John Thurman

John Thurman OBE JP
John Thurman
Camp Chief of Gilwell Park
In office 1943–1969

Richard Francis "John" Thurman OBEJP (4 April 1911 – April 1985) was a British Scouting notable and Camp Chief of Gilwell Park from 1943 to 1969.

In 1943, he introduced the Gilwell woggle as the insignia for Basic Training. The woggle was first created in the early 1920s by Bill Shankley, a member of the Gilwell staff. He produced a two-strand Turk's head slide which was adopted as the official woggle. From 1943 to 1989, the Gilwell woggle was awarded on the completion of Basic Training, and the Gilwell scarf and the Wood Badge beads were awarded on the completion of Advanced Training.

In 1962 Thurman conducted the only Wood Badge course ever in Burma.

He was awarded the Bronze Wolf in 1959 and the Silver Buffalo Award in 1962. In 1957 he also received the highest distinction of the Scout Association of Japan, the Golden Pheasant Award. He became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1963 "for services to the Boy Scouts' Association".

John Thurman wrote a number of instructional Scouting books, notably on the subject of Scout pioneering. They were written in an amusing style, and are credited with increasing the popularity and scope of pioneering within the Scout Movement in the post World War II period. Many of his other books were co-authored with his friend Rex Hazlewood, who was editor of The Scout (magazine) and The Scouter magazines.

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