The poppy

Blackjack

murphaph wrote:

Fair comment, I should have said "the real reason nationalists in the form of SF are getting portfolios is because the PIRA/INLA murdered and maimed their way to it". I have naught but respect for constitutional nationalists such as the SDLP. Fair enough?

Fair enough for the correction.

Fratton Fred

sligobhoy67 wrote:

the poppy signifies rememberance of all Britsh Wars - including the Para in Derry, Black and Tans, Lee Clegg etc - is that what you remember or support?

the poppy money largely goes to the families of British soliders - hence the reason I would wear or and look down my nose at those that do!

I have and always will wear a red poppy. Look down your nose at me as much as you like, I don't care.

To say the Red Poppy glorifies the likes of Bloody Sunday, or the actions of the Black and Tans is like saying the Lilly glorifies attrocities such as Omagh as this was done in the name of a free Ireland was it not? If you are proud of this, then I look down my nose at you.

Erin Go Brath

ArthurF wrote:

Looks like this thread is quickly descending into a tit for tat political discussion "which is a shame" because this is actually a very solemn topic which is 'meant' to remember many tens of thousands of Irish men who died in the field of battle.

To most people in this country the poppy will always stand to remember Britains war dead. Many of whom died participating in an unwarrented, self serving Imperialist regime in many countries around the world including our own. Thats why Mary McAleese any many prominent people refuse to wear it.

To Irelands war dead in WW2 etc, there should be another symbol to remember these people.

vesp

What has Mary the mouth McAlesse got to do with it ?

If she was around in WW2 she would have liked to join Sean Russell on the Nazi submarine, instead of the 120,000 Irishmen who proudly volunteered to join Britains forces, and help fight Nazism.

Anyway, did her predecessor , who I think everyone would acklnowledge is / was more highly thought of and respected, not wear a poppy ?

Erin Go Brath

Fratton Fred wrote:

I have and always will wear a red poppy. Look down your nose at me as much as you like, I don't care.

To say the Red Poppy glorifies the likes of Bloody Sunday, or the actions of the Black and Tans is like saying the Lilly glorifies attrocities such as Omagh as this was done in the name of a free Ireland was it not? If you are proud of this, then I look down my nose at you.

The poppy glorifies the British Armys war dead. It doesnt distinguish between those soliders who may have died bravely in WW2, or those fallen Black and Tans who terrorised ordinary Irish citizens or many other unjust wars where British soldiers had fallen.
Whilst I personally have nothing against the poppy, anybody that wants to wear it should be entitled to do so. You must see how wearing it in Ireland is seen by many to be inappropriate. The British Army did invade and occupy us against our will for several hundred years after all.

Erin Go Brath

vesp wrote:

What has Mary the mouth McAlesse got to do with it ?

If she was around in WW2 she would have liked to join Sean Russell on the Nazi submarine, instead of the 120,000 Irishmen who proudly volunteered to join Britains forces, and help fight Nazism.

Anyway, did her predecessor , who I think everyone would acklnowledge is / was more highly thought of and respected, not wear a poppy ?

Shes got nothing to do with it really I suppose. I'm just pointing out that many people (some prominent) believe the poppy is part of British culture, and there should be a seperate way of commemorating Irelands war dead in WW2, who yes died bravely. I'm not for a minute besmirching their memory btw, just people should wear shamrock or a symbol of Ireland in their memory.

vesp

Erin Go Brath wrote:

I'm just pointing out that many people (some prominent) believe the poppy is part of British culture,

Let them believe what they want. Do not let your opinions be coloured by their bitterness. So what if its part of British culture. Its part of our culture too as our histories are so intertwined on these islands. Besides, Man. united and Coronation St. are part of our culture as well in a way, in that many Irish people follow them.
If it was not for the British and the many people from around the world who fought with them against the Nazis + Italians + Japanese, we would be speaking German by now.( those of us not Jews or handicapped or communists or gypsies etc ).

sligobhoy67

vesp wrote:

Let them believe what they want. Do not let your opinions be coloured by their bitterness. So what if its part of British culture. Its part of our culture too as our histories are so intertwined on these islands. Besides, Man. united and Coronation St. are part of our culture as well in a way, in that many Irish people follow them.
If it was not for the British and the many people from around the world who fought with them against the Nazis + Italians + Japanese, we would be speaking German by now.( those of us not Jews or handicapped or communists or gypsies etc ).

