TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Part
I - First War World
Part
II - Second War World
Part
III - Far East
Bibliography
Information concerning the Masonic activities of brethren in
prisoner of war camps in Europe in the Second World War has been gathered
from correspondence with former prisoners, a minute book and other
documents and relics in the Grand Lodge Library, and two printed and three
unpublished papers, also in the Grand Lodge, by the following brethren:
Bros. C. B. Selby-Boothroyd, (1) Sidney Brown, (2) D.P. Iggulden, (3) F.
S. Payne (4) and H. Wallwork, (5) all of which are quoted freely. These
sources disclose activities of some kind in no less than fourteen camps in
Germany, Austria and elsewhere in Europe, the most extensive being in
"lodges" established -
(a) in Oflag VIIIF (Mahrisch Triibau, Czechoslovakia) and
continued in Oflag 79 (Brunswick, Germany);
(b) in Oflag VIID (Tittmoning, near Salzburg), later in
Oflag VIB (Warburg, Westphalia), and finally in Oflag VIIB (Eichstatt,
Bavaria); and
(c) in Stalag 383 (Hohenfels).
INTRODUCTION
WHEN the subject of Freemasonry amongst prisoners of war is
mentioned, one tends to think immediately of the Napoleonic wars and of
Thorp's research in this field. His work on this aspect of the subject may be
regarded as definitive, apart from minor items which have
occasionally come to light in recent years. In the days of which Thorp
wrote, prisoners, although their plight was distressing, enjoyed
privileges and liberty unheard of in recent years. Prisoners in the two
world wars enjoyed no parole; on the contrary, their incarceration was
rigid. Their accommodation was overcrowded, frequently squalid and with
few amenities. Particularly in the second world war they suffered many
privations and often cruelty and torture, especially at the hands of the
Japanese. Many died as the result of ill- treatment and lack of food.
Members of the Armed Forces and civilian internees who were members of the
Craft turned to Freemasonry to sustain them during the rigours of their
ordeal. In spite of the fact that Masonry was ruthlessly suppressed both
in Germany and Japan, imprisoned brethren made every effort to discover
each other, to meet, to maintain their Masonic knowledge by rehearsal, and
generally to comfort, help and sustain one another, well knowing that
discovery would involve severe punishment. They were often subjected to
fierce anti-Masonic propaganda.
Although this paper is devoted to recent events, it may be
desirable, by way of introduction, to refer briefly to those before the
year 1914. Thorp wrote of lodges formed amongst French soldiers imprisoned in England and
elsewhere during the Seven Years' War, 1756-63, and during the Napoleonic
wars, and records that there were no fewer than 44 such lodges in Great
Britain. Vibert, Bossu and Kay mention others discovered since Thorp's
work was published in 1935. Most of these lodges were legally constituted
Masonic bodies which met in the normal way and made Masons, and a number
of their lodge certificates are in existence. Their members visited
English lodges, and English brethren, in turn, attended French lodges.
Frenchmen were also made or admitted members in English lodges.
Little is known, however, of the activities of English
brethren in French hands. Thorp tells us that there is only one instance
on record of a lodge being held amongst them during their detention (No.
183, "Antients"). It is a fact, however, that many individual brethren on
parole attended French lodges as guests. Again, it is known that some were
relieved and assisted by their French brethren, who also made
representations to the authorities to make the lot of the English brethren
less harsh. It is believed that the escape of some was also made possible
with French help and connivance. Indeed, a pamphlet was published in Paris
in 1913 accusing French Masons of so doing. A translation of the pamphlet
appeared in the Leicester Transactions, 1923- 24.
Vibert records a lodge of British soldiers imprisoned in Kongsberg, Norway, in
1807. He also mentions a lodge formed amongst prisoners at Charlotteville,
Virginia, during the American War of Independence, but on reference to his
authority, Tatsch, it is not clear whether this was a separate lodge formed by German
officers who had joined the "Irish Lodge No. 63 of the 20th Regiment of
the Line". Gould recounts the story of the capture by Washington's forces of the lodge box
belonging to the Lodge in the 46th Foot, and its subsequent return, by
Washington's orders, under a guard of honour. There is no record, however,
of Masonic activities amongst British troops captured during that war.
Of Masonic activities during the Boer Wars, nothing is
known.
After these brief references to occurrences before 1914, let
us now pass to more recent times.
A few papers and personal reminiscences have been written on
Freemasonry amongst prisoners in Europe and the Far East during the last
war, but no attempt has been made to survey the subject as a whole. This I
now attempt to do, my sources being: -
(a) Minute books, papers and relics in the Grand Lodge
Library and Museum;
(b) Papers by former prisoners of war, published and
unpublished, designed for reading in lodges ;
(c) Information supplied by former prisoners and personal
reminiscences collected in the course of interviews ;
(d) Gastvrijheid Lodge, first minute book, which I had the
advantage of examining, a privilege I wish thankfully to acknowledge.
Some facts have come to my notice in answer to an appeal in
the Masonic Press and to a note in a circulated agenda paper of the
Quatuor Coronati Lodge, but the total result of the appeal was somewhat
disappointing. I hope that further information win come to light in the
future, perhaps as a result of this paper. The published and unpublished
papers and personal reminiscences have been invaluable in the compilation
of this survey, and I desire to express to the authors, and to all my
correspondents and informants, sincere thanks for permission to quote from
their papers, notes and letters. I am also indebted to the Board of
General Purposes for permission to use material in the Grand Lodge Library
and Museum.
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PART I: FIRST WORLD WAR
GERMANY
There is a dearth of information concerning Masonry amongst
prisoners of war in Germany during the First World War. Doubtless, members
of the Craft in prison camps became known to each other and found
additional solace in the bond which united them.
A number of brethren were internees in the civilian camp at
Ruhleben (Spandau), but nothing is known of any organized Masonic
activities amongst them. They were able, however, to identify each other
and to get together from time to time. They met on one occasion to draw up
an Address to Grand Lodge of England in the following terms: -
"We, the undersigned brethren, at present interned with
other British civilians at the concentration camp at Ruhleben, Spandau,
Germany, send hearty good wishes to the Grand Master, officers and
brethren in Great Britain, hoping that we may have the pleasure soon of
greeting them personally."
It was dated 9th December, 1914, and signed by 112 brethren.
In spite of postal difficulties, it was received by the Grand Secretary on
the 18th December and acknowledged by him on the 21st. In the following
February a further list of brethren was sent to Grand Lodge, with a letter
explaining that the brethren listed "were prevented from signing the
address sent in December, partly from not being identified and some from
being later arrivals at this concentration camp and who wish to be
associated with the greetings then sent". The lists include brethren from
England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, India, Hong Kong, the
West Indies, the United States, South America, Egypt and, strangely
enough, from Germany. Most of the signatories were identified and a
photographic copy of the Address was sent by the Grand Secretary to each
lodge concerned, together with a covering letter in which he said:
"Amongst these names you will observe a member of your lodge, of whom the
brethren will be interested to hear. Perhaps you will kindly acquaint the
family of such member of the communication, of which I shall be pleased to
send them a copy." From the same camp, a beautifully-prepared Address,
signed on behalf of all the brethren by Percy C. Hull, P.Dep.G.Org. (now
Sir Percy Hull, Kt., P.G.Org., Mus.Doc., F.R.C.O), was sent to Grand Lodge
on the occasion of the bicentenary celebrations in 1917. This also was
copied and circulated. As the result of a request for aid on their behalf,
Grand Lodge set up a special committee to act in the matter. An appeal
Lodges was launched and met with a generous and continuous response,
thereby enabling parcels of food and personal comforts to be regularly
despatched to English brethren, and the aid was later extended to brethren
of other jurisdictions under the Crown).
CAPTURES AT SEA
Of Freemasons captured at sea, the Grand Lodge of Scotland
possesses an interesting relic in the form of a sheet from a writing-pad
bearing the signatures of a number of brethren captured by the German
cruiser Karlsruhe on the outbreak of war and transferred to the S.S.
Crefeld, a cargo boat. It was commandeered to serve the cruiser as a
prison ship in which to accommodate crews and passengers of sunken
vessels, who were afterwards landed at Santa Rosa, Tenerife. Amongst those
on board the Crefeld was a W.Bro. Alfred Greer, who recognized some of the
captives with whom he had sat in lodge. Wondering how many brethren were
on board, he set about the task of collecting a record of them. He asked
each to write the name of his vessel, signature, and name and number of
his lodge in the pad. The list includes 19 names of brethren of four
Constitutions - England, Scotland, Victoria and the United States -
captured from 11 different vessels. To make the list "authentic", Bro.
Greer asked the purser to place the ship's stamp upon it. The purser told
him that the Captain of the Crefeld was a Freemason, who, when approached,
added his signature, after which the sheet was duly stamped and dated,
10th October, 1914.
HOLLAND
For Servicemen interned in Holland and prisoners of war
transferred there under the Hague Convention, the story is a different
one. Two lodges were formed in that country to meet their needs, namely,
the Gastvrijheid Lodge, at Groningen (1915), and the Willem van Oranje
Lodge, at the Hague (1918), both still flourishing.
