Old Dunstablians Remembered
On Saturday 25th November, Ian Church, the Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary entertained the members of the Old Dunstablians Lodge No 5974 with a lecture on the life of Captain Brian Cumberland who was a former student or “Old Boy” of the Dunstable Grammar school and who gave his life during the Great War of 1914-18. The Old Dunstablians’ Lodge was founded in 1944 by Masters and Old Boys of the Dunstable Grammar school.
Captain Cumberland, a member of St John the Baptist Lodge No 475, was sadly killed leading his company during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. At that time his father, who was a founder member of Ampthill, St Marys and Cumberland Lodges, amongst others, was the Provincial Grand Secretary of Bedfordshire.
Interestingly, David Cato, a Grand Officer, was also at the meeting and was able to share a bit of additional information as his father was with the same regiment in Gallipoli, the 5th Battalion Bedfordshire’s
Grahame Bennett, the current Lodge Secretary, reports that the talk was very well received, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it as well as the artefacts, pictures, postcards and items relating to Bro Cumberland’s life that were on show.
The Brethren stood in remembrance of Bro Brian and the 62 other Dunstablian “Old Boys” killed in the Great 1914-18 War.
We will remember them……..