Picture galleries
Men, horses and mud
The watercolour illustrations in this gallery are by Soren Hawkes, a British artist living in Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium. Both his great grandfather and great uncle served in World War One and Soren’s studio overlooks the panel on which his great uncle’s name is listed on the Menin Gate.
Twelve months with the Scots Guards
From Germany to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Falklands, photographer Lalage Snow followed the Scots Guards on their travels over 2007-08. Here is a selection of images that appear in her book,
Full Deployment: a year in the life of the Scots Guards.
Armistice Day at the NMA 2009
Following on from the commemorations on Remembrance Sunday at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the ‘living memorial’ hosted a royal guest, HRH Prince Edward, for the Armistice Day service.
Remembrance Sunday at the NMA
Remembrance Sunday was commemorated at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire with two outdoor services and a parade and march past.
RAF competition 2009
Click here to see some of the talent from the RAF photography competition 2009
Orpington Hospital remembers
This Remembrancetide, Orpington Hospital will unveil a new artwork in its grounds; a history panel to commemorate the Canadian soldiers who were treated there during and after World War I.
Ride to the Wall 2009
This year saw more than 5,000 bikers sign up for the National Memorial Arboretum's charity fundraiser, Ride to the Wall 2009. Click here to view the latest snaps, courtesy of fotocapricorn
Vanished Armies
Haswell Miller didn’t paint death and destruction, even though it was all around the WWI soldier. Instead, he created a vast and valuable pictorial history of European military uniform
The Soldiers perform for the press
New pop group The Soldiers are set for stardom this week, as their debut single, Coming Home, is released. Here’s a clip of the lads performing at their recent showcase, held at the Cabinet War Rooms in London
Princess Royal opens RAF remembrance garden at NMA
The first national remembrance garden, in memory of all those who have served in the RAF and Commonwealth air forces, has been opened by HRH The Princess Royal at the National Memorial Arboretum
Berlin Airlift remembered
A special service of commemoration to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Airlift took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Saturday 26 September 2009
The art of Stuart Brown
Military artist and aviation enthusiast Stuart Brown studied illustration at the Southampton Institute in Hampshire. He is now an established painter, and has worked on projects for the MoD
Market Garden remembered
WWII Veterans remembered the 65th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden, Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Netherlands recently
NMA memorials
The National Memorial Arboretum is home to more than 100 memorial sites dedicated to military units. It is located in Alrewas, near Burton on Trent in Staffordshire and is intended to be a living memorial. Here is a selection of some of the memorials that you can see at the NMA.
The Armed Forces Memorial
The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, is the first national memorial dedicated to the men and women of the United Kingdom Armed Forces killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action since the Second World War
Fancy a winter break? Visit the George Cross island
Malta is a military historian’s dream – whether it’s Roman ruins, big guns from the 19th century or Spitfires and Hurricanes from World War II. Legion magazine is featuring the destination in the Winter edition, but here’s a sneak preview
Poppy People recruitment campaign hits right notes
Classical singer and staunch Poppy Appeal supporter, Hayley Westenra, visited London’s Leadenhall Market to help launch the Royal British Legion’s Poppy People recruitment drive
Undercover: Life in Churchill’s Bunker
The Cabinet War Rooms is marking its 70th birthday with a new exhibition, which features photos and artefacts that reveal what life was like for those working inside the rooms during World War II
The Dunkirk Memorial House art group
Click here to see a selection of paintings from the talented art group at the Legion’s Dunkirk Memorial House, Somerset
First Shots – Early War Photography 1848-60
Click here to view some of the world’s first war photographs – dating all the way back to the 1800s and to the time of the Crimean War
The Red Arrows in action
A new book,
Red Arrows: The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team in Action, celebrates the history of a British icon, which has attracted a Legion of fans from all over the world.
Armed Forces Day 2009
Thousands gathered all over the UK to celebrate Britain’s first Armed Forces Day on 27 June. Click here to look at the events from the day.
Peregrine Trophy 2009
The annual Peregrine Photography competition selects some of the best and brightest talent from Royal Navy service personnel. You can view some of the winning snaps here.