The formation of the Gastvrijheid Lodge had its origin in
1914, when a part of the Royal Naval Division was hurriedly despatched to
the Continent, at the instigation of Winston Churchill, in an attempt to
prevent, or at least delay, the capture of Antwerp and so halt the German
advance until the arrival of the main body of British troops. By
subterfuge, including constant sorties from various parts of the city, the
enemy were led to believe that many more troops were holding the city than
was, in fact, the case. The Germans accordingly slowed down their advance
and Churchill's objective was attained. But the city had to be evacuated,
and when it fell the gallant men of the Naval Brigade inside were forced
over the Dutch frontier, resulting in their subsequent internment at
Groningen. Among the 1,500 officers, N.C.O.s and men interned were many
English Freemasons, including the Commanding Officer, Commodore (later
Admiral) Wilfred Henderson. He and eight others met in the camp library in
March, 1915, to discuss the formation of a lodge. A petition was accordingly sent to Grand Lodge, but as "constitutional and
international reasons prevented the formation of a lodge under the English
Constitution in a place within the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of the
Netherlands", the Grand Master advised the petitioners to apply to the
Grand Orient for a Warrant for a Lodge to meet at Groningen, with
permission to use the English ritual. In the meantime, Loge L'Union Provinciale at Groningen had extended hospitality to all the Freemasons amongst the interned forces. The
brethren of that Lodge, in the words of Bro. Henderson, "welcomed them to
their Lodge, invited them to their homes, and [had] done everything in
their power to ease the sting of the restraint which their obligations as
neutrals forced them to impose".
In accordance with the Grand Master's advice, the British
brethren thereupon sent a petition to Loge L'Union for transmission to the
Grand Orient. It was granted immediately and arrangements were made for
the consecration on the 22nd May, 1915, in the Masonic Temple of Loge
L'Union Provinciale. Working tools and English clothing were obtained, and
by-laws prepared for submission to the Grand Orient. The consecration was
performed in English, but in accordance with Dutch ceremonial, by V.W.Bro.
Dop, Grand Orator of the Netherlands, assisted by Masters of the
Groningen, Leeuwarden and Harlingen Lodges, in the presence of R.W.Bro.
Baron van Ittersum, Representative of the U.G.L. of England near the Grand
Orient of the Netherlands. The ceremony was a most impressive one;
fortunately, an account of it has been preserved by the Lodge (a copy is
also in the Grand Lodge Library). After the consecration, Commodore
Henderson was placed in the Master's Chair by Bro. Dop and the Lodge proceeded with
normal business, which included two propositions for initiation,
consideration of the by-laws and the presentation of a gavel by Loge
L'Union Provinciale. The Lodge was named "Gastvrijheid", meaning
hospitality, and was given the number 113 on the roll of the Grand Orient.
It led a very full and active Masonic life, meeting at least monthly.
These regular meetings, together with emergencies, totalled 55 during its
three-and-a-half years' sojourn at Groningen. There were initiated no
fewer than 64 candidates, usually two at a time, who were, of course, duly
passed and raised, so that at every meeting there was much work to be
done. Four brethren were elected to joining membership and three to
honorary membership. "Instructional" meetings were also held, two or three
times a month.
It was resolved that the usual collection should be made at
each meeting of the Lodge and at the Instructional meetings, and that the
proceeds should be sent to the Louisa Stichting Institution at The Hague.
The Book of Constitutions of the Netherlands was translated into English
by Bro. Henderson and printed, so that each member should be presented
with a copy. At the installation meeting, held on the 23rd May, 1916, the
minutes record that "after the Dutch Installed Masters had been obligated
in respect of the secrets of an Installed Master according to English
Ritual . . . the Master- elect was installed". In June, 1917,
congratulations were sent to the Grand Lodge of England on its attaining
its bicentenary.
The Lodge did much to assist the formation of the second
Lodge already mentioned, the Willem van Oranje, in 1918. When the latter
lost its Master by repatriation, the Gastvrijheid undertook to ensure the
attendance of a Past Master once a month to confer degrees. Eventually
Bro. Henderson performed the duties of Master of the Willem van Oranje.
(10)
The Gastvrijheid Lodge held its last meeting in Holland on
the 5th November, 1918. The transfer of the Lodge to England had been
previously under discussion, and the minutes of this meeting record that
permission had been granted by the Grand Orient of the Netherlands for it
to retain the Warrant and Minute Book. The transfer from one jurisdiction
to another is referred to later in this paper.
Whereas the Gastvrijheid Lodge was formed amongst Service
personnel interned in Holland, the Willem van Oranie Lodge was founded by
actual prisoners of war transferred from Germany to Holland under the
Hague Convention. With the knowledge and approval of the Grand Lodge of
England, it was, like the Gastvrijheid, constituted under the Grand Orient
of the Netherlands.
In an account of the Lodge by Bro. H.S. Biggs,
it is recorded that, before the Lodge was brought into being, a number of
informal conferences were held. It was decided that the proper course to
pursue was, firstly, to obtain proof of the good standing of those wishing
to join. Lists were, therefore, prepared of brethren under the English,
Irish and Scottish Constitutions, and sent to the Grand Secretary of
England by Baron van Ittersum, Representative of the Grand Lodge of
England, who asked the Grand Secretary for his assistance as regards the
Irish and Scottish brethren. In due course confirmation was received that
the English and Scottish lists were in order, but that information from
Ireland had not, at that time, been received. On the strength of this
communication from London, the founders-to-be proceeded with the
task-there were twenty-five brethren of the English Constitution, eight
Irish, seven Scottish and one Canadian. An Inaugural meeting was held
under the presidency of Baron van Ittersurn and final arrangements were
made, including the drafting of a Petition to the Grand Orient. The
Petition was approved and the proposed Lodge was allocated the number 118
on the Netherlands Roll. The Baron then issued a notice and invitation,
printed in Dutch and English, and containing the Agenda (a copy of which
is preserved in the Grand Lodge Museum), stating that the ceremony of
Founding the Lodge up to and including the installation of the Worshipful
Master-Elect (W.Bro. Col. J. A. C. Gibbs, C.B., P.Prov.G.Reg., N. and E.
Yorks.) would be performed according to the ritual of the Grand Orient of
the Netherlands. With sanction of the Grand Orient, the remainder of the
ceremony, including the investiture of officers and the addresses, would
be conducted according to the ritual of the Grand Lodge of England by
W.Bro. Percy C. Hull, P.D.G.Org. (Eng.) (to whom reference has already
been made), acting as Installing Master, assisted by W.Bro. Walter Clark
and W.Bro. Commodore Wilfred Henderson, P.G.D. (Eng.). The notice
concludes with the following: "In consequence of existing circumstances,
the British brethren, to their great regret, are unable to invite their
guests to their fraternal board after the conclusion of the ceremony."
The Lodge was consecrated on the 16th July, 1918, by the
Grand Master of the Netherlands at a meeting of the Grand Orient, an
impressive ceremony, an account of which appears in Bro. Biggs' paper. The
Petition, a transcript and translation of the Warrant, and a copy of the
form of Lodge Certificate are in the Grand Lodge files.
Regalia was of the Netherlands pattern of a colour chosen by
the Lodge, orange, Forty-one of these aprons were made and presented by
the sister of the Senior Deacon of the Lodge. One of these, together with
two group photographs of members of the Lodge in regalia, is exhibited in
the Grand Lodge Museum. Working tools were presented by Gastvrijheid, a
gavel by Baron van Ittersum, and the square and compasses by three local
Dutch Lodges. The tracing boards were painted by a member of the Lodge.
Under its Warrant the Lodge was given authority to use
English ritual. One restriction was imposed, namely, that only British
naval, military and civil prisoners, released from belligerent countries
for internment in Holland, should be admitted to membership, either as
initiates or joining members.
Soon after its consecration the Lodge suffered the loss, by
death, of its Director of Ceremonies, and the Master and other brethren by repatriation
and it was obliged to call upon Gastvrijheid for assistance in providing a
Past Master to confer degrees, as has already been mentioned.
In addition to the 41 Founders, 18 joining brethren and 20
initiates brought the membership up to 79 during the short period of active work in Holland.
The war being ended, the brethren of these two Lodges
expressed to the Grand Master their desire to be transferred from their
original jurisdiction to that of the United Grand Lodge, as was foreseen
when both Lodges were constituted. With the full concurrence of the Grand
Orient, their petitions were approved. As the Lodges already enjoyed full
Masonic existence, it was not necessary that they should be re-
consecrated. The Grand Master, therefore, issued Special Warrants and Charters of
Dedication, both dated 7th April, 1919, enabling them to continue their
Masonic functions, but under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of
England. They were allotted the numbers 3970 and 3976 respectively. The
Board of General Purposes, in its report to Grand Lodge in September,
1919, acknowledged the kindness and courtesy of the Masonic authorities in
the Netherlands. The Dedication ceremony in each case was performed by the
M.W. the Pro Grand Master, Lord Ampthill - the Gastvrijheid Lodge on the
31st May, 1919 (an account of which appeared in The Freemason
and the Willem van Oranje Lodge on the 14th July, 1919. The Masters of the
two Lodges holding office in their Lodges in Holland in 1918 were again
installed as Masters of their respective Lodges under the English
Constitution.