Your true colours are really showing through now vesp!

and then the classic the Brits won WWII singlehanded and the "we would be speaking German by now" - funny that we are already speaking a foriegn language - the British tried to destroy our culture a long time before Germany rolled into Poland!

Fratton Fred

sligobhoy67 wrote:

Your true colours are really showing through now vesp!

and then the classic the Brits won WWII singlehanded and the "we would be speaking German by now" - funny that we are already speaking a foriegn language - the British tried to destroy our culture a long time before Germany rolled into Poland!

Britain did not win the war on her own, but I think it would be fair to say that if Britain had been defeated (Or more appropriately the RAF) then european politics would look a lot different to the way the do today.

Russia may have been ableto defeat Hitler on it's own, but where do you think it would have stopped? Poland? Germany? France? Britain? Ireland?

WWII was the single most important thing that has happened in global politics in the last hundred years and it very nearly turned out very different.

If the Irish politicians had their way, Ireland would have been German allies. Jesus they sent a letter of sympathy to the German people when Hitler killed himself. Even after the attrocities of Belsin and asuchwitz had become public knowledge.

Imagine what would have happened if he Irish had sided with Germany, Britain would have been forced to invade and Ireland would probably still be part of the UK.

It's all well and good critiscising Britain all the time, but take a look at your own governments shameful actions.

Flex

Fratton Fred wrote:

If the Irish politicians had their way, Ireland would have been German allies. Jesus they sent a letter of sympathy to the German people when Hitler killed himself. Even after the attrocities of Belsin and asuchwitz had become public knowledge.

What a bull**** comment. Have a look at the actions of the Irish government during WW2. We were neutral, but 'benevolently neutral' towards the Allies. Heres sme facts, all off wikipedia

The Allies & Neutrality

When, in 1941, the Irish police discovered "Plan Kathleen" in a residence where German agent Hermann Görtz had been staying the Irish promptly passed copies to MI5 in London who in turn forwarded them to the RUC in Belfast. Joint plans of action were then drawn up between the British and Irish intelligence services and military under Plan W.

General McKenna, the Irish Army's Chief of Staff, regularly visited British officers in Belfast and in 1942 twelve Irish officers undertook training with British special forces in Poyntzpass, County Armagh. Cooperation did not end there and also included the British signalling through GPO lines when it believed German planes were headed towards Ireland.

From December 1940 onwards the Dublin Government agreed to accept over 2000 British women and children evacuated from London due to "The Blitz". These evacuees included over two hundred children orphaned by the bombing.

Attacks on Irish vessels, a prime example being the attack on the "Kerlogue" which the British had attempted to pin on the Germans, but later admitted responsibility for and offered to pay compensation when fragments of British ammunition were discovered embedded in the ship.

The mining of the St. George's channel to within seven miles of the Irish coast at Dungarvan, and the use of Irish waters for British shipping traffic.

Axis & Neutrality

German pilots, aircrew and naval personnel who were discovered in Ireland were always interned and remained so for the duration of the conflict.

In July 1940, three German intelligence (Abwehr (German Intelligence) agents were arrested outside Skibbereen after landing near Castletownshend, County Cork. The agents' mission had been to infiltrate Britain via Ireland.

The activities of German Intelligence (Abwehr) agents in Ireland throughout the war years and their attempts to contact and court both Irish Republican Army (IRA) and disaffected Irish Army personnel - many of these agents, if not all, were captured/exposed. See main article IRA Abwehr WW2.

The German ambassador at the German Legation in Dublin, Eduard Hempel, had his radio confiscated in 1943 to prevent him from passing information to his leaders.

The U-boat torpedo attack which sunk the vessel "Irish Oak" on 19 May 1943. De Valera said that "it was a wanton and inexcusable act. There was no possibility of a mistake, the conditions of visibility were good and the neutral markings on our ships were clear. There was no warning given."

