Here’s an interesting fundraising effort…The Royal Navy Medical Service’s ‘Carry on Remembering’ stretcher challenge.

C J Nicholson, Lieutenant Royal Navy, Institute of Naval Medicine has assembled a committed and motivated team of six Royal Navy Doctors and Medics to complete a stretcher carry from the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) near Portsmouth, to the National Memorial [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

As we near the 90th 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Calling all Spitfire fans! Keep September 17th free in your diaries to witness the Bonham’s auctioning of a replica Supermarine Spitfire for The Royal British Legion during The Goodwood Revival.
 
Built in 2008 by hardworking Legion members from the Ripon Branch, the full sized aluminium replica of a MKVb Supermarine took 10 months and a [...]

Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Sergeant Richie Maddocks and Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi - otherwise known as ‘The Soldiers’ - have raised a whopping £270,000 from album sales to split between three Armed Forces charities.

Their debut album, ‘Coming Home,’ was released in October last year, and you may recall they performed at the Festival of Remembrance [...]

 

A British Soldier, Michael Leather, received a surprise when his call for back-up under enemy fire was answered by his brother Jimmy, who he had not seen for 8 weeks despite both working in the dangerous Helmand Province area of Afghanistan.
 
Moments after Michael’s call, Jimmy arrived leading a squad of reinforcements in a Ridgeback armoured [...]

Did you know that there are more than 300 military dogs serving alongside British and US troops in Afghanistan?

These four-legged heroes have saved countless human lives by sniffing out explosives, but sadly some of the casualties are pretty severe.

Take two-year-old labrador, Topsail, for instance. He went into a building ahead of US Marines to check [...]

Did anyone manage to catch the reading of Churchill’s ‘The Few’ speech this afternoon?

It’s been 70 years since Churchill gave one of his most famous speeches, ‘So much owed by so many to so few,’ so to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the speech was given in a reading outside the [...]

Does strutting your stuff whilst raising money for the Royal British Legion sound like an opportunity too good to be missed? If so, make sure you take part in this year’s ‘Dance Day UK’, which officially launched this month.
 
The organisers have decided to donate a large chunk of their proceeds to the Legion, showing [...]

The Royal British Legion is saddened to report on the passing of Piper Bill Millin, a Legion supporter and beneficiary from Dawlish, Devon, and a legendary figure from the D-Day landings who has died at the age of 88.

Piper Millin was serving the personal piper to the Lord Lovat, Commanding Officer of 1 Special Service [...]

Just a reminder that the Legion Tour is out and about on the streets of Liverpool today and tomorrow, providing you with all the Legion-related information you could wish for!

Our team will be there on hand to answer any questions you may have and to show you the extensive welfare-related activities we’ve been busy with [...]

A product that gives its users a waterless ‘wet’ shave has proven a hit with our Armed Forces abroad. The sachets are made by an East Lancashire firm who were approached by a supplier of military equipment last year. The product is tremendously useful for troops because it’s lightweight and doesn’t require any water, which [...]

If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that I had a great day out at Doncaster Races on Saturday!

It was the Legion’s last big fundraising event before the Poppy Appeal, and the Poppy People were out in force doing what they do best, charming the public and educating them about how the Legion supports [...]

Sunday saw the 65th anniversary of VJ day, which marks the victory over Japan and the end of the Second World War.

Members of the public, joined by HRH Prince Charles and David Cameron at the Whitehall Memorial, joined in commemoration of the troops who fought for the country in India and Burma, laying wreaths and [...]

The Legion has teamed up with Leicester Tigers to help raise vital charity funds through their Cashback scheme.
By purchasing tickets for the Leicester Tigers v Harlequins game on Saturday November 6 not only will you get the opportunity to experience the thrill of a live Liverpool Victoria match at the Welford Rd, you can also [...]

The Royal British Legion is pleased to announce Tony Blair will be donating all of the proceeds from his forthcoming memoirs, A Journey, to the Battle Back Challenge Centre, a Legion funded project that will provide state-of-the-art rehabilitation services for seriously injured Service personnel.

The Legion has now committed £25m over 10 years to support the [...]

Here’s a heartwarming story…

Marine Paul Dunning, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, never thought he’d be able to get down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend Laura Burton. However he was determined to keep to tradition and fortunately his new prosthetic legs were up for the job.

You may recognise Pete as he [...]

Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham met with members of the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment at Wellington Barracks this week before the premiere of their new film, The Expendables.

Sly also took the opportunity to meet up with real life hero L/Cpl Beharry who received the Victoria Cross for bravery in Iraq [...]

There’s a fantastically inspirational article in this week’s More magazine. It’s about a young couple who had only been together for 18 months before they became separated by the Army. When Matt Weston was given the date of his first tour of Afghanistan, Bryony Bolland didn’t know when she would see him again. She says, [...]

Just look who the London branch made friends with the other day - none other than the lovely Jason Donovan!

The branch currently has some new and exciting volunteer oppportunties in the Sydenham area, so if this takes your fancy, check out their Facebook page for more details.

I came across an interesting story in the news today about how the secret of the British D-Day success was down to some ingenius home cooking! Never-before-seen documents detailing dishes for the men on the front line were discovered during a house clearance in Wiltshire.

Apparently, what gave our boys their strength when they landed in [...]

If you haven’t had a chance yet, take a look at Legion Magazine’s Autumn issue. Inside you’ll find a very interesting feature on the fight against IEDs in Afghanistan.

It takes a look at the Counter IED Task Force and the resources they rely on, from sniffer dogs to robots. It also highlights how important the work they [...]

This Sunday (August 15th) the National Memorial Arboretum is hosting a special service in commemoration of the 65th VJ Day anniversary.