TURKEY
One well-recorded case of Masonic activity amongst prisoners
of war in Turkey during the First World War is that of a "Lodge of
Instruction", named Cappadocia, conducted by brethren imprisoned in
Yozgat. The inaugural meeting was held on the 14th February, 1918, with
Bro. Major E. G. Dunn as Master. By-laws were approved and a nominal roll
prepared, which does not seem to have survived, but it would appear that
there were 14 original members. It was later declared that "all newly
arriving Freemasons were ipso fact members of the Lodge". It met on
alternate Fridays, first in the "Chapel" and later in a store-room, until
the 13th September, 1918. At these meetings, of which there were 12, the
opening and closing ceremonies in the three degrees, as well as the
initiation, were rehearsed or addresses on Freemasonry were delivered.
Working tools and other items were made by the brethren. Collars of canvas
were fashioned and covered with blue paper, each with the appropriate
badge of office cut tins. Handkerchiefs, trimmed with such ribbon as was
available from the local bazaar, were worn as aprons. Minutes were kept
and have survived, having been presented to the Lodge of Antiquity, No. 2,
by Bro. Durm. Benevolence was not forgotten, for sums of money were
collected and passed to the Camp Chaplain for the benefit of the many
starving Armenian women and children in the locality.
It would appear from an introductory note to the Minutes by
Bro. Dunn that "towards the end of 1917 a Petition was sent to Grand Lodge
for a temporary Charter as a special case in view of the peculiar
circumstances we were placed in. This, however, could not be granted, so
we had to be content with our Lodge of Instruction".
The minutes of the last meeting, held on the 13th September,
1918, record that "Bro. Major Dunn expressed the sympathies of the Lodge
on the recapture of Bro. Lieut. Sheridan, and on behalf of the Lodge bid
God-speed to Bro. Lieut. O'Donoghue. Bro. Capt. Sweet seconded Bro. Major
Dunn's proposals and suggested that a note of sympathy be sent to Bro.
Lieut. Sheridan". The natural desire for freedom was obviously in many
hearts, for Bro. Dunn has added a postscript to the minute book. He wrote:
"Here the records end apruptly, for it was just after this final meeting
that some 25 officers escaped. They scattered in small parties, but all
excepting eight . . . were recaptured. The inevitable result was our
confinement to quarters and no further opportunity for meeting occurred
before we left Yozgad for repatriation."
The minutes of the Cappadocia Lodge of Instruction reveal
the existence of two others in Turkey. On the 30th August it was recorded
that hearty greetings were received from the Lodge of Instruction at Aflum
Karakisa. Again, on the 13th September it was reported that a "Lodge"
called Mesopotamia, of which there were no less than 60 founders, had been
formed at what appears to be "Busia", but the writing is not clear. Apart
from these bare references, no information concerning these two "Lodges"
has come to light.
Where there was continuity in the work of a particular group
of brethren transferred from one camp to another, a connected story of
their activities has been set down as they moved from place to place.
Activities in other camps are also noted in the paragraphs which follow.
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Part II: SECOND WORLD WAR - EUROPE
LAUFEN (NEAR SALZBURG)
Bro. Selby-Boothroyd was captured, after a brief battle, in
May, 1940, and found himself in a prisoner of war camp at Laufen. On June
6th of that year some 200 British officers and a few orderlies arrived
there, including Bro. Brown, but the paths of these two brethren did not
meet (Masonically) in captivity. Practically every day more prisoners
arrived, so that by the end of the month the camp, an old Palace once
belonging to a Prince Bishop of Salzburg, was occupied by about 1,500
British officers and 150 men. Overcrowding was extreme. Prisoners lived in
rooms holding any number from 20 to 100, so that privacy of any kind was
impossible. Selby- Boothroyd did not, it seems, discover other brethren,
but Brown records that he recognized another prisoner as a brother Mason
who, being a senior officer, shared accommodation with only one other. He
and Brown decided to try and arrange some kind of gathering in his room of
such members of the Craft as they could discover. Altogether, between 15
and 20 brethren were identified and they held a meeting. A second
projected meeting was never held, as the senior officer was moved to a
larger room which he shared with others, so that privacy could not be
ensured. Brown was shortly transferred to another camp at Tittmoning (to
which reference is made later) and lost touch with his fellows. He learned
later that no meetings were held in Laufen after he left, but records that
a printed Emulation ritual had been found there.
From Laufen, Selby-Boothroyd was sent to Warburg, where he
discovered two other brethren, and thence to Eichstatt. Although he
remained there from May, 1942, to the end of 1943, he never learned of the
extensive Masonic activities recounted by Brown, a fact which emphasizes
the great care taken to keep Masonic activities secret.
MAHRISCH TRUBAU (CZECHOSLOVAKIA) AND BRUNSWICK (GERMANY)
In January, 1944, Selby-Boothroyd was transferred from
Eichstatt to Oflag VIIIF at Mahrisch Trubau. Some months after his
arrival, having made a casual remark, he was questioned by his hearer,
from whom he learned that some 40 brethren, transferred from an Italian
camp, where they first met, were holding regular meetings. Selby-Boothroyd
was accepted amongst them. At first these brethren had little more than
the opening and closing ceremonies and the initiation, but a "lodge" or
society of improvement was formed under the Preceptorship of a Bro.
Clifford Downing, one of the few Past Masters in the camp. It was called a
society as a "blind", to mislead the enemy, so that the term could mean a
society for the improvement of anything. Bit by bit the ritual was put
together, and by May they were able to work the three degrees more or less
completely, as well as a shortened version of the lecture on the 2nd T.B.
By this time Bro. Iggulden also reached the camp. Within a few hours of
his arrival he was contacted by Downing and invited to attend the "lodge",
after, of course, a very thorough proving. The Senior Chaplain of the camp
was a member of the Craft, and he allowed the brethren to meet in the camp
Chapel under the guise of attending theological lectures. It was a common
practice at Masonic gatherings in camps for the Master, or someone else,
to be ready to lecture on some pre-arranged subject at a moment's notice
if an alarm was sounded.
In May, 1944, the whole camp was moved to Brunswick and
there renamed Oflag 79. Being kept together in this way, the brethren were
able to keep their "lodge" intact and ready to function in the new camp.
Although it was several weeks before they were able to meet again, it was
at Brunswick that the "lodge" became firmly established. In due time it
included brethren from England, Scotland, Australia, Canada, India, New
Zealand, South Africa and the United States. At first it met weekly in the
air-raid shelters with which the camp was well supplied, it being a former
Luftwaffe camp and airfield. Fitted with steel doors, secured on the
inside, the shelters made admirable lodge rooms. They were lit by
electricity, but during air-raids the power was cut off, so that they were
obliged to resort to "margarine lamps". These lamps were made by purifying
margarine (when available) and pouring the liquid into a cut-down tin,
with a piece of string, or an old pyjama-cord, as wick. In winter the
temperature in the shelters was around freezing point and all attending
wore coats and gloves. Near the camp was a large aero-engine factory and,
in consequence, they were frequently bombed. Selby-Boothroyd records
sardonically that, after one raid, "rough ashlars and emblems of mortality
were plentiful". Working tools were made from wood stripped from sleeping
bunks and tea chests, the chisel being fashioned out of a piece of
reinforcing rod from a bombed building and rubbed, for many hours, on a
stone. These tools were small enough to be instantly concealed in the
pocket should a meeting be interrupted by the guards. Collar jewels were
also made, but seldom used, as their nature could not have been disguised
if they had been discovered. When the brethren met for the last time these
tools were distributed; a set consisting of a square, compasses and gavel
(used during rehearsals), together with a Master's "jewel", is now in the
Grand Lodge Museum; the chisel in Canada; other pieces in South Africa and
the United States. Three small T.B.s were prepared by a young artist
prisoner in charcoal wash of such design that they could be used during
the rehearsals, yet disclosing nothing to the uninitiated. A copy of the
Second T.B. is now in the Kent Provincial Museum and a photograph in the
Grand Lodge Museum. Part of the camp equipment were four-legged stools,
issued to each prisoner, which he took with him wherever he went, whether
it was to church, to an entertainment or to a lecture. Brethren took these
stools with them to their gatherings; those acting as Warden borrowed
another for use as a pedestal. No attempt was made, of course, to fashion
any kind of Masonic apron. In the matter of dress, Iggulden recalls the
care and trouble taken by brethren to attend their meetings "properly
dressed". They wore their best clothes, such as they were, with collars
and ties in place of the scarves usually worn, as many possessed only one
collar. Some of the brethren were even able to press their trousers,
threadbare and patched though they were.
After much discussion a book of ritual was compiled from
memory, a number of copies of which were made in small exercise books
easily concealable from searchers. From these, brethren learned the
ceremonies for rehearsal at the meetings, at which they took the various
offices in turn. On one occasion the Scottish brethren demonstrated the
first degree according to their Constitution; on another the installation
was rehearsed without, of course, the inner working.
