watching over the event commended the boys but diplomatically could not say which was the winning side.

The next great event the Scouts were involved with was on July 11, 1911. David said: “Worting Scouts were among 82 Scouts from Basingstoke district who attended the Royal Scout Review at Windsor Great Park.

“King Edward VIII inspected 33,000 Scouts, drawn up in a crescent-shaped Zulu battle formation.

“As the King took his place under the Royal Standard, there was a moment’s pause of dead silence, and then a sudden roar filled the air, and the whole mighty horseshoe of 33,000 boys with one impulse leapt forward from either side, rushing as only boys can rush, gathering speed and force as they came, screaming out the rallying cries of their different patrols as they came in a whole kaleidoscope mass of colour with flags fluttering, hats waving, knees glinting, in the great charge towards The King.

“Then, at a sign, the whole mass stopped its rush, up went a forest of staves and hats, and higher into the sky went the shrill screaming cheers of the boys ‘God Save The King’.”

As David said, this was an exciting start to Scouting life in Worting, which was followed by parades and meetings, camps and expeditions, many of which seemed to end with a “hearty tea,” prepared by Mrs Bullock who was at that first meeting in the Reading Room, and who was to keep a kindly eye on the troop for the rest of her life.

Scouting continued to grow in the Basingstoke area after the First World War, with Worting Scouts taking part in a summer rally at Herriard Park, in 1921, where they won the 100 yards race, the three-legged race and the troop relay race.

Recalling other highlights, David said: “In 1929, Basingstoke Scouts attended the 21st birthday Jamboree at Arrowe Park in Birkenhead, where 50,000 Scouts from 42 countries met.

“During the 1930s, Basingstoke Scouts also attended Jamborees in Europe, building ties with the youth of many nations.”

Earlier this month, the Scout group held its centenary party at Worting House, where a worthy role model, Tim Clark, started proceedings.

Following many years of hard training, Tim was part of a five-man team who conquered Mount Everest, to celebrate 100 years of the Scouting movement, in 2007. He placed his Worting St Thomas scarf on the top of the mountain.

David said: “Worting St Thomas Scout troop has provided challenging and enjoyable activity for generations of young people, helping them to develop into decent citizens in the modern world. One hundred years of Worting St Thomas Scouts is certainly something to be celebrated.”