No Colette, it was Memorable Order of Tin Hats; its origins were in South Africa.
The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH) was founded at Durban, South Africa in 1927 and almost immediately the idea caught hold in the U.K., symbolic of the great friendships which had occurred, during and after, the Great War, 1914 -18.
The Founder, Charles Evenden, had witnessed life in the trenches and the sense of despair which swept the world after the war; he had a vision that REMEMBRANCE was the opposite to FORGETFUL-NESS.
He had an overpowering belief in common friendship. He once said, "Friendship is the greatest power given to man, it turns ideals into practical deeds." He saw a purpose for all veterans, mostly disabled, to band together into units, challenging the common day to day problems within Durban and the Provinces.
He established clubs, known as Shellholes with a regional structure of Dugouts in each of the provinces. These terms were quite familiar to all ex-service men who not only experienced the trenches but also the camaraderie which developed among allied troops in a time of adversity.
The above extract was taken from their website:
www.firstworldwar.com/features/moth.htm
Roger