At first, weekly meetings were held, but by the winter of
1944 that became impossible. Brethren were growing weaker and air-raids
were taking place at all hours of the day. A special meeting was held on
New Year's Day, 1945, at which it was decided to make a contribution of
150 guineas to one of the Masonic schools as Grand Lodge might decide. The
"deed of gift", in the form of an illuminated scroll, signed by six
officers, is preserved in the Grand Lodge. The donation was allocated to
the R.M.I.B. and is recorded on a mural plaque at the school, which reads:
"This plaque commemorates the British and Overseas Masons in Prisoner of
War Camp Oflag 79 during the Second World War who, in Masonic ritual,
sought relief from suffering through the uplifting spirit of Masonry." The
scroll was signed in camp and brought home for delivery.
After March, 1945, meetings were limited to one a month.
Under existing conditions and with constant danger from the air, it was
realized that the end, whatever it might be, could not be far off. It was
decided to hold a last meeting, for which summonses were sent out. A
harmonium was borrowed for the meeting, which was held during an air
attack on the German defences nearby. After the opening a representative
of each country was invited to speak on what the Craft had meant to him in
adversity, a fitting conclusion to the life of the "lodge".
MOOSBURG (GERMANY)
Bro. Iggulden's Masonic activities really commenced in a
transit camp at a place called Moosburg, near Munich. It was here that he
first came in contact with German propaganda against Freemasonry,
contained in a newspaper called The Camp which the enemy issued to British
prisoners of war. Every opportunity was taken in this and other papers to
publish antiMasonic articles and cartoons. Bro. Iggulden writes: "At this
time there were about 200 British officers living in one large hut, and
for the most part they were quite young. Three of us recognized each other
as Freemasons, and walking together up and down the wire we came to the
conclusion that the insidious propaganda . . . might prejudice the minds
of these young men. We decided that a short talk should be given
explaining the real object of Freemasonry, its place in the social
structure of Britain and some of the fallacies of the German propaganda."
The talk was given, one result of which was the discovery of other
brethren in the camp, but, as privacy was impossible, no Masonic
activities could be arranged. They agreed, however, that when a
properly-organized Oflag was reached, they would try and arrange a
meeting. This objective was attained when they reached Mdhrisch Triibau,
as I have already recounted.
TITTMONING (NEAR SALZBURG) AND EICHSTATT (BAVARIA)
The story of the "lodge of instruction", commenced in
Tittmoning and transferred to Eichstatt, is told by Bro. Brown. It was to
Tittmoning, near Salzburg, that he and two other brethren were transferred
from Laufen. The camp was in an old Schloss used at one time as a hunting
lodge by the same Prince Bishop of Salzburg who had owned the Palace at
Laufen. In the courtyard was a large marble trough bearing a bas-relief
depicting the pillars, the square and the plumb- rule, and a date believed
to be 1781; nothing could have been more appropriate.
Brown and the two others from Laufen were put in the same
room. They decided to trace other Freemasons in the camp, and enough were
identified to hold a meeting. Soon there were 20 brethren, including two
P.M.s, meeting weekly in the camp library, and a "lodge of instruction"
was formed. As they had no ritual at that time, the two P.M.s, assisted by
Bro. Brown, set out to prepare one from memory, each taking a portion,
writing it down and passing it to the other, doubts being settled by
discussion. At a later date this ritual was checked and very few
corrections were found necessary, truly a tribute to the P.M.s who
compiled it. It is now in the Leicester Provincial Museum.
These brethren commenced modestly with the opening and
closing ceremonies, moving on to degree work by stages. As they became
more proficient, so did the preparation of the book of ritual until they
were able to rehearse an initiation. The room was fairly large, so that
floorwork was possible, but in place of gavelling the left forearm was
struck. They continued their work until August, 1941, when they learned
that the camp was to be moved. They set off for Warburg, in Westphalia,
taking with them their handwritten ritual hidden in Brown's records, which
he carried in his capacity of camp postal officer. Warburg proved a
difficult camp in which to engage in any Masonic activity, due to the fact
that many huts were so constructed that words spoken in one room could be
heard in the next. There were also continuous security patrols. Brown
records that the most he and his companions could do was to learn parts of
the ritual privately, repeating them to one another as they walked about
during exercise.
In August, 1942, they were warned of another move which they
did not regret, except that they discovered the camp was to be split into
smaller groups. Fortunately, two Past Masters remained with the party sent
to Oflag VIIB at Eichstatt, which they reached in September. Once more the
ritual went with them concealed in Brown's postal records. After a few
weeks they settled down to a new camp routine and were able to resume
their former activities. Membership of the group fluctuated, but there
were always about 40 brethren in the camp, in all from ten different
Constitutions. To provide scope for as many brethren as possible they
divided into four "lodges", two working under the English Constitution,
one Scottish and one Australian. Meetings were held in the camp Dental
Surgery, but it was so small that floorwork was impossible. On two
occasions, when a larger room became available, full-scale demonstrations
of a degree and of an installation (except for the inner working) were
arranged, to which all brethren in the camp were invited.
Each of the "lodges" met monthly, except during the summer,
when suspicion would have been aroused if black- out had been placed over
the windows in daylight. Emblems were not used, but working tools were
made of cardboard for rapid destruction in an emergency. It was the
custom, amongst those working according to Australian rituals, during the
opening ceremonies for each officer to be asked not only his place and
duty in the lodge, but to describe his badge and what it represented.
After D-Day the brethren were too unsettled to concentrate
on memorizing the ritual and lectures were given instead. Before being
moved on by the retreating enemy a final gathering was arranged at
Eichstatt, at which a "greeting" to the Grand Master was prepared and
signed by 33 brethren. The document reads: "Greetings to the Most
Worshipful the Grand Master and Brethren of the United Grand Lodge of
England from the undersigned, on their return from captivity in Oflag
VIIB, Eichstatt, Bavaria, who, while in Germany, have endeavoured to make
a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge." It was bound, the cover bearing
the design depicting the columns, square and plumb-rule which had been
discovered on the marble trough in the courtyard of the Schloss at
Tirtmoning. Brown was able to retain the greeting, and on his return to
England it was duly despatched to the Grand Master, the Earl of Harewood,
who later presented it to the Grand Lodge, where it is displayed in the
Library.
SALZBURG (AUSTRIA) Am) SPANGENBURG (GERMANY)
The fourth chronicler of events in prisoner of war camps,
Bro. H. Wallwork, was captured in May, 1940, and sent to a Stalag on the
outskirts of Salzburg. He had with him two books, the New Testament and an
"Emulation" book of ritual, both of which, although examined, he was
allowed to retain. Although there was a fairly large number of brethren in
the Salzburg camp, there is no record of any singly co-ordinated group
formed to pursue Masonic study, but the fact that more than 30 copies were
taken from his ritual, or parts thereof, indicates that Masonry flourished
amongst the brethren incarcerated there. He notes that a number of
"lodges" were formed which met and practised regularly.
From Salzburg, Wallwork was sent to Warburg, but it seems
the brethren were unable to engage in any Masonic activity during the
three months he was there. His next move was to Spangenburg, near Kassel.
Here, a number of brethren discovered each other and a "lodge" was formed.
Meetings were held on Sunday afternoons in a room known as the School
room. The building itself was a small Schloss, and Wallwork used the dry,
disused moat surrounding it for rehearsing to himself the various parts of
the ritual allotted to him. He brethren followed the usual practice of
filling the offices progressively, the meetings being under the direction
of an expert brother. Working tools were fashioned from pieces of wood.
After a short absence, Wallwork returned to Spangenburg,
where he was able to continue his studies until November, 1944, when he
and a number of others were moved to Nordhausen, where a few brethren were
able to have occasional practices together. It was not long, however,
before another move was made, but Wallwork, fearing keener searches ahead,
left his book of ritual at Nordhausen in the care of a British officer.
Happily, soon after his return to England at the end of the war it was
returned to him, and it now lies in the Grand Lodge Museum. It bears a
number of signatures of his fellow Masonic prisoners and is a unique relic
of a Freemason's determination to make a daily advancement.
In addition to the Stalags at Warburg and Spangenburg,
Oflags were also established at each. Selby-Boothroyd, mentioned earlier,
was sent to the former, but it was some time before he discovered, because
of another casual remark, that a fellow prisoner in an adjacent bunk to
his was a Freemason. One other in the same room was also identified, who
was engaged on the task of drafting the opening and closing in the three
degrees. The three of them hoped to start working together, but
Selby-Boothroyd's companions were moved to the Oflag at Spangenburg, where
they met intermittently and did a little work.
