Organised by the Royal British Legion (RBL) since 1927, the March Past will bring together around 10,000 British and Commonwealth veterans and civilian members of the Armed Forces community to honour all those who have fallen in the two World Wars and in every conflict since.
Travelling from as far as Australia, and with ages ranging from eight to 101, the Royal British Legion’s March Past the Cenotaph unites people across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember those who have served to defend our democratic freedoms and way of life.
.jpg?sfvrsn=d6496e81_2&method=ResizeFitToAreaArguments&width=440&height=660&Signature=04CD255B4F96FD84DAEF59354AFDE8C67FDC362E "Sid Machin, Army (service)")
.jpg?sfvrsn=4755d94_2&method=ResizeFitToAreaArguments&width=440&height=660&Signature=778E2D52AB62922AE64D1D365C6E2DD9D4D1B943 "Sid Machin, Army (recent)")
Sid Machin, one of six 101-year-olds registered to march this year, has spent a poignant year reflecting on his service in the Far East, having recently attended the Royal British Legion’s Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum to mark the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day in August.
“I am proud to be marching at the Cenotaph today with the Chindit Society to mark the end of an emotional year remembering my own and my comrades service in the Far East. It was tough but we just had to get on with it and watch out for each other. I will be thinking of everyone I served with and especially those that didn't make it home."
Leading Wren Eileen Marshall, 98, is one of just three female Second World War veterans expected to march at the Cenotaph this year. Eileen, from Yorkshire, left home in 1944 aged 17 to join the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS). After initial training she was drafted to HMS Ganges where her role was looking after the Officers’ Quarters.
“Serving in the WRNS was one of the happiest times of my life, but also one of the saddest, especially when sailors were lost at sea, including my cousin. On Remembrance Sunday, I will be marching with the HMS Ganges Association to honour all those who gave their lives, including my husband Ray, who served with the Highland Regiment and passed away in 1994. I will proudly wear his medals as I remember him and all the fallen.”
"In a year that marks 80 years since Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan, we reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of the Second World War generation, aware that this is one of the nation’s last opportunities to recognise, thank and honour the small number of veterans still with us today. As we come together on Remembrance Sunday, we not only pay tribute to them but to all those who have bravely defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. From risking their lives in war zones to spending time away from their families, and providing vital support during emergencies and humanitarian disasters, the dedication of our Armed Forces community is extraordinary. We encourage the nation to pause, reflect and remember their service and sacrifice."
Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance at the Royal British Legion
For many, the March Past is a time to reunite with friends and family. With an impressive 65 years of Army service between them, father Phil, and sons Lee and Gavin Hubbard will march past the Cenotaph together for the first time with the newly formed Afghanistan Veterans Community. Phil and Lee served on the same tour in Iraq (Op Telic 3) in 2003–04 and even met briefly while deployed.
“One of the big challenges was putting being a father aside. There were times when something would happen and I’d think, ‘where’s my boy?’ But of course, they’re all our boys, and I cared about everyone – that was very difficult.”
Phil Hubbard (pictured centre)
All three will be remembering fallen colleagues on the day and say it’s important to come together to honour all who served.
“It’s an honour to take part in the Royal British Legion’s March Past. For me, it’s about coming to the home of Remembrance and being at that central point to show my respects. It’s an opportunity to represent those who can’t be there.”
Gavin Hubbard (pictured right)
For the past two weeks, the RBL has been running its annual Poppy Appeal, with 50,000 collectors across the country raising money to support serving and ex-serving personnel and their families across the Armed Forces community. One collector, Army veteran Rudi Champagnie, 69, will march with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. After suffering from PTSD following his service in Northern Ireland, Rudi received support from the RBL. Since then, he has spent 23 years raising over £750,000 for the charity. Rudi said:
“If the angel at the RBL hadn’t come to see me, I don’t think I would be here today. I don’t have money to give, but I have time. I march on Remembrance Sunday with pride for my honourable service with C Company 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and in remembrance of my friends and colleagues we lost in Northern Ireland in 1975, including my best friend, James Duncan.”
In 2021, the RBL opened up the March to youth groups, as a reminder that Remembrance belongs to all generations and backgrounds. Marching this year for the first time will be 15 young people representing ScoutsCymru, marking their centenary year. This year’s march holds deep personal meaning for 14-year-old Polly Lees, who is taking part to honour her great-grandfather, Sergeant Keith Brown, a Far East prisoner of war during the Second World War. A significant day for the whole family, Polly’s Grandmother, Christine Lees, 78 – Sergeant Brown’s daughter – will also march with Children of Far East Prisoners of War (COFEPOW).
“I think that Remembrance Day is incredibly important. My Nan’s dad, Sergeant Keith Brown, was taken prisoner of war in 1942. He was kept in Changi Prison then sent in a cattle truck to Kanchanaburi camp on the Burma Railway and slept for three years on a bamboo shelf in all weathers. He did what he could for money including selling his wedding ring for duck eggs. My Nan marches every year with COFEPOW and is immensely proud that I’m participating in the RBL’s March Past this year.”