Battle Poppy Appeal

Tonight we stand proudly behind the England team, carrying with us the spirit, pride and determination that has inspired generations. As we remember the heroes of 1966, we also pause to honour the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country. Their courage and dedication will never be forgotten.

Lest We Forget.
Come on, England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️🤍

ARMED FORCES DAY
Today, we honour the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of the men and women who serve and have served in our Armed Forces.

On Armed Forces Day, we say thank you—for your bravery, your commitment, and for protecting our freedoms.

We stand with you. ❤️🤍💙

Today we remember the Battle of Kohima, fought between April and June 1944, one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War.

British, Indian and Commonwealth forces stopped the Japanese advance into India in a fierce battle that has become known as the “Stalingrad of the East.” The courage and determination shown at Kohima helped change the course of the war in the Far East.

Did you know that East Sussex has its own memorial to the Battle of Kohima and the Burma Campaign?

In the Pavilion Gardens at Eastbourne stands the Pinwe Memorial Stone, dedicated to the men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and all those who fought and died in Burma during the Second World War. The memorial even bears the famous Kohima Epitaph. (Imperial War Museums)

The 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment fought in the Burma Campaign from 1943 until the end of the war, serving in some of the harshest conditions faced by British soldiers.

Men from Sussex helped drive back the Japanese advance following the pivotal battles of Imphal and Kohima, which turned the tide of the war in the Far East.

Today, when we remember Kohima, we are also remembering local men from towns and villages across Sussex who served thousands of miles from home in the jungles of Burma.

The words on the Kohima Memorial remain as powerful today as they were in 1944:

“When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”

Lest We Forget.

Did you know…?

There are Royal British Legion clubs all over the country and we love to meet new potential members.

Membership of the Royal British Legion starts from just £22.00 a year

That local branches of the Royal British Legion help to look after veterans who are in need of help such as replacement fridges, cookers or just someone to talk to.

The Royal British Legion clubs and the Poppy Appeal are run separately from each other, everything raised by the Poppy Appeal goes directly to helping serving and ex serving personal NO wages, cars etc

The Poppy Appeal has only an 18-day window to do the majority of its fund raising.

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Fancy meeting up with like minded people? Contact Your nearest branch at Little common.

Welcome to the Little Common Branch of The Royal British Legion - Little Common Branch - The Royal British Legion is a UK charity providing help and welfare to the serving and ex-Service community and their families. It is also one of the country's largest membership organisations and best-known as the nation's custodian of Remembrance and for the annual Poppy Appeal.

We had the honour of visiting the RBL Beer (Devon) war memorial to the two airmen who crashed and perished on the 12th of April 1942.

It's a small but well-tended garden, worth a visit, and a reminder of these two brave airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Today is 6 June 2026, which is D-Day — the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War.

This year marks the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. The operation, known as Operation Overlord, involved around 160,000 Allied troops landing on the Normandy beaches and was a crucial step in the liberation of Western Europe from N**i occupation.

In the UK, estimates suggest fewer than 8,000 British WWII veterans remain alive.

It is down to our generations to keep these memories alive to the coming generations.

Lest we forget 🌺

Do you have a loved one who served during the war in any capacity? Post a photo of them to honour their service and sacrifice. What touches me most is the image of the veteran on the beach remembering his friends and the sacrifice. What we don’t see is the hidden pain so many suffered in silence till the end.

We must not forget ❤️

Today marks the anniversary that National service ended. 16 May 1963

The National Service Act came into force in January 1949, requiring all physically fit males between 18 and 30 to serve in the armed forces for 18 months, with a reserve liability for a further four years.

• 1948: The Act was passed; it came into force 1 January 1949.

• October 1950: Service was extended to two years due to British involvement in the Korean War.

• 1957: The phase-out began; call-ups ended on 31 December 1960; the last conscripted servicemen left in May 1963.

Scale & impact: Between 1947 and 1963, some 2,301,000 young men were conscripted into the British Armed Forces.

395 National Servicemen were killed between 1947 and 1963.

The last man: On 16 May 1963, Richard Vaughan became the last National Serviceman to be formally demobilised.

Do you know someone who served? tag them to remember.

Thank you for your service

Lest we forget x

Thank you for your service xx

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