‘VJ’ - stands for ‘Victory in Japan,’ and was a term coined by US President Harry Truman when, on 15th August 1945,  he announced that the Japanese Government had agreed to comply with the Potsdam [...]

Congratulations to former Soldier Ed Stafford, who today completed a 4,000 mile trek along the length of the Amazon.

The trek took him 859 days (that’s over two years!); he endured over 50,000 mosquito bites (itchy!!) and lived off pirahna broth most days. In fact, here’s a clip of him catching some fish for dinner:

Ed is [...]

Did anyone catch the Mazda London Triathlon at the weekend? The Legion had thirty entrants who on Saturday and Sunday all took on swimming, cycling and running across different levels.

Well done to all who took part and those who came along to cheer from the sidelines!

Our friends at Jump4Heroes alerted me to an amazing achievement by former soldier and double amputee Alistair Hodgson, who has just won the silver medal at the World Freestyle Skydiving Championships.

On Alistair’s success, Jump4Heroes’ Alistair Macartney said, ‘ Despite losing both legs in a bomb explosion in Northern Ireland, Al has over come extreme adversity and, competing against [...]

Today is the 65th anniversary of the event that saw the United States drop the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in Japan during the Second World War.

The nuclear weapon was - somewhat ironically - nicknamed ‘Little Boy’ and killed an estimated 140,000 people. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 9th August, resulting [...]

There’s a great article in the Sun today that celebrates five women who are tasked with keeping Britain’s combat helicopters flying over Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Nicki Wallace, Flight Lieutenant Laura Morfee, Captain Kate Redfern, Captain Charlotte Joyce and Flight Lieutenant Katie Muldoon each command a unit of more than 200 technicians and engineers. Between them they are [...]

Fancy an after work tipple with a military theme?

The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court (4th-7th Aug) has a British heroes theme this year and the bars are all named after military heroes. Representatives from the Legion are there in force. As the festival’s chosen charity they’re busy fundraising for our current heroes, so [...]

Did you know that the Doncaster Race Day is swiftly approaching? The 14th August event is being attended by The Royal British Legion in their last big fundraising event before the Poppy Appeal later this year. The Racecourse is donating £2.50 to the Legion for every ticket sold, and RBL members will also receive a [...]

A fascinating exhibition is being held at the National Memorial Arboretum until 4th October. Entitled ‘Ordinary People,’ the photographic portraits are supported with audio commentaries which tell the remarkable stories of the people behind them.  

There are six portraits on display, each of them has served the country under the most incredible circumstances. For instance, pop on the headphones [...]

Glenn Hockton was certainly glad of the fact that during a patrol in Helmand he had remembered to wear his rosary beads. Because it wasn’t until he accidently dropped the beads onto the ground that he realised that he was standing right over a land mine. Glen, who served with the Coldstream Guards, had to [...]

Ever wondered how far Legion fundraisers would go to support our Armed Forces? Walk across hot flaming coals…surely not?

Well here’s the proof!

Fundraisers in Belfast teamed up with specialists in firewalking on the 23rd July at Custom House Square to walk over hot coals for their cause.

Well done guys - I hope you’re feet weren’t too toasty [...]

Boxing supremo Mike Tyson has given our serving men and women the thumbs-up after meeting with hero Danny Staneck, who lost a leg in combat.

Mike met Danny, who served with 3 Rifles, at Liverpool’s Golden Gloves club; he was there to meet some of the nation’s biggest boxing hopefuls. Danny, who has boxed for his [...]

James Leverett of the Royal Dragoon Guards left a touching message for his pregnant girlfriend asking her to be strong in the event of his death. James was  killed when his Viking vehicle was rocked by a blast in Afghanistan, and his partner Tiffany was forced to open a letter he had written in case [...]

A book that tells the story of how the Parachute Regiment was created has just been released.

Called, ‘Sky Men: Always Expect the Unexpected - The Real Story of the Paras,’ it’s a fascinating insight into how the paratroopers were seen as a breed apart from infantrymen, and their incredible psychological staying power. Paratroopers - or [...]

The Royal British Legion has spoken out about a decision not to implement planned reforms to the coroners system in England and Wales.

The Legion is concerned that the Government is now reviewing the scope and timing plans to implement the Coroners & Justice Act 2009, whose reforms were passed with cross-party support in both Houses [...]

 

Corporal Sarah Marriott was on foot patrol with the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment in Helmand when she spotted some local youngsters kicking a puppy around like a football. They had been told by their parents to drown the unwanted animal. Sarah and her squad commander took the dog back to their base, and looked into ways [...]

A beloved member of Droitwich Spa’s Royal British Legion who died earlier this year is to have a building named in his honour during a special open day event.

As president of the Legion branch and a war veteran, Roy Hewlett spent 37 years organising countless Remembrance Sunday parades and Poppy Appeal collections, raising thousands for [...]

Great news - The Historic Dockyard Chatham’s Second World War Destroyer has reached the finals of the National Lottery Awards. The HMS Cavalier entered the competition in a bid to win the title of the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded project. The scheme aims to celebrate and recognise the difference projects have made to people, places and [...]

Staffordshire’s National Memorial Arboretum has announced that its £1.5 million grant application has successfully cleared the first round of judging by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and has been asked to further work up the application for its ambitious development plans.  Overall, the NMA Appeal is tasked with raising £8 million to create a special Remembrance [...]

A forgotten Battle of Britain hero was finally honoured yesterday - thanks to his devoted daughter.

Squadron Leader Charles Alexander Ogilvy had flown on two operations during the summer and autumn of 1940, and yet his name had not been added to a Battle of Britain memorial in London. Aged 24 at the time, Charles had [...]