A Midnight Battle in the woods that fell short of expectations was attempted by the 7th Pontefract [St Joseph’s] Troop of Scouts at a week-end camp in the grounds of Carleton Towers. Two contestant parties were taken into the woods about a mile from camp and told to pitch flags in small clearances about 260 yards apart. The idea was for each party to raid its opponent’s camp, capture its flag, and take prisoners. But in the dark stillness of the wood all that could be heard were crashes in the undergrowth, which suggested that members of both parties were having difficulty in keeping their bearings. Both flags were intact after about an hour, and it was considered prudent to withdraw the boys to camp before anybody got lost.

The party left Pontefract for Carleton by lorry, and after a hectic time managed to pitch camp an hour before midnight. At 2.00am it was discovered that half the campers were up and dressed, having been told by one of the boys that it was 8am. They settled down again, but to show there was no ill feeling on the part of the leaders, the boys were turfed from their beds at 5am and taken on a run to Snaith before breakfast.

The midnight exercise in the woods was on Saturday; and on Sunday the party enjoyed warm sunshine in which they were able to move about in a minimum of clothing. The troop, which was reformed in March after a lapse of 20 years is led by P.C. Bright, of Pontefract, and his deputy is a Queen’s Scout, Peter Lennon, of Pontefract.