RAOB

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes In Iraq

The History of the R.A.O.B. in Iraq 1919 to 1953

FOREWORD

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 "Tony's" remarkable memory for names and details of

happenings of years ago.

"TONY"

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.

1919

"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!

1920

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.

1921

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.

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.

1924

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.

1927

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.

1928

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 Britain's 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.

1930

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

1937

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.

1938

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 Buff's 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.

1940

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.

1941

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 Ali's 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 daughter's

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.

1942

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.

1943

"Tony's" 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

1950

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

1952

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.

1953

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

"NEMO MORTALIUM OMNIBUS HORIS SAPIT".