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  #136  
Old 18-03-22, 02:34 PM
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Default "For Merit" - Update

Based on the limited information available I had assumed that the number of the rear of these badges was a "unique" one similar to that found on Gold badges.

Two badges I have appear to confirm this , one is a British Legion version with the number K295 and the other a Royal British Legion (old lion head) version numbered K298.

Today a small job lot of badges arrived which includes a British Legion "For Merit" badge with the number K426.

So , perhaps the number is simply the last 3 digits of the member's number ?

Anyone got any idea/suggestions ?

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Attached Images
File Type: jpg For Merit F.jpg (61.3 KB, 15 views)
File Type: jpg For Merit R.jpg (52.4 KB, 10 views)
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British Legion/Royal British Legion , Poppy/Remembrance/Commemorative.

Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 19-03-22 at 08:33 AM. Reason: spelling
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  #137  
Old 22-03-22, 05:35 PM
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Default Parking and Security

Picked up this card/disc but not sure of its actual purpose ?

It is the size of an old car tax disc but was it for British Legion vehicles or an old type of "pay and display" card.

History

In June 1927 the Rochdale South Branch of the British Legion employed two disabled veterans as full time parking attendants.

In March 1928 the British Legion Car Attendants (Belfast) Ltd began operations with seven disabled ex-servicemen.

From then other branches set up their own schemes but the British Legion had no 'centralised' control over them. In 1943 the existing Area companies were merged into British Legion National Car Park Attendants Company.

By the mid 1950's the Legion had diversified and the 'Car Park' was dropped from the title , in 1962 they became the British Legion Attendants Company Trust.

Later the Royal British Legion Attendants Company Trust owned Legion Security (Legion Group) until 2010 when the company was sold.
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File Type: jpg IMG_20220322_160502.jpg (86.3 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg Parking and Security.jpg (83.3 KB, 17 views)
File Type: jpg British Legion National Car Attendants Company Limited.jpg (31.6 KB, 7 views)
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British Legion/Royal British Legion , Poppy/Remembrance/Commemorative.

Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 22-03-22 at 05:48 PM.
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  #138  
Old 22-03-22, 05:47 PM
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I love those attendant badges Mike, well found.

My guess would be that you pre paid for a period of parking, say a year at a time (1934 in this case) and that was what you displayed in the car window.

Michael
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  #139  
Old 22-03-22, 05:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shiny View Post
I love those attendant badges Mike, well found.

My guess would be that you pre paid for a period of parking, say a year at a time (1934 in this case) and that was what you displayed in the car window.

Michael
That is probably what they did in the early days , I know that later they issued tickets.

NB. Some of the tickets have 'old' and 'new' currency so would date them from 1968-1971.

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File Type: jpg Parking tickets.jpg (32.8 KB, 14 views)
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British Legion/Royal British Legion , Poppy/Remembrance/Commemorative.

Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 22-03-22 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Added info
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  #140  
Old 23-03-22, 09:59 AM
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Default Remembrance 2015

In 2015 the RBL produced VE70 items for fund raisers but also sent out large paper poppies that members could write a message on and that would be placed in an RBL "Flanders Field" near the Menin Gate Memorial.

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File Type: jpg Poppy.jpg (70.0 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg Poppy 1.jpg (78.0 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg Poppy 2.jpg (82.2 KB, 9 views)
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Poppy and British Legion Wanted
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  #141  
Old 25-03-22, 05:16 PM
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Default Sports !

Picked up these two small patches on eBay , seller has picked up some catalogs/reference books full of mainly non military (schools/clubs etc) embroidered badges. Most had a reference number and date when the original order/run was produced.

T.B.L - C.C. : 1949 T**** British Legion Cricket Club (No detail of which Branch).

Brighton T.T.C. : Early 1950's British Legion Table Tennis Club. (seller couldn't work out what TTC stood for but shape of badge is a give away).

