Duty Before All

The name and fame of Jack Cornwell are known to every boy in Britain as the lad who in the great sea fight off Jutland in 1916 stuck to his gun aboard the Chester when all the gun's crew were killed or wounded and he might have got away under cover.

He was badly wounded himself-but in the responsible work of sight-setter his duty was to be at his post by the gun, and there he stayed for twenty minutes under heavy fire, in case he should be wanted.

At the end of the fight, after the Chester had come successfully through her tremendous contest with three German cruisers, the only unwounded man of the gun's crew said to him, "Well done, lad. You stuck it out well. Lucky you weren't wounded."

"Well! I am wounded-here in the chest. But did we win?"

"Yes, my lad."

The boy sank down fainting. He lingered a few days in a hospital and died of his wound, but satisfied-knowing that he had done his duty. He had "stuck to it", as every Scout should.

Author

Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell (Chief Scout, London, UK)

Date of Creation

1908

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