PERCY ADAMS - Scout hero, of Tibshelf, Derbyshire, died 6th August 1931 while trying to save 2 boys from drowning in the River Tweed.
Percy Adams was only 25 years old when he died on Thursday 6th August 1931. He was from Tibshelf, and like his father John, of Addison Street had been a miner. Around 1927 Percy left mining and joined the Church Army and his ambition was to be a priest in Canada.
Percy became a lay preacher at Embleton church in Northumberland (under the Rev Basil Dawson), soon he became very popular in the area because of his good, friendly character and his social work.
Amongst his good deeds was the founding of the 1st Embleton Scouts, of which Percy became scoutmaster.
In early August 1931 the 1st Embleton Scout Troop went away to camp at Bendibus Haugh right beside the River Tweed, this was the first time the Embleton scouts had camped so far away from home.
Their choice of camp site was shared by a large group of guides who camped 200 yards further up river, they were the 18th, 19th & 24th Midlothian Girl Guides.
Shortly after mid-day of 6th August, several scouts were playing in the river and Percy Adams was watching them from a small boat. Suddenly one of the boys Albert Butters aged 11 was swept away by the current and his brother William aged 14 tried to help him. Both boys were caught in the current and started to flow downriver. By this time Percy was already well on his way to rescue Albert and he grabbed the 2 boys. The drowning boys went under and as Percy was holding onto them, he was dragged with them and all 3 disappeared from view.
Some of the remaining scouts ran to the Guide camp for help and the guides came immediately bringing a rope they had found in a fisherman's hut. Two guides, Margaret Taylor and a Miss Dalgetty, both good swimmers, had prepared themselves to go into the river. The rope was attached to Margaret Taylor and she went to the spot where the scouts had disappeared and searched beneath the water. Despite the fact that the rope had snapped, she went in time and time again after a repair had been made. Miss Dalgetty also searched. The police dragged the river without success but the bodies were not found until much later that afternoon by a fisherman. All 3 were lying together, so it appears that Percy held onto the boys until the very end, without any thought of saving himself.
PERCY'S FUNERAL - Percy was buried in Tibshelf churchyard on Sunday 9th August, the cortege was preceded by local Cubs and Scouts and the paths were lined by Rangers and Guides. The church was packed and many were unable to enter so had to stand outside.
AN AMAZING PREMONITION - The day the scouts left for camp the mother of the 2 drowned scouts, Jane Butters of Craster, was a little worried especially as Albert was still recovering from a foot operation. Percy told Jane that her sons (3 of them went to camp) were fine scouts and that he would die for any of them. He was certainly speaking the truth!
According to a newspaper report, the night before the drowning, the 2 scout's father George Butters had a dream in which a policeman came to find him and told him "I want you for a funeral on Sunday".
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Margaret Taylor had been a member of the Currie Company of Girl Guides for over 10 years and Miss Dalgetty had been a guide for 3 years. Both went into the river many times trying to locate the lost scouts.
At the time of his death Percy's address was Proctor Gardens, Dunstan near Alnwick.
William Butters had recently started to work in the quarry at Craster with his father and an older brother, but was having a week away as he loved camping with the Scouts so much.
Neither Albert or William could swim despite living in a fishing village.
After the tragedy the shocked scouts were looked after by Guide leader Miss Stewart, later a Mr Straughan drove them back to their families in Emblet