Repeated attempts to offer captured British weaponry to de Valera if he would side with Germans

Fianna Fáil and the political elite of Ireland also decided that there was no way Ireland could handle a major war due to the economic problems of the time and the neglect of the military since the civil war. De Valera stated in his wartime speeches, based on the experience of the League of Nations, that small states should stay out of the conflicts of big powers; hence Ireland's policy was officially "neutral", and the country did not publicly declare its support for either side – although in practice, while Luftwaffe pilots who crash-landed in Ireland and German sailors were interned, Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) pilots who crashed were usually allowed to cross the border into British territory. The internees were referred to as "guests of the nation". The German embassy had to pay for their keep. If they were on a non-combative mission they were repatriated. While it was easy for Allied pilots to make that claim, it was not realistic for Luftwaffe pilots to make a similar claim. Towards the end of the war, the German embassy was unable to pay, so the internees had to work on local farms. Strict wartime press censorship had the effect of controlling a moral reaction to the war's unfolding events and reiterated the public position that Irish neutrality was morally superior to the stance of any of the combatants [2].

USAAF aircraft were allowed to overfly County Donegal to bases in County Fermanagh. Many of these aircraft were manufactured in the United States, to be flown by the RAF. This was known as the 'Donegal Corridor'. Navigational markings are still, faintly, visible on mountains, such as Slieve League. There were many unfortunate crashes into these mountains. The bodies of dead airmen were handed over at the border. At the border the Guard of Honour performed a drill with reversed arms, a Bugler sounded the Last Post and a Chaplain gave a Blessing. An Allied officer, embarrassed that the coffins were being carried in open lorries, thanked the Irish for the "honour". The reply was: "Ours is the honour, but yours is the glory".[1]

USAAF aircraft en-route to North Africa refueled at Shannon Airport, flying boats at nearby Foynes. A total of 1,400 aircraft and 15,000 passengers passed through Foynes airport during the war years.

In the course of the war an estimated 70,000 citizens of neutral Ireland served as volunteers in the British Armed Forces (and another estimated 50,000 from Northern Ireland [3]), although this figure does not include Irish people who were resident in Britain before the war (though many used aliases). Some 200,000 Irish migrated to England to participate in the war economy— most of them stayed after the war. Those who went without proper papers were liable to be conscripted. Irish military intelligence (G2) shared information with the British military and even held secret meetings to decide what to do if Germany invaded Ireland in order to attack Britain, these plans were formulated into Plan W- a plan for joint Irish and British military action should the Germans invade. The Germans did have a plan to invade Ireland called Operation Green but it was only to be put into operation with the plans to conquer Britain- Operation Sealion. Irish weather reports were crucial to the timing of the D-Day landings. When the Irish aircraft sighted any German ships, planes or submarines they reported back to base by radio knowing that the messages were being picked up by the British authorities.

On Easter Tuesday, April 15 1941, 180 Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast. De Valera responded immediately to a request for assistance from Basil Brooke, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Within two hours, 13 fire tenders from Dublin, Drogheda, Dundalk and Dún Laoghaire were on their way to assist their Belfast colleagues. De Valera followed up with his "they are our people" speech and formally protested to Berlin. Joseph Goebbels instructed German radio not to repeat their report of the raid as Adolf Hitler was surprised at the Irish reaction, which might influence Irish Americans to bring the United States into the war. Although there was a later raid on May 4, it was confined to the docks and shipyards. (See Belfast blitz).

However Ireland wanted to maintain a public stance of neutrality and refused to close the German and Japanese embassies, and the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera even signed the book of condolence on Adolf Hitler’s death, on May 2, 1945. Unlike many other non-combatant countries, Ireland did not declare war on the near-defeated Germany in order to seize German assets.

There was no letter of sympathy )AFAIK), de Valera signed a book of condolence. Signing the book of condolence for Hitler, while rather extreme, wasnt because of any sympathy with Hitler or anything like that. It was because one of the major motivators behind neutrality had been to prove our independence; ie. Britain was involved in a major and prolonged war but we remained out of it and didnt (publically) take either side or give favor to either. Also the atrocities at the concentration camps were not well known at the time because of censorship. Most countries only declared war near the end when it was clear and obvious the Germans were gonna be defeated so they would receive Marshall Aid and seize German assets, how brave.

Imagine what would have happened if he Irish had sided with Germany, Britain would have been forced to invade and Ireland would probably still be part of the UK.

I bet they would have had a very heavy heart being forced to occupy Ireland again :rolleyes:

brianthebard

Actually concentration camps had been set up since 1933 and the actual holocaust happened outside of (pre-war) german borders so yes auschwitz was known about well before the war actually ended.