WOLFSBURG (AUSTRIA) AND HOHENFELS
In the spring of 1942 a number of brethren in Stalag 18A at
Wolfsburg made themselves known to each other. By arrangement they first
met together at the gate of the British compound, where, on arrival, each
contributed one cigarette to a common "fund". The cigarettes collected,
about 40, were then used to bribe one of the guards at the point to allow
them to meet in one of some new huts in course of erection. In the hut
they elected four of their number, representing England, Scotland,
Australia and New Zealand, to form a committee to prove and test everyone
present. This was done. After a discussion on the possibility of forming a
Masonic group in the camp they dispersed, having achieved their purpose
and becoming known to one another as members of the Craft. The next
meeting was held in a medical inspection room by arrangement with a
British doctor, a Freemason. It was then agreed to attempt the compilation
of a book of ritual to cover the first degree and then to conduct meetings
as a "lodge of instruction", but sitting round a table because of the
impossibility of blacking out windows in daytime. After five or six
meetings the camp was split up and transferred to other camps, thus
putting an end to the group.
The bulk of the members were, fortunately, kept together,
and towards the end of 1942 were sent to Stalag 383 at Hohenfels. Here
they re-formed, calling themselves the International Group, consisting
ultimately of 23 brethren of the English Constitution, two Irish, 29
Scottish, 24 from four Australian Constitutions and four others. Only one
was a Past Master. Meetings, at which there was an average attendance of
60, were held monthly on Saturday evenings in a former stable, then
converted into a library and study room. To ensure as much warning and
delay as possible in surprise visits by the guards, the I.G. placed his
chair against the door, and so enabled the brethren to appear to be doing
something quite different. At meetings the V.S.L. was opened, minutes were
kept and read, and "accounts" presented. Subscriptions were paid in
cigarettes, and the "accounts" were records of their receipt and of
disbursement, which included the purchase of cups of tea provided at each
meeting - the "cups" consisted mainly of odd pots and corned-beef tins.
Hot water being available at certain times, a bugle was sounded and the
Stewards of the "lodge" then retired to draw it for tea-making. Surplus
cigarettes were placed in a "Charity Fund" administered by two Charity
Representatives, who undertook welfare work, including visiting the sick
in hospital. The minute book covers the period 28th October, 1943, to the
23rd March, 1945, and records 16 meetings, but the group first met in
about March, 1943. This book, together with the account books and other
relics, were carefully preserved by Bro. J. E. Mallory, Secretary of the
group from March, 1944, and they are now deposited in the Grand Lodge
Library. Bro. Payne, a member of the group both in Stalag 18B and Stalag
383, has also compiled notes on its formation and work, so that its
activities are well recorded.
In addition to rehearsals, which were not minuted, talks
were given on various topics of general interest. At refreshment after
meetings, during which the normal toasts were drunk in tea, the brethren
took turns at providing entertainment. At the Christmas, 1943, meeting,
Dickens' "Christmas Carol" was produced, followed by musical
entertainment; a copy of the programme is in Grand Lodge. The summons for
this meeting included an appeal for contributions to "Christmas Stockings"
for members in hospital. The list of contributions reveals an amazing
variety of items which must have been regarded as treasures by the donors
- razor blades a mouth organ, a vest, socks, toothbrushes, cigarettes and
many other items. The following Christmas entertainment included Dorothy
Sayers' Nativity play, "Kings in Judaea".
The activities of the group ended with the dispersal of the
camp in April, 1945.
BIBERACH (SOUTH GERMANY)
An Oflag (No. VB) was established in the town of Biberach,
and it is known that brethren amongst the prisoners were able to hold
regular meetings, but apart from the fact that one of them possessed a
printed ritual, few details of their activities are available.
One correspondent does, however, recall that some English, Australian and
New Zealand brethren met on one occasion in an unoccupied room. An English
Past Master occupied the chair and, after ensuring the security of the
meeting, a discussion took place on the ceremony of the first degree as
performed by the different Constitutions represented by the brethren
present. Although the experiment does not seem to have been repeated, the
meeting, in the words of the correspondent, "afterwards proved to be
responsible for an improvement in morale, as each one knew there was
somebody to whom he could go and discuss the various problems that did
crop up during our prison life".
ITALY
There is some evidence that brethren imprisoned in Italian
camps were able to identify one another and to meet from time to time. An
informant, Bro. B. H. Gordon, recalled that at Viano there was an active
group of Freemasons of about 20 who were able to hold a certain number of
meetings in the library of a building formerly used as a Priests' rest
house. One of the brethren fashioned the regalia and tools, which, when
not in use, were hidden in a cavity behind an overmantel; they may be
still hidden there. This hiding place was easily accessible for disposal
regalia, etc., in case of an alarm, when, as was usual in prisoners'
camps, the occupants of the room would be found merely reading or engaged
on some quite innocuous pursuit. This was a drill rehearsed many times
until it was perfected.
The flourishing Lodge of Improvement at Brunswick, to which
reference has already been made, had its beginnings firstly in Italy and
later at Mahrisch Trubau. The brethren concerned, numbering about 40, had
originally met in Chieti, Italy, whence they were transferred after the
fall of Mussolini. At the time of their removal from Italy they had been rehearsing the
opening and closing ceremonies and the initiation, indicating that the
time spent in Italy had been well used.
Bro. Brown recounts that at Eichstatt, after D-Day, the
brethren were unable to concentrate on memorizing the ritual, so that
lectures were given instead, one of which, he recalls, was devoted to
Masonic work carried on in prisoner of war camps in Italy, given by a
brother who had been imprisoned there. He told them that "supervision by
the enemy authorities had been less severe and proper working tools had
been made, and most meetings had finished up with a festive board, if it
could be so called". Nothing else is recorded of these activities.
The strictness of supervision in Italian camps must have
varied considerably. The lecturer referred to by Bro. Brown mentioned that
it was "less severe", but at Viano there were constant searches of
officers' personal belongings. Searches were very thorough and were made
at all times.
So ends the summary of Masonic activity among brethren
prisoners of war in German and Italian hands from 1940 to 1945. It is
necessarily an incomplete record and does not do justice to the courage of
these men.
back to top
Part III: SECOND WORLD WAR-FAR EAST
What of our brethren in the Far East imprisoned or interned
by the Japanese from 1942 onwards? Fortunately, the Masonic activities of
some of these brethren in captivity are fairly well documented. A number
of accounts have been written, but some of the periodicals in which they appear, particularly The
Pentagram, are not widely available, and I propose, therefore, to quote
them fairly freely.
At the fall of Singapore many brethren were among those
interned as civilian or captured as members of the Armed Forces. Both
categories were imprisoned in the notorious Changi Prison Camp, which was
spread over a large area and which included the Changi gaol. Civilians
were interned in the gaol, whilst Service prisoners were incarcerated in
the surrounding camp, itself divided into a number of separate camps.
Communication between the gaol and the camp and between the separate areas
therein was difficult and at most times impossible. It is known that the
internees numbered some 3,000 persons, of whom approximately 250 were
Freemasons. Service personnel number 55,000. In this account I propose to mention the
activities of the civilian brethren first and the Service brethren
afterwards.
SINGAPORE - CHANGI GAOL (CIVILIANS)
Amongst the internees was W.Bro. Baldwyn Lowick, Deputy
District G.M., Eastern Archipelago, to whom the District Grand Master had
handed full authority because of his own illness. One of Bro. Lowick's
first activities was to obtain accounts of the last regular meetings of
each Lodge before internment, so as to preserve some record of continuity
of the District Grand Lodge and its constituent Lodges. So far as possible
accounts were written from memory, not, of course, always reliable, and
the Deputy D.G.M. spent much time in checking the information.
Early in the days of internment Bro. Lowick intimated that,
so far as conditions permitted, Lodges should continue to hold meetings,
it being his intention to maintain the spirit of Freemasonry and the
continuity of lodge history. Meetings were to be for the transaction of
business; no one was to be initiated during internment. It was found that
lodges were so well represented numerically that he issued dispensations
for them to meet as lodges in the camp. Altogether he granted no less than
42 dispensations to hold regular meetings, and to hold them without
regalia, exhibited warrants or lodge furniture. The texts of the
dispensations and a list of those issued are set out in The Pentagram of
1947 (p. 7). "Lodges met with fair regularity", the record tells us, "in
order to carry out essential business as the confirmation of minutes,
consideration of approximate statement of accounts, whereabouts of Lodge
furniture, regalia and such-like matters; looking forward always to the
day of release in the unknown future and the resumption of normal Masonic
activities in the world of freedom. Some Lodges were in a position to
elect Masters in the accepted succession. Of these, Lodge St. George,
Singapore, the strongest Lodge numerically of the camp, was the most
fortunate and was able to hand on the succession of the Chair in regular
order. But in the case of a number of Lodges, this was impossible by
reason of inadequate representation in the camp." Brief accounts of their
proceedings are also included in the same volume (ibid., pp. 14-19).
Wherever possible, minutes were typewritten on foolscap paper. One of the
Lodge Secretaries (W.Bro. R.W. Stainforth) recalls that, after typing, the
sheets were torn carefully across and stuck on a nail to resemble scrap or
toilet paper. After liberation he repaired the sheets and pasted them in
his Lodge minute book.
