Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, the most highly decorated soldier currently in the Army,  was recently reunited with the man who saved his life - Colour Sergeant Chris Broome.  Whilst serving in Iraq in 2004, Broome dragged Beharry to safety as a rocket propelled grenade exploded inches away from him, crushing his skull.  Beharry had no memory of what happened, and it was an emotional reunion when Broome recounted the attack.

They had last seen each other in 2005 at Buckingham Palace when they were honoured by the Queen, but were unable to catch up, so it was the first time that Beharry heard the harrowing details of the attack, and his subsequent rescue.  The two heroes were in the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment when they were attacked in Al Amarah.

Beharry was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving two members of his unit in Iraq, and is the youngest of seven living recipients of the highly prestigious award.  He was the first soldier in over 20 years to receive the VC, prompting the Queen to state, ‘It’s been rather a long time since I’ve awarded one of these.’

This story really highlights the importance of camaraderie between servicemen, and displays Beharry’s humble nature, through his emotional reaction to recalling the events and his immense gratitude to Broome, who he calls ‘a real hero’.

If you haven’t spied them already - do take a look at the Legion’s video diaries of the Poppy Bike Challenge, Pedal to Paris.

You’ll see the latest videos below and on the Legion’s Youtube channel. They’re certainly giving the Tour de France a run for its money, and attracting the attention of the locals! I particularly love the bit where the riders arrive in Beauvais  to a sign saying ‘Welcome English Friends.’

Courageous Ben Parkinson, who, as a Lance Bombardier became the most injured soldier to survive his injuries in a land mine blast, has defied all odds to sign up for a tandem skydive!

On September 11th Ben will be jumping with Jump4Heroes and Project 65 - The Veterans Charity - and will be responsible for maintaining stablility and making intricate manoeuvres in order to dock and fly in formation. He’ll need to continually monitor his altitude and ensure that he deploys his parachute at a safe height. Assisted by his instructor, Ben will then pilot the canopy down to a precision landing.

Ben’s ultimate dream is to one day be able to perform a solo jump, but in the meantime he’s busy trying to raise money for veterans and Forces families. He has said: ‘I am really excited about skydiving and I can’t wait to jump again. It couldn’t be on a better date either. Four years ago no one would have believed that I would be doing this now. I hope this helps to inspire others to never give up!’

This is so inspiring because when he was first injured Ben was told that he was unlikely to walk, talk or even feed himself again. I hope that anyone struggling with life after Afghanistan can take heart following Ben’s story. You can support Ben with a donation by clicking here.

As we near the 90^th anniversary of The Royal British Legion, the Wells branch in Somerset are pulling together to safeguard the historically significant monument at St Cuthbert’s Church.

By restoring the memorial to its former glory as part of the anniversary celebrations, the Wells branch (the Legion’s longest serving branch!) is proving that they are as dedicated as ever to the cause.

The monument was built in 1922 to the honour of the men of Wells who gave their lives for their country in World War One. Unfortunately after years of weather damage and general wear and tear, the inscription is now barely legible.

The Wells Journal has provided the Legion with information from its archives, which details the initial unveiling, the materials – doulting stone, concrete and bronze – and the plans used in the construction, to help with restoration.

The Wells branch are now appealing for any information or photographs relating to the war memorial that might give a better idea of how it might have looked in its entirety. If you have any images or memories which might help them in their efforts, be sure to get in touch!

There’s just under a month to go to register for the third Ride to the Wall event this year, which takes place on 4th October.

Ride to the Wall sees thousands of motorcyclists from around the country, including the Legion Riders Branch, descending on the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA). It’s the only event of its kind in the country that gives motorcyclists the opportunity to show their support for the Armed Forces. It also raises considerable funds for the NMA which, as you know, is part of the Legion family of charities.

At the end of their ride, the motorcyclists will gather at the walls of the memorial at 11am for a remembrance service. The service will be held in memory of those brave men and women who have lost their lives on duty or by terrorist action since the end of the Second World War.

For more details on the event and how to register, visit the Ride to the Wall website.

