ALL FIVE of the Royal British Legion standards have been flown in Looe today to mark the anniversary of the moment, 100 years ago, that the town’s war memorial was unveiled.

On the May 14 1921, the people of Looe, many of whom had served, or had lost loved ones in the First World War, gathered for a ceremony attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, and members of the clergy.

The memorial originally listed 35 men who had lost their lives in the 1914-18 conflict. At the end of the Second World War, a further 39 names were added to the memorial, and in 2010 the name of Lance Corporal Paul Upton was also added. Paul had been killed the previous year whilst serving in Afghanistan with the British Army.

The Looe War Memorial was made a Grade II Listed Building in 2017 because of its historical significance.

This weekend, commemorations will take place at the Cenotaph in London’s Whitehall as well as at war memorials around the country, marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal British Legion. (RBL).

Some of our local branches in South East Cornwall were among the first to be formed in that year: Looe will celebrate its centenary around July 2; and a party will be held in Saltash to celebrate its 100th birthday on July 24.

Tomorrow (Saturday May 15) at 9am, wreaths will be laid at the Saltash War Memorial by Saltash and District RBL Branch President Bill Dent and Chairman Dave Newman, to coincide with the event at the Cenotaph. Mayor of Saltash Peter Samuels will also be laying a wreath on behalf of the town.

Meanwhile in Torpoint tomorrow at 10am, RBL members will lay wreaths at the War Memorial in Elliot Square.

A planned Parade and Remembrance Service have unfortunately had to be scaled back, said John Tivnan of the local branch.

“We have built a commemorative garden in lasting memory, and thanks to the generosity of Lynne Matthews in Price-busters, dressed one of the windows which includes knitted poppies kindly provided by the Wilcove Women’s Institute,” he said.

“All goods on display are available for purchase with monies raised going to this year’s Poppy Appeal and will remain on sale until Wednesday 19 May.”

John thanked all those in Torpoint who have contributed to the town raising in excess of £200,000 for the Poppy Appeal in the last 15 years.

The RBL explains how it all began with a joint gesture of brotherhood a century ago.

“On Sunday 15 May 1921, a wet and dreary day, a small number of ex-servicemen walked to the Cenotaph war memorial in London’s Whitehall. As Big Ben struck nine, four men representing societies that for three years had been rivals laid a wreath at the base of the memorial. On that wreath were the badges of the four organisations that would officially amalgamate to form the British Legion.

“That moment at the Cenotaph 100 years ago was the start of something much bigger – for the Royal British Legion we know today.

By Christmas of 1921 the ranks of our organisation had swelled to include 2,500 branches across the country, as well as overseas. These were the groups around which the armed forces community rallied after the First World War. They made change happen, fundraised during the Poppy Appeal, provided welfare locally and became the foundations for what has become the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity.

“One hundred years later we are proud to still have 2,500 branches, some with a history reaching back to 1921 and others established in the last decade.”