Secrecy was the main problem. A committee of brethren met to
consider the matter, and it was decided to hold meetings in a dispensary,
a room about the size of the prison cells. The Pentagram, 1947, reports:
"Here, in a lodge room, surrounded by shelves bearing drugs, medical
books, balances and all the evidence of the medical art, the first
meetings of the Lodges were held. Ventilation was adequate for two or
three persons; most inadequate for 20 Lodge members. All familiar signs
were lacking, except, of course, the V.S.L. Lodge furniture there was
none, regalia there was none. Voices were hushed. Outside the door stood a
tyler more vigilant than ever before, and supported by a string of
assistant tylers picketed at intervals . . . each in possession of a
preconcerted signal to give warning of Japanese Cowans and intruders."
Subsequent meetings were held in another dispensary and later in the camp
library. One meeting was held in a cell measuring 13ft. by 7ft. Meetings
continued fairly regularly until the "ill-omened Double Tenth", 1943.
After that date the camp languished under a harsh and vigilant
Gestapo-type supervision for many months and it was impossible to risk the
holding of meetings. Freemasonry then went underground, but, to quote The
Pentagram "it lived on in the hearts of the members of the Craft". At this time Bro.
Lowick, looking to the future, checked the whereabouts of Masonic
documents in the camp, keeping many himself and ready to assume
responsibility in the event of trouble. "When the camp was moved from
Changi Prison to Sime Road, the Gestapo supervision was relaxed. But the
open nature of the site of the camp, the crowd of internees, now increased
in number to something like 5,000, and the impossibility of finding any
privacy in the huts made it extremely difficult to hold regular meetings;
a scanty score of rituals passed surreptitiously from hand to hand."
One brother conducted a small but efficient Lodge of Instruction in front
of a hut every Tuesday night, and similar study groups were organized in
various parts of the camp. Incredible though it may seem, "a shadow
headquarters" was established and, at Bro. Lowick's instigation, a
"convocation" of the District Grand Lodge was held, at which a Masonic
policy to be followed on deliverance was determined.
To assist in the identification of brethren, typewritten
certificates were issued reading:
"Bro ... having lost or destroyed his Grand Lodge
Certificate during the enemy occupation of Malaya, is hereby certified to
be a qualified member of Lodge .. No. .. on the Roll of the United Grand
Lodge of England." They were signed by the Master, Wardens and Secretary
of the Lodge and by the member concerned, and countersigned. as
"Confirmed, B. Lowick, D.G.L.E.A." Looking back, it would seem that the
possession of such a document might have proved a great danger to the
holder should it have been discovered by the Japanese authorities.
In addition to meetings of Craft Lodges, five R.A. Chapters
and three Mark Lodges held meetings from time to time. A list of
dispensations issued and a brief account of their proceedings is also to
be found in The Pentagram of 1947.
SINGAPORE - CHANGI CAMP (P.O.W.)
In the military area of Changi a meeting of imprisoned
brethren was held as early as June 8th, 1942, at which 45 were present,
and which was presided over by W.Bro. H. W. Wylie, P.G.D. of England and a
Past Assistant District Grand Master, who, ever since the arrival of
prisoners in Changi, had had in mind the desirability of holding Masonic
meetings of some kind. Anxious not to bring the Craft into disrepute, he,
with two other officers of the District Grand Lodge, approached the
British Commandant, Lieut.-General A. E. Percival, on the matter. The
General, though not a Mason, was most sympathetic and helpful, and
promised to consult area commanders in the camp and the Japanese
authorities. Assurances were given to the General that meetings would be
confined strictly to Masonic business among existing Freemasons, and that
no attempt would be made to initiate candidates, etc. Area Commanders
agreed, but the Japanese stated that the matter must be referred to higher
authority and, finally, to Tokyo. No answer was received from the
Japanese, and the General, in the absence of a direct negative, decided
that the brethren might carry on in a discreet manner.
General Percival's ready encouragement is evident from a letter written by
Bro. Wylie to another Masonic organization
(to which reference will be made later). He quotes the General as saying
that the project "supplied yet another means of preventing the
deterioration of character and morale which began to show itself in some
parts of the large camp, at any rate, in the early stages", and "anything
which will assist in the preservation of the discipline for which, I
believe, your Craft is universally noted, will undoubtedly prove valuable
to me in the enormous difficulties I see already arising". When the
General was later sent to Japan, his successor, Bro. Lt.- Col. E. Holmes,
gave equal encouragement to the brethren, duly acknowledged by the Grand
Secretary, who, after the war, sent him a letter of thanks.
At this first meeting, Bro. Wylie, anxious not to contravene
the Constitution, decided that, under the Patent of his office, he was
prepared to grant authority for meetings for the purpose of practising
ritual and lectures. There were two Preceptors of the Lodge of Instruction
attached to Lodge St. George, No. 1152, Singapore, as well as several
members of the Lodge, among the prisoners. To these two brethren, Bro.
Wylie issued a Dispensation under which the place of meeting was changed
to Changi, and meetings were arranged accordingly. Nights were specially set aside
for various separate Lodges of Instruction to meet, at which Preceptors
were provided and records kept by the Past Masters of Lodge St. George.
Meetings were held in a room, in a building used for educational purposes,
containing a number of desks and benches which were used to represent
seating in a regular lodge. When it was later placed out of bounds, meetings
were held in the Church of England Chapel, a much larger building. R.W.Bro.
E. G. Holiday records that "lights were successfully represented by candles and that
the working tools were obtained from school boxes of mathematical instruments. Later
on these were replaced by excellent pieces of craftsmanship in aluminium
by brethren who were skilled artificers in metal. Suitably mounted wands
were also constructed for the Deacons; tracing boards were skilfully
designed so that, but for the absence of Masonic clothing, the Lodge could
be considered to be reasonably furnished".
Weekly meetings were held and degrees were practised in
English, Scottish and Irish workings. At first the only lighting was
provided by rags in cigarette tins containing oil surreptitiously obtained
from Japanese lorries, etc. Preparations were always made to convert the
meetings into something of a different nature in case of surprise. Tylers
were placed at strategic points, and Bro. Wylie tells us that on one
occasion there were four rings of six each, i.e., 24 tylers for one
meeting! Attendances rose from about 50 to over 100 and parties from the
"Australian area" of the camp also joined in. Towards the end of 1942,
large parties of prisoners in this particular area of the camp were being
moved to Siam to work on the infamous railway and it was realized that
meetings would have to end. Minute books and working tools were buried in
a tin box by Bro. Holiday, but, unfortunately, they were never regained,
as by chance the building near which the tin was buried was levelled off
and a new structure erected on the site. The Grand Lodge possesses a
certified copy of the minutes of the first meeting of these brethren,
including Bro. Wylie's Dispensation, and some copies of his correspondence
and other papers. One letter, the original, is to the Lodge of St. George Lodge of
Instruction and is indicative of his concern for the preservation of the
niceties of the Craft. News of the death of the M.W. Grand Master, H.R.H.
the Duke of Kent, in August, 1942, having reached him, he forthwith
directed that members of the Lodge should observe Masonic mourning for
three months.
With the functioning of this Lodge of Instruction a curious
state of affairs existed. In the civilian gaol the Lodge itself was
working under the authority of Bro. Lowick, the Dep.D.G.M. In the military
area of the camp its Lodge of Instruction was working under the authority
of Bro. Wylie, a P.A.D.G.M., each unaware of the other's activities.
Soon after the meetings held under the auspices of the Lodge
of St. George came to an end, some British and Australian brethren in
another part of the camp called a meeting, held on December 18th, 1942, in
an Officers' Mess lecture-room in the Roberts Hospital, Changi. The Chair
was taken by Bro. F.C. Stuart (No. 392, Victoria Const.), and the meeting
commenced with an address by Bro. L.J. Kingston (No. 1118, E.C.), who
outlined proposals for the formation of an Association. As a result, the
Prisoners of War Masonic Association was formed, Bro. Stuart being elected
Chairman, and Bro. Kingston, Secretary. A Treasurer and an Executive
Committee of four brethren from the Victoria, Queensland and English
Constitutions were also appointed. W.Bro. Lt.-Col. H. S. Ling took a prominent part in the formation of the Association and its activities, of which he has written an account.
Subsequent meetings are described as meetings of the
Association, but they were conducted as Lodges, with a Worshipful Master
and Officers. There was no "official" sanction for these meetings, as was
obtained in the case of the Lodge of St. George Lodge of Instruction
activities, which were approved by Bro. Wylie in his capacity as an
Officer of both the United Grand Lodge of England and the District Grand
Lodge. It was not long, however, before the Association teamed of his
presence in the camp, and the Executive Committee took immediate steps to
communicate with him by letter, dated February 15th, 1943, in
which he was informed of the Association's formation. The letter
concluded: "As the English Constitution has always been recognized as
having paramount power throughout Malaya, and in the absence of the
District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern
Archipelago, his Deputy or Assistant, in this camp, it is our desire as a
matter of courtesy to inform you of our action; and we hope that you will
approve thereof, and that both you and all Brothers of your Constitution
will support the Association and join in its assemblies." Bro. Wylie
replied: "I have felt all along the necessity, and indeed moral
obligation, to avoid contravention of those excellent rules governing the
Craft as much as possible and endeavour to restrict such error to the
absolute minimum. This object has, I feel, been attained and, with a
perfectly clear conscience, am in a position to approve my brethren
embracing such opportunities as your Association offers to any extent that
you are prepared to allow them." Thus did the meetings receive some official sanction.
