Current Military Lodges

The Grand Lodge of Scotland lists 4 Lodges with military titles, but these are not longer truly Military Lodges. The most recent being Lodge Kajaki No. 1848 which appeared in Cross Keys April 2018. In England, the Circuit of Service Lodges, formed in 1993 and currently comprising 42 Lodges, exists to promote comradeship and fraternal contact between military masons. To qualify as a member of the circuit a lodge must have a distinguishable military culture and ethos.

Initially 32 lodges joined. Three further lodges joined the Circuit, Rosemary Lodge. No 2851, originally the lodge of the Artists Rifles (later 21 SAS TA) and later drawing its membership from Special Forces; Pegasus Forces Lodge, No 9393, an Airborne Forces lodge based in Hampshire; and Brothers in Arms No 9540, a lodge based on Salisbury Plain. The list of member lodges reached ten with the addition of United Services Lodge, No 9605, based in Bridgend, South Wales and the Circuit grew to thirty eight. Victoria Rifles Lodge, No 822, was rescued when on the point of handing in its warrant by a group of Past Masters from military Lodges. It has since been recognised as an Installed Masters’ Lodge and is a genuinely all-Service forum in which the members and their guests spend time in perfect peace and harmony.

The more recent additions are White Ensign Lodge on the outskirts of Birmingham; In Arduis Fidelis, members of which are from the RAMC and Army Medical Services; Gostling Murray Lodge, named after Lt Col Gostling Murray who at the time commanded the 8th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (in 1912 the Lodge became 'open' to officers of any Branch of His Majesty's forces); Aldershot Army & Navy Lodge; East Lancashire Centurion Lodge; United Service Lodge of Derbyshire, Queensman Lodge, which took on the warrant of Justinian Lodge in May 2012, the newly formed Armed Forces Lodge in Newport, Gwent, Connaught Army & Navy Lodge, Comrades Lodge from London, the Reserve Forces Lodge of Northumbria, London Irish Rifles' Lodge, the new Combined Services Lodge in Berkshire, Aldershot Royal Engineers, Parachute Regiment Lodge, Middlesex Armed Forces Lodge, Bloomsbury Rifles, Pro Patria Lodge, Invictus, London Scottish Rifles, Tudor Rose, Royal Rose, London Rifle Brigade, Shropshire Combined Services and the most recent addition, Marine Lodge in Bristol.

The Circuit participates as a platoon in the annual march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

Some more lodges have been added to the list—Combined

Services Lodge No.9900 and various newer lodges which can be seen on Page 5, and a new lodge using an old charter for historical research still to be consecrated, both English Constitution.

Of course, two of the most well known are Irish lodges still epitomising the travelling warrant idea. They are Glittering Star Lodge No. 322 (see Cross Keys November 2020) and St. Patrick’s Lodge No.295 (see Cross Keys April 2022). Both lodges consist of current and ex serving brethren and are extremely popular lodges, especially for visitors.

I hope this is correct, but if not please let me know.