風雨飄搖 

1930年代末葉，世界政治局勢動盪。日本於1937年全面入侵中國，為了逃避戰亂，很多人來到香港，帶來不少社會問題。部分學校由廣東等地區南遷至香港復課， 這些學校被稱為「僑校」，為湧入香港的適齡兒童提供教育。 由於內地學校於高小及初中階段均設有童子軍科，故這些僑校亦同時開辦童子軍團，並在中國童子軍總會註冊。除了有香港童子軍總會分發的旅號，亦同時有中國童子軍的番號。 也許因為香港總監侯利華牧師經常兼顧聖公會廣州教區的工作，因利成便，常協助廣州童子軍會的訓練，與中國童子軍總會保持良好關係，故容許僑校旅團雙重註冊，他更在制服的右袋上配帶上「中國童子軍軍籍章」。 因應社會需求，童子軍提供適時服務，如難民營和各類籌款活動等。 香港政府為了應付大量從國內湧入的難民，在港島北角及新界錦田等地修建大型難民營。不少童子軍團，特別是僑校的童子軍旅團，義不容辭地加入難民服務行列，到難民營與他們一起生活，並協助分派食物和各界送來的救援物資，亦幫助成立難民自治組織，讓難民可以自行管理。 

Towards the end of the 1930s, the global political environment became more and more unstable. As a result of Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, Chinese refugees flooded to Hong Kong, and caused many social problems. As Scouting was taught as a subject in elementary and middle schools in Mainland China, it was common that they ran a Scout Troop at the same time. When some of these Chinese Schools migrated south to Hong Kong to resume operations, many of their Scout Troops were registered with both The General Association of the Scouts of China and The Boy Scouts Association, Hong Kong Branch. Because of his good relationship with the Boy Scouts of China, Rev. Halward took a generally tolerant attitude towards dual registration of the Scout Troops. In response to the need of society, the Hong Kong Scouts actively involved themselves in community services, for instance, helping out in the refugee camps and various fund-raising events. Later on, when the government set up large-scale refugee camps in North Point and Kam Tin, etc., numerous Scout Groups, particularly those affiliated with the overseas Chinese schools, volunteered to help distribute food and relief supplies in the camps.

因當時局勢緊張，香港政府全面檢討防衛政策。除了修建防空洞，更鼓勵巿民加入各類民防組織。香港童子軍總會回應政府要求，成立童子軍防空傳訊隊，並委任陳福康為負責領袖，為童子軍提供民防訓練。除了可以考取民防專章 (Civil Defence Badge)外，總會還組織了童子軍傳訊隊，分配成員到各區協助民防工作。 1941年中，已有500名各級童子軍接受訓練並加入傳訊隊，約佔全港童子軍人數三份一。 

As political unrest grew in the region, the Hong Kong Government fully reviewed its defence policies. Apart from constructing air-raid shelters, the Government also urged citizens to join various civil defence organizations. In response to the request of the Government, a Boy Scout’s Air Raid Precautions Despatch Corps (headed by Chan Fook-hong) was established with the aim of training the Scouts in air raid precautions and distributing them to different districts in Hong Kong to aid civil defence. By mid-1941, over 500 Scouts and leaders, accounting for one-third of the Scout population in Hong Kong, have completed the training and joined the Despatch Corps.

1941年12月8日，日軍入侵香港至12月25日香港投降。這17天的防衞戰中，童子軍表現英勇，約有20多名童子軍和領袖在各類行動中喪生，當中包括有不少童子軍精英的義勇軍第3連。在12月19日黃泥涌戰役中，更有重大傷亡。 香港淪陷後，不少童子軍成員千方百計逃離香港，返回中國繼續抗戰，當中有20多位童子軍在這段期間犧牲。 逃回內地的童子軍領袖，部分來自英文書院的大多選擇加入英軍服務團(BAAG-British Army Aid Group)工作，例如香港第12旅(皇仁書院)童子軍團長許文偕、九龍第17旅(喇沙書院) 領袖馬基及香港區區總監柯昭璋等。 其餘沒有參軍的童子軍，利用在童子軍學到的知識謀生，如香港第13旅(中央華人)的鄺志雄及新界區領袖廖爵榮等在國內學校教書，並同時擔任童子軍科老師。留在香港的有因替戰俘營的軍人提供協助，或替英軍服務團工作而受到迫害。 香港第1旅(聖約瑟書院)的李耀培因替英軍服務團工作表現出色，獲英政府頒發軍功勳章(Military Medal)。 當中亦有不少領袖犧牲成仁，包括香港第1旅小狼團長林劍鏗、香港第7旅的楊文安、九龍第17旅的Enrique Lee及香港第10旅創旅領袖黃紹本等。 九龍第5旅(Roving Fifth) 的前任童子軍團團長W.M. Gittins在日本戰俘營內喪生；還有很多被遺忘的英勇忠誠的事蹟，然而他們的名字只有上帝才知道。 

On 8 December 1941, the Japanese army invaded Hong Kong. During the 17 days before Hong Kong surrendered, the Scouts fought bravely against the Japanese, and around 20 were killed in action. After the fall of Hong Kong on 25 December, many Scouts fled to Mainland China to join the resistance forces against Japan, and approximately 20 more lost their lives. After they went to China, those Scouters affiliated to an English grammar school usually joined the British Army Aid Group (BAAG) instead. Examples are Hui Man-kai of 12th Hong Kong (Queen’s College), Henry Ma of 17th Kowloon (La Salle College), and Quah Cheow-cheang, District Commissioner for Hong Kong, etc. Scouts who did not join the forces also made a living with their knowledge acquired from Scouting. For instance, Kwong Chi-hung of 13th Hong Kong (Central Chinese) and Liu Cheuk-wing of New Territories District became teachers in Scouting during their stay in Mainland China. During this tough period, whereas Francis Lee of 1st Hong Kong (St. Joseph’s College) was awarded the Military Medal in recognition of his exceptional service in BAAG, many Scouts lost their lives in the Japanese prison camps or during the defence of Hong Hong, such as Lim Kim-huan of 1st Hong Kong, Yeung Man-on of 7th Hong Kong, Enrique Lee of 17th Kowloon, Wong Shiu-pun of 10th Hong Kong, and W. M. Gittins of Roving Fifth. There were, however, many more unsung heroes who were not remembered by name. 

40年代將要結束時，發展快速的香港童軍運動略受波折，童軍人數稍為減少，大概是因為國內政治形勢轉變，部分政治背景較重或跟隨國內童子軍訓練制度的旅團被取消註冊，雙重註冊亦自此成為歷史。 部分旅團因發展過速，水準未能達到應有標準而被註銷。1949年，總會著手準備未來的發展、以迎接50年代帶來之新挑戰。 

As the 1940s were drawing to a close, the rapidly developing Hong Kong Scout Movement experienced a slight decline in membership, probably caused by a shift in the political winds in Mainland China. The Association became less tolerant of those Groups that inclined too much towards Chinese nationalism, and some were deregistered, thus putting an end to the dual registration era. In addition, Groups that failed to reach the minimum standards were disbanded. In preparation for the upcoming challenges in the 1950s, Boy Scouts Association, Hong Kong Branch, began to restructure itself in 1949.