Meetings were held with the full knowledge and approval of
the Commander, and were subject to the following conditions: -
1. That there should be no discussion of political or
military matters.
2. That all discussion of the conditions of prisoners of war
in the camp were prohibited.
3. That reasonable precautions usually observed by
Freemasons should be adopted and maintained, to prevent surprise
interruption of a meeting.
4. That the President of the Association or other authorized
officer should be responsible to the Commander for the fulfilment of these
conditions.
Although the United Grand Lodge of England was recognized as
the paramount Masonic authority in Malaya, it was intended that the
Association should be organized under the Constitution of Victoria,
Australia. It had been agreed that regular meetings should be held at which Masonic
ritual would be carried out in an exemplary style, with correctness in
detail, and that rituals of the various Constitutions (represented by
members of the Association) would, if circumstances permitted, be worked
in turn. In June, 1943, the Association asked Bro. Wylie for a
"testimonial" upon the standard of its labours.
Bro. Wylie was, naturally, diffident in expressing an opinion on the work
carried out by teams using rituals of Constitutions of which he had had
little or no experience, but "as far as I have been able to judge", he
replied, "those conversant with these rituals have been quite satisfied
with the renderings of them, and to me the earnestness with which the work
has been performed is a sure sign that no effort has been spared to make
the meetings compare very favourably with the usual ceremonies of their
kind. All the English workings have been of a high standard, in fact
excellent, especially when one takes into consideration the lack of
rituals and experienced Preceptors".
The inaugural meeting was attended by 47 brethren from 11
Constitutions. Membership rapidly increased and later meetings saw
attendances of members and visitors numbering 116, 149, 169 and 133. On
two occasions elections to membership numbered no fewer than 30. Meetings
were generally held in the Garrison Church, but, with the various changes
in camp accommodation, other places were found. One building used was a
former petrol station with open sides. These the brethren filled in with
screens of palm leaves and attap fronds. Although it was fairly isolated,
Bro. Wylie felt that it was not secure enough for the practise of ritual
and decreed that only lectures and talks should be given during the time
they used it. The brethren met fairly regularly, but one meeting "had to
be cancelled owing to the uncertain circumstances then prevailing" -- one
can imagine the reason as expressed was something of an understatement!
Bro. Ling records:
"Great care was taken to prove each unknown Mason. The brethren drifted in
to the meeting in ones and twos without attracting too much attention.
Just inside the entrance an Assistant D.C., who was deputed on each
separate occasion to obtain on a list the signatures and names of the
Lodges of the brethren attending. Before attending the first meeting,
those of us who had formed the society proved each other; then as each new
member came along he would be proved by a P.M. of the Constitution to
which he belonged, and his name then added to the list. By this
arrangement no one was admitted without being proved unless his name was
already on the list, and we were able thus to ensure that no unauthorized
person gained admission."
Punctiliousness in behaviour and obedience to the
Constitutions was always observed and, on one occasion, amply demonstrated
when it was discovered that a visitor to a meeting had been "initiated" by
a foreign "field lodge" in the camp. The matter was considered by the
Executive Committee and it was decided that the facts should be reported
to Bro. Wylie. It was found that the brethren of this other jurisdiction
had held a meeting within the camp area at which an "initiation" had been
performed without informing Bro. Wylie - a fact which they considered
distinctly discourteous, irrespective of the validity of the proceedings.
The Committee felt that in dealing with a matter concerning a Grand Lodge
in amity with the United Grand Lodge of England, "vision of a wide scope
was needed". Bro. Wylie, after consultation with a legal brother, offered
his guidance to the Committee. As a result, the Committee informed the
gentleman concerned that, pending the regularization of his initiation, he
must consider himself debarred from attendance at meetings of the
Association.
The three degrees were regularly demonstrated in accordance
with the several Constitutions represented, or else lectures on a variety
of Masonic and other subjects were delivered, or the T.B.s were explained.
Officers were changed at each meeting, so that members of the different
Constitutions each took their turn.
Minutes were first prepared in duplicate, one copy being
intended for Grand Lodge. Later it is recorded that "in order to safeguard
the records . . . from possible mishap or adventure, due to matters
international . . . two further copies . . . would, as a precautionary
measure, be deposited with certain of the brethren for safe custody ".
The subscription was provisionally fixed at 10 cents per
month (later reduced to 5 cents) and the Treasurer regularly reported on
the state of the funds. On one occasion it was decided that no
subscriptions should be payable by brethren for periods of stay in
hospital or "up country" - the implication of this expression leaves
little to the imagination! On another occasion the members stood in
silence to the memory of those who did not return from "up country".
Charity was not forgotten. Cigarettes were regularly
purchased out of the prisoners' all-too-meagre cash allowance for
distribution to those in hospital, such gifts being particularly welcome
to the troops who, when sick and unable to work, received no pay from the
Japanese. When the supply of drugs gave out, the suffering of those in
hospital went unrelieved and the brethren did as much as possible for them
all, Masons and non-Masons alike. Many of the patients were without
friends or were the only remaining members of their regiments, or were
otherwise in need of what Bro. Wylie describes as "mental strength". Even
when cigarettes were no longer available and other gifts impossible,
regular visits to the hospital continued to the end. In December, 1943, a
donation to the Christmas Toy Fund for Children interned in the gaol was
made.
Candlesticks were salvaged from the ruins of a bombed
church; two ashlars were fashioned working tools improvised; and deacons'
wands were made, each being surmounted by the appropriate emblems made
from aluminium taken from a wrecked aircraft. A first degree T.B. was
"artistically
99999 prepared and presented by Capt. C. Pickersgill, No.
1230, E.C., now, unfortunately, up country ". Mention is made elsewhere of
a second T.B. drawn and painted by a skilful artist who later lost his
life on the railway.
Meetings opened and closed with the usual odes, and
occasionally some light refreshment was provided, which must have been "
light " indeed. Bro. Ling records: " It was possible at certain times . .
. to bring coffee from the Japanese-run canteens, and from the small
subscriptions which were collected . . . it was decided to hold one
festive evening. So with black coffee and rice biscuits we made merry,
gave toasts and made speeches."
On the 18th December, 1943, an anniversary meeting was held, when 122
members and visiting brethren attended. It was followed by refreshments,
for which the brethren had previously been asked to bring small cups. The
usual toasts were drunk and a musical interlude, consisting of songs, was
arranged. Any surplus food left over from the "banquet" was sent to the
brethren in hospital.
It is of interest to mention here that, occasionally, books
were sent into the camp by the Red Cross, amongst which were some on
ancient Freemasonry and King Solomon's Temple. They had been looted from
Freemasons' Hall, Singapore, and sent to the general library from which
the Red Cross were permitted to take books for prisoners. By this
extraordinary chance did a few Masonic works reach the brethren.
In May, 1944, the tide was turning against the enemy, and
life in Changi was, in consequence, made increasingly difficult for the
prisoners. The minute of the last meeting of the Association mentions the
reorganization of the camp and the consequent move and segregation of
officers and men and of the hospital, resulting in the suspension of
regular meetings. In any case, to have continued would have involved too
great a risk, as discovery would certainly have meant unnecessary
suffering and, perhaps, the sacrifice of lives.
Bro. Wylie records that, towards the end of 1943, a brother was brought
into the Camp Hospital in a most dreadful condition. He had been sentenced to four
years' imprisonment in the infamous Outram Road Gaol, Singapore. At the
time of his arrest a Masonic ritual was found amongst his effects, which
resulted in terrible beatings and other cruelties. Bro. Wylie stood at his
bedside and caught a whispered warning advising immediate cessation of
Masonic activities, for "they" are starting an intensive investigation.
Bro. Wylie interviewed the senior officers of the British and Australian
troops, both Freemasons, and received official sanction and approval to
issue an order to the Association to close down immediately.
In a letter of thanks to Lt.-Col. Holmes, dated 17th August,
1945, Bro. Wylie said: "Possibly more so than most others, I appreciate
very deeply the very real personal responsibility and risk attached to our
activities which you assumed on our behalf when Lt.-Gen. Percival left for
Taiwan. That the risk was real was evident on the return to the camp of
Major S. [probably the brother mentioned above] when we both realized the
extreme hate and suspicion with which our 'hosts' regarded us and his
experiences, which resulted in your unqualified approval of my request to
suspend Masonic activities of any kind indefinitely."
Over a period of 17 months, 21 meetings of the Association
were held, the last being on the 4th May, 1944. The minutes of this
meeting record that: " There being no further business, the closing Prayer
was given and the Lodge closed. The brethren departing in Harmony at 6
p.m. - being sorrowful at the thought that they had, perhaps, attended the
last Regular Meeting of the Association; yet mindful of the blessing of
the G.A.U. Who had allowed us to have, during this period of stress,
strain and anxiety, so many happy evenings together, reviving the Spirit
of the Craft, and sharing mutually in the benefits and joys of its
message."