Fratton Fred

Flex wrote:

What a bull**** comment. Have a look at the actions of the Irish government during WW2. We were neutral, but 'benevolently neutral' towards the Allies. Heres sme facts, all off wikipedia







There was no letter of sympathy )AFAIK), de Valera signed a book of condolence. Signing the book of condolence for Hitler, while rather extreme, wasnt because of any sympathy with Hitler or anything like that. It was because one of the major motivators behind neutrality had been to prove our independence;

That's very convenient.

It's not bull****. There was an article about it in the Independent (I think) at Christmas. IIRC, De Velera was the main reason the Irish government was "Benevolent" towards the allies. There was a big call within the government to support Hitler because he was fighting Britain.

The letter of condolence did not come from De Velera, it was from one of his ministers, but it happened.

That's the trouble with Irish history, so much of it is conveniently "forgotten" and getting a truely neutral view (Something I am trying to do) is nigh on impossible.

csk

vesp wrote:

What has Mary the mouth McAlesse got to do with it ?

If she was around in WW2 she would have liked to join Sean Russell on the Nazi submarine, instead of the 120,000 Irishmen who proudly volunteered to join Britains forces, and help fight Nazism.

Anyway, did her predecessor , who I think everyone would acklnowledge is / was more highly thought of and respected, not wear a poppy ?

As the symbol of The Republic that we live in, she should not, nor be expected, to wear a poppy. remember many equally proud and brave men died in an attepmt to achieve that Republic (now I'm only refering to the War of Independence here not the Civil War or Anything that went on in the North.)

Now my grand uncle was one of those 120,000 who joined the British Army and helped fight Nazism and I still don't wear a poppy and never will.
this is simply because the poppy is a British Symbol and I'm Irish.

I don't want to bring up the old chestnut of 800 years of oppression. But the reality is that for, better or worse, it happened. the result of which is a not too unnatural resentment and an awkward relation to those who died serving an Army and a State that was at odds with our National aspirations.

If, as many people have already advocated, a purely Irish symbol was brought in to encorporate those who fought for Britain then i would consider it.

However this is a very hard thing to achieve. while on the one hand it can be argued that those serving in WWI were taking part in a war that was 'technically' our war since the Union with Britian wasn't severed.
those that fought in WWII did so under a completely Foreign flag and for a completely foreign State.
now if you consider one of the reasons that we stayed Neutral during WWII was mainly to assert our soverign independence from Britain and throw in the 800 years as well as the situation with the North.
then becomes a very complicated matter that cannot be taken in the Black and White terms that most people here are insisting it is.

Fratton Fred

As a point of order, the Poppy is not a British symbol, it is a general symbol of rememberence.

I found this on a canadian site.

Why the Poppy?
Today, fields of brilliant poppies still grow in France.
A writer first made the connection between the poppy and battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, remarking that fields that were barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

During the tremendous bombardments of the First World War the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing 'popaver rhoeas' to thrive. When the war ended the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to disappear again.

After John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields was published in 1915 the poppy became a popular symbol for soldiers who died in battle.

Three years later an American, Moina Michael, was working in a New York City YMCA canteen when she started wearing a poppy in memory of the millions who died on the battlefield.

During a 1920 visit to the United States a French woman, Madame Guerin, learned of the custom. On her return to France she decided to use handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country. In November, 1921, the first poppies were distributed in Canada.

Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red plant has never died. And neither have Canadian's memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle.

murphaph

In those days of WWI, the streets we wak were of course as british as Glasgow (or wherever) is today...........

brianthebard

csk wrote:

I don't want to bring up the old chestnut of 800 years of oppression. But the reality is that for, better or worse, it happened. the result of which is a not too unnatural resentment and an awkward relation to those who died serving an Army and a State that was at odds with our National aspirations.

Where is this resentment in Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia? I don't see it.

If, as many people have already advocated, a purely Irish symbol was brought in to encorporate those who fought for Britain then i would consider it.

However this is a very hard thing to achieve. while on the one hand it can be argued that those serving in WWI were taking part in a war that was 'technically' our war since the Union with Britian wasn't severed.
those that fought in WWII did so under a completely Foreign flag and for a completely foreign State.
now if you consider one of the reasons that we stayed Neutral during WWII was mainly to assert our soverign independence from Britain and throw in the 800 years as well as the situation with the North.
then becomes a very complicated matter that cannot be taken in the Black and White terms that most people here are insisting it is.

