We are very sad to advise of the passing to the Grand Lodge Above of WBro. Arthur March, PPSGW, CoM on 11th December 2023, a member and statesman of Old Kimboltonians’ Lodge No 7204 since 1964.
Early life:
Arthur March was born on 15th December 1925 and attended the Infant & Junior schools in Raunds. At the age of 11, was awarded a scholarship and began his further education at Kimbolton Grammar School under its then Headmaster, William Ingram. Arthur loved the countryside and all animal and plant life; his father collected moths and butterflies.
Military Service:
At 16 years, Arthur left Kimbolton School in the summer of 1942 and decided to enlist in the Royal Navy. After completing his early training, he was posted to the Pembroke Barracks in Chatham and subsequently undertook hands-on training at the Medway Maritime General Hospital and qualified as a Naval Rating Medic.
On 5th June 1944 his found himself on Landing Ship Transport No 303 preparing for the D-Day landings the next day. On board were heavy armament vehicles and a contingent of several hundred Canadian troops headed for Coursuelles Sur Mer on “Juno Beach”. All were young men and, for many, it was their first time in battle. In Arthur’s own words “Death was just a word - we were young and immortal”. Later that day he found himself disembarking in the face of enemy fire and running for his life tending the wounded and dying.
“We had 25 patients to take home, plus several injured Germans. They were all soldiers and all needed help and a right to survive from the hell of war. This was our job regardless of the outcome”.
He subsequently spent his 19th Birthday in Aden and his 20th Birthday in the Royal Naval Hospital in Bombay before returning to Chatham in June 1946. He then left the navy to return to “Civvy Street” and joined the family business in Raunds.
In 2018 he received an official letter from the French Embassy which was an invitation to attend the Embassy in London to be awarded with the Ordre National de la Légion d'honneur medal (the highest French order of merit, both military and civil) for his wartime role as a “Liberator of the Fatherland”.
Ill-Health:
Arthur started smoking at a very young age. In 1975 he was diagnosed as having a tumour on his left lung. He was taken, with five other similarly affected cases from the Kettering area, to Churchill Hospital in Oxford, where he underwent surgery to remove most of his diseased lung. Only two of the six survived the surgery.
Masonic life:
Through his early business dealings, Arthur became friends with the School Bursar, George Hunt who eventually persuaded him to join the Old Kimboltonians’ Lodge No. 7204 on 15/04/1964. His Proposer was a Raunds Mason, the Lodge Organist, WBro Oswald Lawrence, and his Seconder was another Raunds Mason, WBro Wilf Lawrence. The WM was WBro Sid Bennett.
WBro Arthur’s Masonic CV became very extensive and too long to be included fully here, save to say he was a very active Mason and followed an extensive and committed Masonic career for the next 59 years. In 1978 he served the lodge as WM, held the rank of PPSGW and was awarded the Provincial Grand Masters Certificate of Merit in 2011.
In the Royal Arch, Arthur was exalted into Pemberton Chapter in 1968, served as MEZ in 1984 and subsequently Director of Ceremonies for 9 years.
He was appointed as a Provincial Grand Steward in 1986 and served as Third Grand Principal in 1994 and Second Grand Principal 2001 – 2003, before becoming a Grand Officer in 1998 as PGStB.
In his personal and business life, Arthur was the very embodiment of Masonic principles and virtues, and was always caring, compassionate and full of good humour. He was organised and enjoyed the discipline, ritual and comradeship of the Masonic life. He gave his all to Freemasonry for most of his adult life. WBro Arthur was always passionate about both Kimbolton School (he was President of the Old Kimboltonians’ Association for a number of years) and Freemasonry (his Masonic CV is very extensive!).
We became friends when I found myself in the Chair of the OK Lodge in 2006. We also shared the honour of personally presenting a cheque to the Jerusalem Eye Hospital on behalf of our Wendlynburgh Preceptory No 236 in 2018.
Sadly, WBro Arthur passed to the Grand Lodge Above on Monday 11th December 2023 after a relatively short battle with bladder cancer. At the time of his death, he was the longest serving member of the Old Kimboltonians’ Lodge and held the office of Chaplain.
As both friend and Brother, he will be much missed in our Province, in our Lodges and in the hearts of many - but none more so than in the heart of this Old Kimboltonian! ..........……….and the rest is history, Brethen.
God Bless you, Arthur – Friend and Brother. Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral details:
The service for WBro Arthur March will take place at Nene Valley Crematorium, 305 Doddington Rd, Wellingborough NN8 2NX on Thursday 11th January 2024 at 12 noon.