This is, perhaps, a fitting epitaph for so noble an
endeavour, but a further testimony of the great part which Freemasonry
played in sustaining the brethren was written by Bro. Wylie.
"The peace and tranquility of those meetings", he says,
"stood out in great contrast against the turmoil and irritations of the
day. Although it was very hot, and most of the time all of us were in
rags, ill, hungry, tired and dirty, yet it was possible during these
meetings almost completely to forget the normal conditions of our lives as
prisoners of war. To sit quietly among proven friends and listen to the
Ceremonies took one's thought very far from a prison camp and lifted the
mind above the reach of petty annoyances, restored one's balance and
demonstrated the possibility of the victory of mind over matter, a very
important factor at such a time.
Little help could come to us from outside; many died from
malaria and dysentery: many were sick from beri-beri, and as drugs were
not available it was important than mental strength was maintained, and in
that sense a great work was done. Indeed, the Craft fully justified its
existence thereby, and many who survived owed it to the love and care of
some Brother, and without discrimination, whether he was a Mason or not."
There was at least one other organized gathering of brethren
in Changi - the Southern Area Masonic Group, about which little is
recorded. In fact, the only information available is the occasional
reference to the Group in the minutes of the P.O.W. Masonic Association.
On the 22nd February, 1943, the hope was expressed that additional
meetings might be arranged to give Masons in the Southern Area the
opportunity of participating in Masonic work. Arrangements were, in fact,
made for the Group to attend a meeting on the 12th April, when its team
gave a practice rendering of the initiation ceremony in accordance with
the Revised Ritual. Finally, at the last meeting of the Association,
reference is made to the "funds" of the late Southern Area Masonic Group,
to which the Association had succeeded on the winding up of the former
body.
According to a short note on the Changi activities in a
Bulletin of the A.I.F. Memorial Lodge, "daughter" associations of the main
P.O.W. Association sprung up in other parts of the camp, working on the
same lines under a controlling body known as " Headquarters (H.Q.)",
consisting of five Australian and five British brethren. In addition,
there were a number of unofficial gatherings of brethren in Changi which
caused Bro. Wylie grave anxiety. Many brethren, keen to continue some kind
of Masonic activity, gave little thought to the dangers. Copies of the
ritual were being made, but the mere possession of a ritual involved the
risk of death. Wylie, with his wide knowledge of Far Eastern affairs and
of Masonry in that part of the world, together with certain experiences in
the Volunteer Forces, knew the dangers, not only to those inside the camp,
but to the Asian brethren outside.
The striking of a commemorative medallion was considered by
the Association and a design submitted by Bro. Ling was approved, the
intention being to seek approval of the United Grand Lodge of England and
of the 12 Grand Lodges and 400 Lodges whose members took part in the
proceedings of the Association. The medallion was to consist of a blue enamel circle
bearing the words "Changi P.O.W. Masonic Association", with a replica of the Changi tree in
the centre and the motto, "Dissectus non Mortuus", to symbolize that,
during the time of captivity, the members were broken but not dead. It
should be explained that in the centre of the Changi area was a hill, on
the top of which grew a large, isolated tree. The top of the tree had been
blown off in battle. Bro. Ling describes the immense trunk as resembling a
large artificial pillar. It dominated the camp and became known as the
"Changi tree", and was a focal point of the early meetings of the
Association. It is not known how far the project proceeded.
SINGAPORE-RIVER VALLEY ROAD MASONIC CLUB
Another small body about which little is known was the River
Valley Road (Singapore) P.O.W. Masonic Club.
It was formed by 25 zealous Master Masons to continue and promote the
tenets of Freemasonry during the period at River Valley Road Camp. It was
named a "club" because none of the members had any power to grant a
Dispensation to enable it to function in any other way. It met once a
week, when lectures were given and the ceremonies practised. A roll of
members, prepared by Bro. Pickersgill, survived and is preserved in the
Masonic Temple, Singapore. A photographic copy of the roll (supplied by
the Grand Lodge of Scotland) is in the Grand Lodge Library. It bears the
names of fourteen brethren of the English Constitution, five Irish, one
Scottish and five Australian. It is sadly reported that the majority of
the members died whilst working on the infamous Burma/Siam railway.
Memorial Service., September, 1945.
The Masonic activities of the Singapore prisoners finally
terminated with a memorial service at St. David's Church, Sime Road
Internment Camp, on the 2nd September, 1945, in memory of those who died
between February, 1942, and August, 1945. During the service their names
were read. An account of the service, which was attended by 180 brethren,
is given in The Pentagram, 1947 (pp. 32-35).
SIAM
Mention has been made above to the ending of activities by
Lodge St. George (working under Bro. Wylie's Dispensation) because of the
removal of prisoners from Changi to Siam to work on the notorious railway.
Bro. Holiday recorded something of the activities of the brethren in Siam, where they were
dispersed in small groups. It was not until 1944, the railway having been
completed, that they were formed into large concentrations, but
overcrowding was so great, and Japanese objections to meetings and
lectures so pronounced, that it was only possible for the brethren to hold
talks in small groups in the open. At Tamung, however, on New Year's Day,
1945, some 60 to 70 brethren were able to meet, and were afterwards served
with rice cakes and coffee, in which they drank the Loyal toast. On August
22nd, after the Japanese surrender, an untyled meeting was held at Nekom
Chai, attended by some 50 brethren from a number of Constitutions. All
were in rags and the only Masonic ornament was the V.S.L.
SUMATRA
Some information concerning the brethren interned in Sumatra
is recorded by Bro. Hasselhuhn in The Pentagram, 1958,
who recounts that, after the fall of Singapore, about 1,000 evacuees from
Malaya were herded together at Muntok, on Banka Island, Sumatra. In the
camp a number of Masonic friends met and agreed that it might be of future
interest to prepare a list of them. Two lists were made, one containing
names and the other their ranks and the Lodges to which they belonged, so
that if they were discovered one list would appear to have no connection
with the other. The brethren agreed that it would not be proper to carry
on Masonic activity without authority, there being no one among them of
sufficiently high rank to give any Dispensation to hold meetings.
"Nevertheless", it is noted, "the principles of the Craft, as much as
possible, were practised outside the lodge." The number of brethren
signifying their wish to be recorded on the list reached 57 out of a total
of only 197 British internees. Out of this figure of 57, only 16 (together
with five Dutch brethren) remained alive at the end of their ordeal.
HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI
There is evidence of some activity amongst brethren of the
Hong Kong and South China Lodges whilst prisoners in the Stanley
Internment Camp and the military camp at Shamshuipo, Hong Kong. The
District Grand Secretary, reporting to Grand Lodge in 1948.
mentioned that Minutes of Lodges which were rehabilitated soon after the
end of the war contain references to "unofficial meetings held in Stanley
by the different Lodges". (These Lodge minutes are not accessible to me in
London.) He also reported that:-
"Being the Officer Commanding the Hongkong Volunteer Defence
Corps, I was a prisoner in a military camp at Shamshuipo, so none of those
who were mobilized could take part in these meetings in the strictly
civilian camp of Stanley. I was, however, able to hold a Lodge of
Instruction, as a Preceptor, for the first four months of our captivity.
After that we were separated from our men and put into a punishment camp,
where we had no room to move, and absolutely no privacy or possibility of
conducting meetings."
More precise information concerning one Lodge - Zetland, No.
525 - is on record. In the Stanley camp a meeting of members of the Lodge was held
on December 1st, 1942, with 28 present. A year later, on December 7th, 1943, another
meeting was held (in the open, because of the danger of assembling in a
room), when 10 were present. Another year elapsed before the next meeting,
on December 5th, 1944, when only five members could be mustered because,
at that time, few of the brethren were fit enough to walk the
comparatively Ion distance to the place of meeting.
In the Shanghai theatre, two camps for civilian prisoners
were set up - one in Haiphong Road, Shanghai, and another, Fengtai, about
four miles outside Pekin. There was also a Services' prison camp just
outside Shanghai. Bro. Dr. S. D. Sturton records that there
were a number of brethren of his Lodge, Tuscan, No. 1027 (now
the Shanghai Tuscan Lodge), imprisoned in the Haiphong Road camp, but it
proved impossible for them to arrange any organized Masonic activity. He
recollects that there were altogether about 110 Freemasons of various
jurisdictions - English, Irish, Scottish, Massachusetts and the
Philippines - and a few Masonic gatherings were arranged. Brethren
included District Grand Officers of the five Constitutions represented.
Sturton was present on one occasion when the Philippine brethren
"entertained" the District Grand Officers of other jurisdictions in
celebration of the liberation of Manila.
Although supervision was strict in the Shanghai camps, the
brethren were left alone and were not, with two known exceptions,
subjected to torture. Unhappily, two brethren were tortured, however,
during questioning in the Gendarmerie, the Japanese "Gestapo"
headquarters. Interrogation of brethren was most searching, and was
conducted, oddly enough, in the presence of a Japanese woman who had a
most intimate knowledge of Freemasonry.
No more is known of activities of the brethren imprisoned in
these theatres of war.
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