A Brother brought home The Gillingham Lodge of Benevolence No.184 was warranted by the Antients Grand Lodge in December 1787 to meet at the Crown & Thistle Tavern in Chatham; and it would unite in 1824 with two other nearby Antients warranted lodges. The Lodge drew many of its members from the personnel employed or […]

The Naval Salute 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 While Sailors of the Royal Navy no longer need to remove their cap, the modern naval salute directly relates to its origins as a gesture of respect. Historically, sailors in the Royal Navy would remove their headgear to acknowledge their superiors. As […]

Horatio Nelson in the year of Trafalgar During his last year, 1805, Nelson was indefatigable. In HMS Victory, refitted because she was already an old vessel, he set out to defeat the Combined Fleet of France and Spain under the command of Admiral Villeneuve.  This led to the epic chase when the British fleet pursued […]

NHS OpCourage OpCourage is a Free NHS mental health service for ex-military personnel, reservists and service leavers in: Kent, Surrey and Sussex Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire My health record - Who will know about my treatment? (OpCourage) The information you share with us will be shared with organisations involved with […]

A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all who attended the West Kent Military Lodge June meeting and our thanks go to all the Brethren for their continued support. The West Kent Military Lodge meeting Salient Points: The Military Lodge was ‘Tyled’ at 1730hrs with 86 Brethren in attendance (once again additional chairs were required […]

On 12 January 1922, HMS Victory's condition was so poor that she would no longer stay afloat, she had to be moved into No. 2 dock at Portsmouth, the oldest dry dock in the world still in use. A naval survey revealed that between a third and a half of her internal fittings required replacement. Visiting HMS Victory […]

April meeting summary Well what a fantastic night we all had at the April meeting and our thanks go all to all the Brethren for their continued support of the West Kent Military Lodge. The Lodge was celebrating the very first meeting of the Lodge, held over one hundred and fifty one (151) years ago, […]

Breaking news 1 - The King’s Cypher Breaking news 1 - Sailors and Royal Marines will wear His Majesty The King’s cypher on their uniforms for the first time at the coronation parade in May. Petty Officers, Chief Petty Officers, Warrant Officers and Officers on parade during the historic event will bear the Tudor Crown, […]

His Majesty’s Services - A brief guide to British Armed Forces Ranks His Majesty’s Services - The military of any country is a vital part to keeping the people safe from external threats. In Britain before the 17th century, military forces were usually formed when there was a need to attack someone else or whenever […]