ABSTRACT
The existence of Masonic material culture associated with the Great War and its aftermath may surprise many. It becomes more understandable when the nature of English freemasonry is considered, namely that it is a male-only order, and is traditionally strong in members from the public services and the military. Here, I will draw mainly from the resources at my immediate disposal – those of the United Grand Lodge of England, whose headquarters, museum and library are situated in the heart of London’s Covent Garden (Hamill 1994: 64–5). It should be stressed that freemasonry is an international movement, with most of the participant nations of the First World War having one or several Masonic Grand Lodges.
