Tylers Sword

The Tyler’s sword was donated prior to our consecration by Bro A.E.Carter, a Master Mason of the Lodge of Hope number 2153. Brother Carter was employed at the Royal Navy Barracks, Portsmouth during the time of the evacuation of Dunkirk.

As Bro. Carter describes, ‘It might well be a symbol of an unknown foreign warrior and well fitted to keep off all intruders and cowans, for on a certain night during the evacuation of Dunkirk – I forget the exact date – when I was on duty in the Wardroom at the Royal Navy Barracks, where I was Hall Porter for 27 years, a mixed party of officers and ratings from overrun countries were brought in.

A young officer of about 25 years of age, whether Dutch, Belgian of French I know not, was called away almost as soon as he came in and on leaving he handed me his sword and asked me to keep it till he came back. I never saw him again. Where he came from, who he was, what his end, we shall probably never know’