History and Online Museum of  the  Royal British Legion in North Staffordshire
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 Unity Badges of the Founding Associations

  The British Legion

The History of The British Legion commenced with its formation on Sunday 15 May 1921 by the amalgamation of four other associations as a result of the 1920 Unity Conference:

National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (1916)

National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers (1917) 

Comrades of The Great War (1917) 

Officers' Association (1920)

The amalgamation of these four* diverse bodies can be attributed largely to two men Field Marshall Earl Haig and Mr T F Lister of The Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers. The Unity Badge exhibition below is a collection of almost all the ex-service associations that formed the British Legion. See also Comrades of The Great War Badge Exhibition.

*National Union of Ex-servicemen
It is not widely known but there were in actual fact five organisations  involved in the early unity talks of August 1920, but the National Union of Servicemen  withdrew from the talks and have been lost in the annals of ex-service history.

Once again this online museum thanks the British Legion Memorabilia Collectors Club for their generosity in allowing this collection to be displayed to a wider audience.

 

 

National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (1916)

Members Lapel Badge

Batty & Sons Manchester

Enamel Badges

National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers (1917)

Members Lapel Badge

Government Issue

Solid silver not hallmarked

Comrades of The Great War (1917)

Members Badge

Thomas Fattorini & Sons Bradford

Enamel Badges

National Union of Ex-servicemen (1919)

Members Badge

No Manufacturer attributed to J R Gaunt & Sons

Enamel& Gilt Badge

 
 

 

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THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

TA100 Logo

TA Veterans from around the United Kingdom are invited to attend  the  National TA100 Armed Forces Memorial Parade and Service at the National Memorial Arboretum Staffordshire. Saturday 13th September 2008 1400  hours. Contact Bob Rankin
TA Veterans Organiser for TA Veterans, Royal British Legion & Regimental Associations
Telephone: 01782 444246
Mobile: 07921 611280. Click on link to the TA100 Armed Forces Memorial  Event page.


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Take a visit to
British Legion Memorabilia Collectors Club
a dedicated web site for the serious collector of British Legion History.