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RBL President Lt Gen James Bashall and wreath layers at the Cenotaph to mark our centenary
  1. Stories

Celebrating 100 years of support

On 15 May we marked our centenary with a special event at the Cenotaph, recreating the moment 100 years ago when the British Legion was formed.

RBL National President Lieutenant General James Bashall CB CBE laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and was joined by representatives from the Navy, Army, RAF and Merchant Navy along with a military widow.
Representatives of the Armed Forces laying wreaths at the Cenotaph for our centenary
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Representatives of the Armed Forces at the Cenotaph to mark our centenary

Cenotaph_RBL_100-1-10
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RBL National President Lieutenant General James Bashall CB CBE
Sgt Ben Poku laying a wreath on behalf of the Army
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Sgt Ben Poku joined the Army in 2000 and currently works as a nurse at Catterick Garrison. He has been working throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, assisting NHS staff with training, testing and vaccinations. 
Sgt Natasha Weatherstone laying a wreath on behalf of the RAF
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Sgt Natasha Weatherstone serves as a nurse in the Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service and in the last year has been working shifts on Covid-19 wards. Natasha is also an RBL volunteer, distributing poppies during the Poppy Appeal.

RBL member Martyn Coombs who served at sea for 37 years
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RBL member Martyn Coombs served at sea for 37 years in various ranks. His naval service included working onboard the hospital ship 'Uganda' during the Falklands. He was awarded the South Atlantic Medal in 1982 and in 2008, the Merchant Navy Medal.
A military widow laying a wreath
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Emma is a military widow to Lt Col Simon Gray who sadly passed away at the age of 28 in 2016 following a cancer diagnosis in 2013.

We were also honoured to have received a message from HRH The Prince of Wales that was recorded specially for our Centenary Annual Conference.

A proud life member of RBL, The Prince of Wales paid tribute to all those who helped build the organisation we are today, and to all those who will be part of our future.

100 years of supporting the Armed Forces community

Join us to mark our 100th anniversary by adding your message of support for the Armed Forces community on our online message board.
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Members of the RBL Riders Branch lay wreaths at South Shields War Memorial
The Riders Branch at South Shields War Memorial

Branches join the celebration

Branches around the world joined us to mark the occasion, laying wreaths at local war memorials.
The Riders Branch at South Shields War Memorial
RBL centenary coin for FA Cup final

Emirates FA Cup final

In the build up to the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley a special RBL commemorative coin was used for the coin toss, created by our partner The Westminster Collection.
The Westminster Collection

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Telling our story

In our centenary year, we are bringing to life your personal stories, memories and charitable work so that we can tell the story of the RBL last 100 years.

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Poppy Day

100 years of RBL

Discover more about RBL's proud heritage and how a century of supporting the Armed Forces community has built a charity ready for the next 100 years.

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11th November 1928: The anniversary of the day that fighting ended in World War I at the Cenotaph, Whitehall.

Championing Remembrance

We've been the champions of Remembrance since 1921. We've shaped Remembrance from the adoption of Madame Guérin’s red poppy, through to campaigning to define a more inclusive form of Remembrance.

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Jason with his kids

How our supporters helped change the lives of a veteran and his family

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the lives of Army veteran Jason and his family were impacted. Thanks to our kind supporters, we were able to help Jason and his children.

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