They fought up to the last minute, but as the guns on the Western Front fell silent at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the world breathed a sigh of relief. There were celebrations but mourning for those who had fallen – a time for sad reflection as well as joyful release.
There was a resolve at the end of the war that the dead must be commemorated and Lodge Temperance was no different as on the 20th September 1920 it was decided that a Roll of Honour be prepared – “to members of the Lodge who had seen active service with the Colours, and special notification given of those members who had made the supreme sacrifice”.
We don’t know if an illuminated Roll was prepared but a handwritten sheet is taped to the inside of the back cover of the Lodge’s minute book that covers the period of the Great War. It’s entitled “2557 Roll of Honour” and lists 14 names, ranks and service, plus one whose boat was commandeered by the Government with two shown as having made the ultimate sacrifice. Thirty three other members are mentioned in the minutes and registers of Lodge Temperance but are not on the hand written Roll of Honour.
Our records show that four members made the ultimate sacrifice and forty four saw active service and were fortunate enough to survive the war. There is ongoing research into the lives of these members which we hope to complete shortly.
Bro Joseph Glass was “Killed in Action 22 March 1918” but is omitted from our Roll as well as United Grand Lodge’s 1921 Roll of honour book and from the 1933 scroll.
Bro George William Hope is not listed on the Lodge Roll but is on Grand Lodge’s 1921 RoH book even though he tragically died only 11 days after being discharged from the Army due to childhood Tuberculosis which was not the result of but aggravated by ordinary military service.
The Masonic Great War Project has corrected their information with our four members who lost their lives with links back to the biographies on our website.
It is an immense source of pride that the history of Lodge Temperance 557 had such members amongst our ranks – and all shall not be forgotten.
