The History of the R.A.O.B. in Iraq

1919 to 1953

This very brief history has been compiled from information supplied by Brother Anthony Armstrong, R.O.H., to whom the author is deeply indebted for assistance given, and pays tribute to Tonys remarkable memory for names and details of happenings of years ago.

The Rt. Hon. Sir Anthony Armstrong, or Tony as he is known to the many hundreds of members of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes who have attended Lodges in Iraq, was initiated in the Earl of Derby Lodge in 1906, and was raised to the Second Degree in that Lodge in 1915. He was enrolled a Knight Order of Merit In the Garden of Eden Lodge in 1925, and was exalted to the Roll of Honour by the Royal Baghdad Lodge in 1943.

Whilst serving in the Army during the First World War, Tony arrived in the country then known as Mespot, and since renamed Iraq, in 1916, and, except for two years spent in India in the twenties, has been in the country ever since.

He was a founder of the Royal Baghdad Lodge, and assisted in the opening of the first Lodge, the Star of Babylon, ever to operate in Iraq, and in the formation of the Baghdad and District Provincial Grand Lodge, which opened in 1921.

Elected to the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Primo at the opening meeting, Sir Tony carried out the duties of Provincial Grand Primo for the best part of 1922 in the absence of Knight Sir W. G. Martin.

He is a Past President of the Mosul and Dhibban Examining Councils, and today fills the office of Vice President of the Dhibban Sub Certifying Council, which operates at Habbiniya.

President of the R.A.O.B. Institute committee, Sir Tony can, without fear of contradiction, be called the Father of Buffaloism in this country. He has kept the flag flying through the years in the face of many difficulties, and it is due to his unfailing efforts that we visitors to Iraq are able to enjoy our Lodge nights and participate in the activities of this great Order of ours.

To Tony I dedicate this brief history of the R.A.O.B. in Iraq, which in the main is a story of his own great work in the cause of Buffaloism.

D.W.K.

Habbaniya September, 1953.

Will anyone interested in opening a R.A.O.B. Lodge in Baghdad please communicate with W. G. Martin at the Railway Mess.

This advertisement which appeared in the Times of Mesopotamia early in 1919, heralded the birth of Buffaloism in the country now know as Iraq, for as a result of the meeting of gentlemen who answered the call, the first lodge, the Star of Babylon, was opened in November of this year. The founders were Bros. W. G. Martin, K.O.M., and J. West and Keene, both the latter being Primos. The lodge met at first in the Askinsian School, Baghdad, but later was forced to move from place to place. At one time it held its meetings in a bedroom at the Imperial Hotel. At last, however, a permanent home was found in a disused stable which was converted into a lodge room. The roof of this building was covered only by matting, and when the wet weather arrived the City Constable had to carry out his duties under the protection of an umbrella!

Buffaloism flourished in Iraq, and early in 1920 the Garden of Eden Lodge was opened at Basra, and later in the same year another Lodge, named the Sir W. G. Martin after the founder of the Order in this country, was opened at the Royal Air Force station at Hiniadi, near Baghdad.

Towards the end of this year a further lodge, founded by Knight Martin and Primo Armstrong and named the Royal Baghdad, was opened, with headquarters in the capital city.

With four lodges operating in the country, which in those days was the minimum number required to form a Provincial Grand Lodge, application was made to the Grand Lodge of England for a warrant to open a Governing Authority. This was granted and in November of this year the Baghdad and District Provincial Grand Lodge was duly constituted.

The first Provincial Grand Primo was, very fittingly, Brother Sir W. G. Martin, who was installed as such by Primo Tony Armstrong, who was himself elected as Deputy Provincial Grand Primo. Unfortunately, the P.G.P. was prevented from occupying the top chair after the first meeting, and Brother Tony carried out his duties of P.G.P. until his departure for India in the middle of 1922 after handing over the reins of office to Brother Scott, K.O.M., who was the P.G.P. for 1923.

This might be considered a bad year for the brethren in Iraq, as, owing to the scarcity of brothers of the higher degrees, the Provincial Grand Lodge was forced to close down. Knight Scott had returned to England in August, and his place had been taken by Brother Harper, K.O.M., whose melancholy duty it was to bring to an end the brief life of the only Governing Authority to function in this country. Ever since this year the lodges have been under the direct control of the Grand Lodge of England.

However, the four lodges continued to operate, and in the main flourished.

During this year Brother Tony returned from India, and became a member of the Garden of Eden Lodge in which lodge he was raised to the Third Degree in 1925.

It was in this year that the Garden of Eden Lodge moved from the town of Basra to the Royal Air Force station at Shaibah.

In this year the original lodge, the Star of Babylon, sailed into stormy waters and was eventually amalgamated with the Royal Baghdad. This setback was offset by the opening, in Baghdad, of the Civic Lodge, and the Order continued as strong as ever.

It was in this year that the news was first spread abroad that the Royal Air Force, the sole representative of Britains armed forces in the country, was to move to a new camp which was to be built at Habbaniya. The brethren of the R.A.0.B., looking far ahead, began to collect funds with which to build an institute to be used by the lodges when the move was completed.

During this year a tragic fate overtook a member of the Order. Brother Elliott, who was acting as engineer to Sir Alan Cobham during a flight round the world, was killed by a stray shot from the rifle of a wandering Arab whilst flying from Basra to Nazaria. Brother Elliott was accorded the last Buffalo rites at his funeral, and in his memory a brother of the Garden of Eden Lodge designed the Iraq jewel.

The original drawing of this jewel has been preserved, and it now occupies a place of honour in the Institute at Habbaniya. The jewel which resulted from this splendid drawing is now worn with pride by many of our Order who are members of the lodges which have operated in this country.