D-Day 65
For a selection of pictures from the D-Day 65 weekend, click here. Thousands of people descended on Normandy at the weekend to pay their respects for the lives lost on 6 June 1944, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Occupation
James Nesbitt stars in a new BBC drama focusing on soldiers in Iraq. Set in both Basra and England, the three-part series spans five years following the 2003 invasion, and explores the personal journeys of three friends. Click here for a sneak preview
Party in Portsmouth
Click here to see the RBL’s Party in Portsmouth to commemorate D-Day 65, including an air display by the Parachute Regiment Freefall Team, the Red Devils and an RAF Hercules Poppy drop of one million poppies
Cups and awards 2009
The year's most impressive Legion performers were presented with their awards at the Annual Conference in Eastbourne. The cups, shields and certificates were presented by the Legion’s National President, Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely
Frontlines – Images from Iraq
Frontlines – Images from Iraq features paintings and drawings of soldiers from 19 Light Brigade deployed on Operation Telic. Click here to view a selection of the pictures from the exhibition, running from 12-30 May
Caught on Canvas
For a taster of the National Army Museum's latest painting exhibition,
Caught on Canvas, click here. This marks the first of a rolling programme of exhibitions at the museum's new gallery, White Space. Runs from June 2009
Riders raise thousands for Legion
Click here to view the RBL Riders Branch hand over a total of £21,000 raised from the 2008 Poppy Appeal. The members of the branch, who all share a passion for motorcycles, presented the cheque to the Legion at the Tank Museum
Veterans Badge presentation at Westminster Palace
Veterans of the British armed forces were invited to Westminster Palace on 30 March 2009 where they were presented with badges – and in one case long-awaited medals
Prisoners of War exhibition
Captured: The Extraordinary life of PoWs features the stories of British and Commonwealth prisoners who were interned in Europe and the Far East. Exhibition runs from 23rd May 2009 to 3rd January 2010 at Imperial War Museum North
The Queen opens the new Legion head office
HM The Queen, the patron of The Royal British Legion, opened the new charity’s new headquarters in London. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the royal party went on to meet beneficiaries of the Legion
Worldwide cemeteries of the Commonwealth
Some 150 countries offer a permanent home to the 1.7 million Commonwealth casualties from the World Wars. To view some of these poignant, and beautiful cemeteries – scroll through our gallery
RAF photography competition 2008
More than 1,300 photographs across 13 categories were entered by RAF personnel for the RAF’s annual photography competition 2008. Scroll through some of the winning photographs here
Art and Conflict exhibition
Art and Conflict at the Together’s Our Space gallery in London features work by veterans who have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Runs until 16 January 2009
Gurkhas march on Downing Street - Video
A quarter of a million signatures bolstered support for the
Gurkha Rights Campaign and they were handed in at Downing Street by actress Joanna Lumley on 20 November 2008. Watch exclusive footage of the day's events here
Wellcome collection
‘War and medicine: 150 years of life and loss’ is held at the Wellcome Trust, in London. Featuring new work by contemporary artist David Cotterrell, it explores the often uneasy, but evolving, relationship between warfare and medicine
This Is War! Robert Capa at The Barbican
The Barbican Art Gallery reflects on conflict and its visual representation in an exhibition that features some of Robert Capa’s most iconic shots. Runs until 25 January 2009
'Silence in the square' - Video
Armistice Day on 11 November was marked by a two-minute silence at Trafalgar Square. Among the celebrities at the Legion-inspired event were Rolf Harris and John Hurt. This video will give you a flavour of the morning's events
'Silence in the Square' - Gallery
The Legion’s ‘Silence in the Square,’ on the 11th November, commemorated 90 years since the end of the Great War. Rolf Harris and award-winning actor John Hurt were among the celebrity performers supporting The Poppy Appeal
Flanders' field of poppies
A ‘Flanders' Field of Poppies’ by the Menin Gate memorial at the famous Belgian WWI battle site commemorated the 90th anniversary of WWI
The Garden of Remembrance
Ex-service personnel joined together for the official opening of the Garden of Remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral
Poppy Appeal in Leadenhall Market
Around a hundred former servicemen and women gathered in the City of London to collect for the Poppy Appeal in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday
Wingrove gallery
A chance to revisit WWI artist Captain John Wingrove’s drawings of his fellow comrades in the Royal Artillery
'Unspeakable' exhibition
A preview of the the Imperial War Museum's harrowing exhibition of artwork by holocaust survivors
Legion bikers on Poppy Run
RBL Riders Branch, one of the Legion’s National Branch’s, set itself an unusual challenge for its 2008 Poppy Run: to visit seven Poppy Homes in seven days
Veterans Day 2008 A round-up of the celebrations from across the country
Cups and Awards 2008 The year's top Legion performers received their rewards at the Annual Conference in Southport. Cups and awards were handed out by National President Air Marshal Ian MacFadyen
Chelsea Flower Show The Royal British Legion at the Chelsea Flower Show 2008
Bevin boys Photographs of the Bevin Boys badge ceremony
RAF Duxford Photographs of the RAF Duxford anniversary celebrations
Role of Honour Photographs of Corporal Bharminder Singh Osahan of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
RAF 90th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Photographs of the RAF's 90th anniversary celebrations