The reason for being "neutral" had nothing to do with asserting independence.
So what if people fought for a foreign state? I don't see what bearing this has on whether you wear the poppy or not.

Erin Go Brath

vesp wrote:

Let them believe what they want. Do not let your opinions be coloured by their bitterness. So what if its part of British culture. Its part of our culture too as our histories are so intertwined on these islands. Besides, Man. united and Coronation St. are part of our culture as well in a way, in that many Irish people follow them.
If it was not for the British and the many people from around the world who fought with them against the Nazis + Italians + Japanese, we would be speaking German by now.( those of us not Jews or handicapped or communists or gypsies etc ).

We're speaking English now, because Cromwell and his wonderful Ironsides came over and forced us to speak English, whilst slaughtering half the country.

Personally I couldnt care less whether we spoke German instead of English. Irish is our heritage and our national language, any other language is foreign.

You should read up on a bit of Irish history, these British chappies that came here weren't as pleasent as many would have you believe!!!!

Fratton Fred

Erin Go Brath wrote:

We're speaking English now, because Cromwell and his wonderful Ironsides came over and forced us to speak English, whilst slaughtering half the country.

Personally I couldnt care less whether we spoke German instead of English. Irish is our heritage and our national language, any other language is foreign.

You should read up on a bit of Irish history, these British chappies that came here weren't as pleasent as many would have you believe!!!!

Cromwell and his New Model Army came here because the Irish Confederates had signed an agreement with the Royalists to help overthrow Parliament and restore the monarchy to the throne, in return for land in England.

I'm not defending Cromwell's tactics, (although I see there are now a lot of people questioning the way his conquest has been recorded) but Cromwell had to invade to defeat the Confederates. If not, history may have been very very different.

but if you want to go back in history, why not ask the Welsh how they feel about being attacked on a regular basis by the Irish (How exactly did St Patrick end up in Ireland) or why do you not hate Scandinavians the way people do the English? they invaded, raped and pillaged Ireland a long time before the British.

Diorraing

vesp wrote:

If it was not for the British and the many people from around the world who fought with them against the Nazis + Italians + Japanese, we would be speaking German by now.( those of us not Jews or handicapped or communists or gypsies etc ).

And if it wasn't for the English we'd be speaking Irish now. And would not have suffered oppression, famine, degradation for centuries. I don't appreciate your selective memory, sir.

brianthebard

Jesus can we please stop with the alternative history nonsense, its going nowhere, it never will, and has nothing to do with the poppy.

Fratton Fred

Diorraing wrote:

And if it wasn't for the English we'd be speaking Irish now. And would not have suffered oppression, famine, degradation for centuries. I don't appreciate your selective memory, sir.

The English were responsible for the famine as well were they? I suppose they brought potato blight to Ireland to teach the catholicas a lesson:eek:

The British have been out of Ireland for 90 years now and the country is still living on hand outs. Maybe the Irish just aren't that good at running a country.

Diogenes

Fratton Fred wrote:

The British have been out of Ireland for 90 years now and the country is still living on hand outs. .

Wow....have you like opened a paper, or indeed, your front door any time in the last decade?

Fratton Fred

Diogenes wrote:

Wow....have you like opened a paper, or indeed, your front door any time in the last decade?

err yeah.

And everywhere I go I see Global companies here because they are getting massive tax incentives; and roads and public transport being paid for by the EU.

Diogenes

Fratton Fred wrote:

err yeah.

And everywhere I go I see Global companies here because they are getting massive tax incentives; and roads and public transport being paid for by the EU.

Subsidised by the EU, we ceased to be a benefactor of EU largess a number of years ago, and now are a contributor.

As to the global companies, what? you want every business to be an irish business? you do understand its a global marketplace now, and companies go where there is a skilled workforce, and suitable incentives...

csk

brianthebard wrote:

Where is this resentment in Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia? I don't see it.

TBH I have no idea. It has nothing to do with the point I was making.

Now if you were asking in some round about way, why I think that the resentment in Ireland was a natural one.Well then that's a different story.