Former England football manager Graham Taylor OBE has saddled up in London’s Greenwich Park to join 300 riders for the RBL’s Pedal to Paris event.

Pedal to Paris is now in its 15th year, and sees riders take on nearly 300 miles of road as they cycle to the Arc de Triomphe in France. Graham will be arriving at the final destination on Sunday afternoon, and earlier today he shared his excitement: ‘I’m really looking forward to testing myself, I hear it can be pretty gruelling. I’m confident that I will finish the ride - I’m already looking forward to the champagne at the Arc de Triomphe!’

The Legion is hoping to raise £500,000 from the ride for the Battle Back Challenge Centre, which will provide injured Service personnel with adaptive sports and adventure training when it opens in 2012.

Graham is a long-time supporter of the Legion, and has said that the bike ride ‘promises to be both challenging and rewarding - and knowing that it will raise funds for the Battle Back Centre is reward enough for me. The Legion is such a worthy cause, and the work they do is so important at the moment, what with events in Afghanistan.’

To show Graham your support, head over to his Just Giving donation page or text ‘Graham’ to 70222. Texts will cost £3.00, plus your standard network charge.

Brave British SAS members have been working tirelessly to fight against the Taliban bomb makers, and have taken out a large number of high-profile leaders.

Over the past month, the Nato-led force has successfully disrupted the enemy by wiping out many of its commanders and detaining a further 500 insurgents. Thankfully this has led to the number of improvised explosive devices being laid in Helmand to drop by 25 per cent in the past three months, with our fantastic British Forces playing a leading role in this.

There has also been a dip in British casualties in Helmand, the heart of the Taliban insurgency, thanks to this great effort by our brave servicemen and women who are going out night after night, tracking down and eliminating terrorist leaders in Afghanistan, using their expertise and experience from Iraq.

Carry on the brave work guys!

As her youngest son, Colby, starts military college next week, proud mum Hayley Jensen has seen all four of her boys head off to serve for their country.

24 year old Corporal Nick Jensen-Watts will be joined in the Royal Mercians by his brothers, 21 year old Jorda, 17 year old Brook, and following in their footsteps, Colby.

Nick has served in two tours of Iraq and leaves for Afghanistan next year. Looking up to their big brother, the boys were inspired by his stories and one by one decided to enlist.

Hayley spoke of her boys’ career choices, saying: ‘As a mum, I am deeply apprehensive as we all know what happens during a war.  As an Englishwoman I am immensely proud that my boys want a good career, to represent their country and to fight for a cause they believe in.

‘I am filled with pride for my boys…they are the bravest people I know.’

It must be a very worrying time for Hayley, but what brave sons she has. It’s also warming to know they’ll all be together to look out for eachother like true brothers in arms.

A veteran Cheshire Fire and Rescue service worker is preparing to join a team of 10 others for the Pedal to Paris challenge

Brian Tuohy, now a health and safety consultant for the Fire and Rescue service will be joining the other members of Team Colomendy for the London to Paris cycle bid.

Together, they will join nearly 300 cyclists including Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge over four days to raise funds in aid of the Royal British Legion.

On his upcoming challenge, Brian, said: ‘This fundraiser is interesting to me because I have a friend’s son who is going on his third tour of duty and friends with connections who are doing their best out there.

‘We have done the training but the main challenge is struggling with the emotional side because we have a meeting each evening in France where the Last Post is played.

 ‘We have raised about £8,800 so far as a group, with more from sponsorship to come.’

Sounds great to me! If you want to sponsor Brian and his group, or just want more details, visit his fundraising page here.

Have you had a chance to pay a visit to The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop yet? As the end of summer nears (no!), thoughts naturally start turning to October’s Poppy Appeal and the ways we can show our support for the British Armed Forces.

At the RBL’s shop you can find Poppy Appeal-related pins, jewellery and accessories, but that isn’t all. How about a Max Res wristband? Some wartime music? A T-shirt? A poppy-emblazoned umbrella? Whatever you’re after the Poppy Shop is sure to have it, so do please take a look to help the Legion keep supporting ex and current members of the Armed Forces the way they do!