Organisations that serve Watton

The Royal British Legion Watton and District Branch

This year (2006) is the 85th anniversary of the founding of the British Legion in 1921. It was started to provide practical and financial help and employment to ex-soldiers left destitute after the First World War. One of the men involved in the formation of the British Legion, as it was first called, was Lord Walsingham, father of the present holder of the title, who assisted Earl Haig. Lord Walsingham was also instrumental in the formation of the Watton branch of the British Legion in 1921 thus making it one of the founding branches

The Royal British Legion was granted its Royal Charter in 1971, 50 years after its formation as the British Legion, and is the largest UK ex-service charity created to provide welfare help and employment to former members of the armed forces who have fallen on hard times. The Legion serves all ex-service men and women, young and old, who have been willing to fight for peace and freedom, either through combat or as peace-keepers, as National Service people or as members of the Territorial Army. The legion looks after those left behind, the many spouses, widows, widowers, children and grandparents who either spend a lifetime caring for an ex-service person or a lifetime trying to face life without them.

Another function of the Royal British Legion is to keep alive the acts of remembrance of all British and Commonwealth service personnel who have died in military action whether it be in the two World Wars or subsequent conflicts such as Malaya, Suez, Aden, Kenya, Northern Ireland, Falkland Islands, Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, since 1945 there has only been one year (1968) when no serviceman or woman has not been killed in action. This remembrance officially takes place in November every year on Remembrance Sunday at the end of the poppy appeal national collection which takes place in the fortnight prior.

   
Remembrance Day 2005
Photographs courtesy of Richard Crabtree www.watton-norfolk.org.uk

The Watton and District Branch meets at the Hare and Barrel Motel on Brandon Road Watton at 8.00pm on the third Tuesday in each month. Although the Royal British Legion still has its main function of helping the ex-service community and dependents (i.e. anyone who has received 7 days pay in any of the armed forces) membership of the legion is now open to anyone who supports its aims and objectives.

Anyone interested in joining the Watton and District Branch or simply finding out more please go to www.Watton-Legion.org

 

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