Ajax Sea Scouts was started by Donald ‘Doc’ Stone who, with other members of the 1st Surbiton Park Scout Group wanted to form a Sea Scout unit. In 1947, with the help of other like-minded young men, Doc Stone made the new Group reality and it was registered formally with The Scout Association in 1948 as 4th Surbiton ‘Ajax’ Sea Scouts.
At first, Doc was the Group Scout Master, Roy ‘Chiefy’ Sharman (ex RN Lt. Commander), the Troop Scout Master (boys aged 11 – 15) and Derek ‘Shady’ Lane the Senior Scout Master (boys aged 15 – 18). There was also a Rover Crew (young men 18 – 25) and during the early years this Rover Crew was the source of all the assistant leaders.
Ralph Reader, the creator of The Scout London Gang Show, was an honorary member of the Rover Crew and many of the Seniors and Rovers took part in these shows.
This is an edited excerpt of George Barber’s “70 Years of Ajax and 65 Years an Ajaccio”, first published in the 2018 Ajax Group Annual Report
