A unique day

2011 is The Royal British Legion's 90th anniversary but this year is doubly special - because it is a once-in-a-lifetime Remembrance Day.

At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 2011 - 11-11-11-11 - we will be remembering those who were willing to lay down their lives for their country.

We've invited you to be a special part of of this unique occasion, by leaving a message to go on a poppy to be planted at Wootton Bassett, the town where thousands of people have paid their respects during repatriations in recent years which you may have seen on TV. Online dedications have now closed but please visit our special Field of Remembrance.

Many people associate Remembrance Day with heroes of D-Day or the Battle of Britain's Spitfire pilots. Some people think of the deeds of the SAS during the Falklands conflict or, of course, Flanders Fields from World War I, carpeted in poppies growing where so many men lost their lives.

But in the last few years it's also been about the nation showing its support for the soldiers returning injured and traumatised from current conflicts.

FOR THEM Let's recognise our nation's bravest

Taken prisoner at Dunkirk in 1940, surviving on rotten potatoes... 

Lance Corporal Syd Stubley thought he'd had his chips and spent the next five years doing hard labour in a prisoner-of-war camp.

In 1945, he and a mate took their chances and escaped surviving for 10 weeks on a diet of bad potatoes dug up with their bare hands.

Read more of Syd's story here. 

FOR NOW in a special, one-off occasion

When Peter lost his legs it took him a year to find his feet ... That was May 2008, in Helmand Province when an explosion threw his six tonne armoured Viking twenty feet, landing on his legs.

Peter had a double amputation and spent five months in hospital unable to even turn over in bed. He spent another seven months learning to use his new prosthetic legs and with support from the Legion, he's learning to walk again. He's back in uniform and is even a member of the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team.

Read more of Peter's story and those of our other ten heroes here.

FOREVER and offer them our lifelong support

Remembrance Day is about remembering the bravery of men like Syd and making sure we have the funds to support our veterans at our Care Homes or to remain in their own homes, with help from our Handy Van service.

This year, more and more of our brave boys will be returning from Afghanistan, wounded and traumatised. They stood up to be counted. Now they're counting on us.

That's why Remembrance Day is also about recognising the scarifices made by men and women like Peter - and making sure we have the funds to support returning Armed Forces personnel at Personnel Recovery Centres and our Battle Back Centre.

Our online poppy dedications are now closed but you can still make a donation to help us to help them - now, and for the rest of their lives.