North Lincolnshire Scout Section

Supporting regiment
The Leicestershire Regiment
About

Lincolnshire had two Scout Sections like many larger counties. One was provided by the Leicestershire Regiment and the other by the Lincolnshire Regiment.

The Scout Section was made of Regular Army soldiers with a Lieutenant in command. Their role was to train the Auxiliary Unit Patrols, but also to go to ground themselves in the event of an invasion.

During an exercise this Scout Section was tasked with delaying the move of the British 1st Division north across the Humber. They crept past the guards on the turntable bridge at Goole, crept under the structure and climbed to the control cabin, then forced the operator to swing it open - as if allowing a ship to pass. This held the whole Division up for 35 hours! It is believed that this was the Boothferry Bridge, rather than the railway bridge a little downstream. This was the first road crossing over the Ouse from the sea and a key route, now largely superseded by the Humber Bridge, though it is still in use. The two bridge controllers were former ferrymen, Jack and Harold Robinson, and likely it was one of them held at gunpoint that night.

Pictures
Image
Caption & credit
Boothferry Swing Bridge, target of the Scout Section on an exercise (P Church via Geograph – freely licenced image)
Operational Base

Most Scout Sections had two operational bases. These have yet to be located for the Scout Sections in Lincolnshire.

Scout section personnel
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Lieutenant William Melville Beattie Lamb Unknown 20 Nov 1941
Sergeant Easton 1940 1943
Sergeant Harry Hardstaff

Haulage Contractor

09 Nov 1940 23 Apr 1943
Other personnel

The section would have consisted of a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, a Corporal and 9 private soldiers with a driver batman for the officer and driver for the section’s lorry. 

Transport

The standard transport for a Scout Section was an Austin 2 seater car and a 15cwt lorry, both with RASC drivers. The Patrol normally also had bicycles.