A further step forward in this year, was the opening of the Palm Tree Lodge at the Royal Air Force station at Mosul. This lodge is still operating today, and occupies the Institute at Habbaniya, in company with the Royal Baghdad Lodge.

However, a setback occurred in that, the Civic Lodge, opened two years earlier, fell into disrepute and a number of the brethren from Hinaidi were forced to take possession of the dispensation and return it to Grand Lodge with a recommendation that the lodge be closed. Grand Lodge acted upon the recommendation and the Civic Lodge disappeared from the directory of lodges of the G.L.E.

Nothing of outstanding interest happened until

Early in this year the Garden of Eden Lodge, the second one to be opened in Iraq, was forced, through lack of support, to close down.

It was in 1937 that the move of Royal Air Force units to Habbaniya was started, and about the middle of the year the Palm Tree Lodge was removed from Mosul to the new camp and occupied a temporary lodge room pending the opening of the institute, which was then in course of construction.

This was a red-letter year for the R.A.0.B. in Iraq, for it saw the completion of the splendid institute at Habbaniya.

The cost of building the institute was £2,000, and the whole of this sum, with the exception of a grant of £100 from the Grand Lodge of England, had been subscribed by the members of the lodges in the country in only ten years.

In January the Sir W. G. Martin and Royal Baghdad Lodges moved in from Hinaidi and Baghdad respectively, but one month later fate struck a cruel blow, for during a particularly violent storm the roof of the institute was blown off. The cost of replacement was £80, and again the money was found by the members of the lodges. There appears to be no limit to a Buffs capacity to give!

The Order was further strengthened in the country when Primo Driver, a brother from Habbaniya, was posted to the R.A.F. at Shaibah. and finding no lodge in the neighbourhood, decided to rectify matters. As the result of his efforts the Shatt El Arab lodge was opened at Margil.

War had come to the world and the Royal Air Force had reopened its station at Mosul, so to cater for the needs of brethren in that district the Palm Tree lodge moved back to its original home.

Unfortunately, during this year an epidemic of cholera struck the town of Basra and the nearby R.A.F. camp at Shaibah was barred to civilians from the town. The outcome of this was that the attendances at the Shatt El Arab lodge dwindled and finally the lodge was closed.

The Second World War, which had been raging since 1939, hit Habbaniya in this year. Raschid Ali, a rabid Iraqi Nationalist who was aided by the Germans, attacked the station and held it in siege for some months. The institute was loaned to the R.A.F., who used it as an operations room, and for about three months no lodges were able to meet. After that period of time the brothers were given the use of a room in the Education Centre, and they held their meetings there for about fifteen months.

During this time the furniture of the institute was held in safe storage by the N.A.A.F.I. and as the bank was unable to function, the funds of the lodges were placed in the N.A.A.F.I. strong room for safe custody.

Sad to relate, Knight Bishop, one of the leading brothers of the day, was killed during Raschid Alis attack when a shell exploded on the doorstep of his room in the Station Sergeants Mess.

Whilst I have not attempted to give any details of the many acts of benevolence performed by the lodges in Iraq but have devoted myself to history, at this stage I would like to digress and tell of one of the numberless good works done by the brethren during the 34 years that lodges of our Order have been operating in this country.

It came to the notice of the brothers that Knight Bishop had a daughter who was studying for a degree at one of the English universities and, through lack of funds after the death of her father would have to give up her studies. This, decided the Buffs, was not to be allowed, and a gift of £100 was immediately sent to Mrs. Bishop to enable her to pay for the remainder of her daughters stay at the university.

There is a happy sequel to this sad story, for a few months later the brethren heard from Miss Bishop that she had passed the examinations for her degree and was all set for a brilliant career in her chosen profession.

In this year the Institute having been thoroughly redecorated by the Royal Air Force, was returned to the brethren, having played its part in the war effort, and the Royal Baghdad and Sir W. G. Martin Lodges moved back into their old meeting place which they have occupied ever since.

Tonys long and sustained efforts on behalf of Buffaloism were recognised during this year for he was exalted to the Fourth Degree by the Royal Baghdad Lodge, of which he was a founder. His exaltation had been approved by Grand Lodge two years earlier, but, owing to there being no brother of the necessary degree in the country to carry out the ceremony, he had to wait until this year before receiving the honour he had so richly deserved.

Life flowed on, and brethren came and went, but the lodges kept going until

This year saw the demise of the Sir W. G. Martin Lodge, the lodge which had brought Buffaloism to life in Iraq.

It was found that even so large a camp as Habbaniya could not sustain three lodges, and the Sir W. G. Martin was amalgamated with the Palm Tree Lodge which, earlier in the year, had returned to Habbaniya from Mosul and occupied the Institute with the Royal Baghdad Lodge.

These were the only two lodges operating in Iraq until in

The Order was further advanced by the opening, at the R.A.F. station at Shaibah, of a new lodge which took its name from that of the station. This was the first lodge to operate in that area since the Shatt El Arab closed in 1940 and has proved to be a lusty and thriving child.

So we come to the present year, and it finds the three lodges, the Royal Baghdad, the Palm Tree, and the Shaibah, still keeping the flag of Buffaloism flying in Iraq.

All are flourishing, and despite many difficulties such as having very few brothers of the higher degrees to occupy the Royal Chair, continue to bring many hours of pleasure to those members of our brotherhood who are called upon to serve so far from the Mother Country.

Perhaps, in some distant year, some brother will continue this history from where I have left off, for I am sure that there will be things to write of then, and so long as Britishers live in Iraq there will be found the R.A.O.B.

For any omissions or errors in the foregoing I most humbly apologise, and would say to my critics