Quote:
Originally Posted by leigh kitchen
They were a "Corps" within the RBL?
|
The connection between the two groups is the puzzle !
Most sources make no mention of either group during WW1 but the lecture/research above , which was organised by the National Army Museum and documented on the IWM site , appears to suggest a "corp" did exist.
Quote:
|
Dr Emily Mayhew will explore the creation of a specialist stretcher bearer corps on the Western Front
|
Whether this unit was short lived or unofficial I haven't yet clarified.
The British Legion was founded in 1921 but , as the badge below shows , there was an earlier group using the title .
Quote:
|
This is a VTC (or pre-VTC, to be precise) badge for WW1 home front volunteers. It appears in Ernest Martin's article in the Society for Army Historical Research, where he states it is "a similar, but much smaller, organisation to the Athletes."
|
The IWM also has an interesting "oral history" from a WW1 stretcher bearer (RAMC) which includes the following :
Quote:
|
“posted to Aldershot for further training; story of British Legion visitor”
|
As this is about his 1914/1915 experiences it shows a possible link between the earlier 'British Legion' and stretcher bearers .
.