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File Type: jpg BL Badges.jpg (83.5 KB, 17 views)
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Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 31-03-22 at 08:28 AM.
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  #142  
Old 08-04-22, 10:39 AM
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Exclamation Membership Numbers

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_vee View Post
The "Membership" list in Graham Wootton's (1956) book did not take into account lapsed (soldiers serving overseas) , those who did not renew , members who had died or the numerous 'honorary' members. So the 'numbers' he used (members) fall far short of the actual numbers of badges that had been issued.
Have just got a 1927 membership card and it shows that Graham Wootton's list is out by quite a large margin and cannot be relied on for dating badges.

The list 'estimates' British Legion membership in 1927 - 1928 at 202,826 to 219,096 .

The 1927 membership card shows a badge number of 363,995 , this would throw out the number on all later issued badges by roughly 150,000
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Poppy and British Legion Wanted
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  #143  
Old 21-04-22, 02:35 PM
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Nice little RBL pendant , nothing special but it caught my eye.

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Poppy and British Legion Wanted
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  #144  
Old 28-06-22, 04:51 PM
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Default British Legion Taxi School

The School opened its doors in 1928 and was available to ex-Servicemen. The Taxi School was run by the Legion, who paid for a third of the costs, the remaining two thirds being covered by the government. The Legion’s London Taxi School ran for 67 years. By the time it closed its doors in 1995 over 5,000 men had passed the famous Knowledge and the stringent driving test to become a London cab driver.

There is still a connection today. Any ex-Serviceman or woman who is scheduled to attend the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London in November can hail a participating Poppy Cab at one of the agreed points around the capital and find him or herself transported there and back for free.

The Poppy Cabs service started in 2009 and in 2019 produced their own Poppy Pin (see photo) , in 2020 the cab was facing the other direction and in 2021 they had a “Hansom Cab” one.

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File Type: jpg Taxi.jpg (52.8 KB, 11 views)
File Type: jpg Taxi 2.jpg (32.4 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg 2019 Poppy Cabs.jpg (40.0 KB, 6 views)
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  #145  
Old 28-06-22, 05:50 PM
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Default

Very interesting Mike, I have never heard of the British Legion Taxi School and it now puts a better description to the 3 London Taxi Poppy Pins I obtained from Taxi driver Mike Hughes, an independent coordinator for the Poppy Cab service who provide free taxies for Services & ex-Services on Remembrance Sunday to and from the Cenotaph Parade.

https://www.forces.net/news/londons-...mbrance-sunday

If anyone wants details on how to obtain the London Taxi Poppy Pins, drop me a PM
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  #146  
Old 28-06-22, 06:05 PM
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Julie Summers who wrote the "We Are Legion" book has a web page with details of various groups the British Legion had.

https://www.juliesummers.co.uk/2021/...legion-at-100/

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  #147  
Old 02-07-22, 12:58 PM
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Another nice find , I have quite a few of the RBL Scotland "Conference" badges but don't even have a quarter of the ones they made !

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File Type: jpg Perth 2011.jpg (45.7 KB, 8 views)
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Poppy and British Legion Wanted
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  #148  
Old 09-07-22, 01:10 PM
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Spotted these Rosettes and thought they would be a nice addition to my British Legion memorabilia.

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Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 09-07-22 at 01:55 PM. Reason: spelling
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  #149  
Old 09-07-22, 01:26 PM
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Thumbs up British Legion 1933 Annual

Picked up this 1933 Annual for a very reasonable price.

It is in great condition (owner/kid had covered it in brown paper) , a few of the pages have a bit of "foxing" but the wonderful illustrations are as sharp and colourful as the day the were printed.

It also show how socially/historically what is acceptable has changed , it would be banned (or burned) nowadays as it is completely un- P.C !

One example is a "verse" (4 pages) titled : “Being the true history of the old nursey rhyme – Eeny Meeny Miny Mo” complete with numerous illustrations.

But while that was then and this is now , I don't think we should judge history by today's standards.

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File Type: jpg BL 1933 Annual.jpg (86.7 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg Eeny Meeny.jpg (39.1 KB, 7 views)
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  #150  
Old 22-07-22, 09:36 AM
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Picked this up , seems to have been ripped from a publication , a nice period drawing of a Standard Bearer.

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