So what if people fought for a foreign state? I don't see what bearing this has on whether you wear the poppy or not.

That was more to do with the reference to Mary MacAleese wearing a poppy.
I realise now my post was slightly muddled in that regard.

with regards to the poppy not being a British symbol.
What is the exact definition of the poppy then?

so far this thread has been far from enlightening with people claiming it is a symbol for all British Soldiers who died including Black and Tans, those in the North etc.

While others point to the fact it is merely to commerate those who fell in both world wars.

Others have claimed buying the poppy is just to support the organistaion that looks after the graves of the war dead, of which a good few are Irish.

So what is it exactly?
It may not have originated in Britain but it has certainly been hijacked to some extent by them (at least imo).

I mean do the Germans, Japanese, Russians, Italians or French use the poppy as a symbol or acknowledge it?

What about the Spanish or Swiss or any other nation?

Hagar

I saw poppy wreaths laid at French War memorials near where I live. The ceremony was attended by various reprentatives of the Allies. I can't be sure who laid it. At a guess I'd say it was laid by a Briton. The French tend to lay Laurel wreaths with the French Tricolour across them.

These memorials are very local. Small towns with only a thousand occupants and yet there might be several hundred names engraved on the monument. Many have the same surnames, brothers, father, cousins uncles. They proudly honour and remember their dead. It's incredibly sad to read the names. Strangely I thought of the French custom of kissing upon meeting and the closeness it brings. It must have made the losses harder to take. But I digress.

For me the Poppy is fine if you want to wear it. I really don't mind if you are remembering an Irishman, an Englishman or a Frenchman. They all deserve to have their sacrifice acknowledged. I'm not sure I like the policy adopted by the British TV stations of "encouraging" all newreaders, interviewers and interviewees to wear them. I think it's too personal an issue to have forced upon you.

Fratton Fred

Hagar wrote:

I'm not sure I like the policy adopted by the British TV stations of "encouraging" all newreaders, interviewers and interviewees to wear them. I think it's too personal an issue to have forced upon you.

IIRC, the main policy is not to forget and the wearing of a poppy is a very visible way of doing this. As more and more people who experienced the two world wars pass away, so are the memories. There is a big push in the UK to mark 11am on the 11th November, so that people do not forget the great human sacrifice that has taken place due to conflict.

Google "Poppy" and see what comes up. There are Australian and Canadian websites as well as many others.

And the British have not "Hijacked" the poppy, they just use it. No one makes a profit out of the Poppy, no has patented it to prevent others using it, it is just a symbol used in Britain to remember those who fell.

tallus

Rememberance day is also there so people wont forget.

A Dub in Glasgo

csk wrote:

TBH I have no idea. It has nothing to do with the point I was making.

Now if you were asking in some round about way, why I think that the resentment in Ireland was a natural one.Well then that's a different story.





That was more to do with the reference to Mary MacAleese wearing a poppy.
I realise now my post was slightly muddled in that regard.

with regards to the poppy not being a British symbol.
What is the exact definition of the poppy then?

so far this thread has been far from enlightening with people claiming it is a symbol for all British Soldiers who died including Black and Tans, those in the North etc.

While others point to the fact it is merely to commerate those who fell in both world wars.

Others have claimed buying the poppy is just to support the organistaion that looks after the graves of the war dead, of which a good few are Irish.

So what is it exactly?
It may not have originated in Britain but it has certainly been hijacked to some extent by them (at least imo).

I mean do the Germans, Japanese, Russians, Italians or French use the poppy as a symbol or acknowledge it?

What about the Spanish or Swiss or any other nation?

From the horses mouth

The Royal British Legion wrote:

The Royal British Legion is the UK's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants. Currently, nearly 10.5 million people are eligible for our support and we receive thousands of calls for help every year.

The Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-Service community and over 450,000 members continue to ensure that this voice does not go unheard. Although the needs of ex-Service people have changed over the years, we are still there to safeguard their welfare, interests and memory. British service people are in action around the world every day of the year. They know that if they need our support - now or in the future - the Legion is always on active duty for them.

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/content/Who-We-Are-508920.shtml

Fratton Fred

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

From the horses mouth



http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/content/Who-We-Are-508920.shtml

so now we know what the Royal British Legion do. I'm pretty sure every country around the world has a similar organisation.