Tom Dudgeon is the skipper of the Titmouse and leader of the Coot Club. He is the older son of Dr Dudgeon and Ella Dudgeon and older brother to "our baby". Tom is older than Dick; he refers to "young Dick" in CC16. The "scrap of grey flannel" from "sombody's trousies" (BS18) is like what Tom wear says Pete; suggesting that Tom is old enough to wear long trousers like George Owdon and Ralph Strakey. However he is shown in short trousers in various pictures (eg BS1,10). Dick thinks when he first meets Tom that hundreds of boys wore flannel shorts (CC1).