Introducing the Alfred Naylor Award

Updated: Jan 6

Who was the V.Revd. Alfred Thomas Arthur Naylor. DSO. OBE?

The story of how one Freemason was instrumental in maintaining the morale of

troops on the beach at Dunkirk in 1940.

Alfred Thomas Arthur Naylor was born on the 27th December 1889. He studied at

Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge and was ordained as a Priest in 1913.

Throughout WW1, he served overseas as an Army Chaplain, was gassed and

wounded at the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, and awarded the OBE and

mentioned in dispatches for his service and bravery.

During the Second World War, Naylor was captured by the Germans during the

British retreat to Dunkirk in 1940, but managed to escape, amazingly swimming a

canal to get away. Naylor’s actions during those fraught days at Dunkirk are one of

the great untold stories of the Second World War. Known to the troops as The

Bishop, Naylor would make speeches to all who could listen and is widely credited

as having maintained the morale of the troops even as German warplanes flew

overhead. He was evacuated and returned home, where he rose to become Deputy

Chaplain General. For his actions on the beaches of Dunkirk, Brother The Reverend

Naylor was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Reverend Naylor was initiated in 1914 into St Laurence Lodge No. 2330. He was a

member of many lodges including Lodge of Antiquity No. 2 and served as Provincial

Grand Master of Sussex from 1947-1959.

He also held the office of 3rd Grand Principal for Supreme Grand Chapter from 1944 -

1960 and served as the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent in and over the Royal

Arch Province of Sussex from 1947 -1948.

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