Historic Legion Standard Handed-over for Safe Keeping

During an Evening Service in St Martin's Church, Fivehead, the local Branch of the Royal British Legion handed-over its old Standard to the Vicar, The Reverend Scott Patterson "for safe keeping in this Holy Church for evermore."

The Curry Rivel, Drayton and Fivehead Branch is one of the oldest branches in the Royal British Legion. It was founded 101 years ago in 1917 by ex-Servicemen, some of whom were back home recovering from wounds sustained during the First World War. It was not for another 19 years that the Branch received its first Standard in 1936. This Standard now hangs for safe keeping in St Andrew's Church, Curry Rivel. A second Standard was presented to the Branch in 1967 and dedicated by the Bishop of Taunton. It was this Standard that was laid-up recently in St Martin's Church, Fivehead.

A new Standard, paid for with generous public subscriptions, joined over 2,000 other Legion Standards last year at Ypres in Belgium to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of the 'Great Pilgrimage' in 1928.

The next Branch event this year will be 'Summer Drinks' at Hurds Hill by kind permission of Mr David Holmes and Mr Clifford Lee on the evening of Friday 21 June 2019. The Volunteer Band from HMS HERON at Yeovilton will play incidental music. Tickets, priced at £10 each, will go on sale from around Saturday 1 June 2019 from Committee members and the 'One Stop' Shop in Curry Rivel. This event is also open to non-members of the Legion.

Caption for Accomanying Photo:
Colonel Tony Potter, Chairman, hands-over the old Branch Standard to the Reverend Scott Patterson in St Martin's Church, Fivehead. Also present were the Standard Bearer, Mick Brett (on the left) and the two Escorts, Andy Anderson and Bob Willis.