Royal British Legion Scotland (Legion Scotland) – 100th Anniversary

The Lord – Lieutenant, Sheriff Iona McDonald OBE was guest of honour at a recent event to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the formation of the Royal British Legion Scotland which is now known as Legion Scotland.
The Lord – Lieutenant spoke on the history of the Legion from its formation through to the invaluable work that it undertakes the present day.
In June 1921, Field Marshal Earl Haig formed the Royal British Legion Scotland by bringing together several charities that had been established to assist those returning from the horrors of the First World War and residing in Scotland.
Around the same time the Royal British Legion, as it is now known, was also formed to assist those returning and living south of the border.
Earl Haig also established two poppy appeal funds. One was organised and delivered by the Royal British Legion in all areas other than Scotland. The second was delivered by the Earl Haig Fund Scotland, now commonly known as Poppyscotland. The Scottish Poppy Appeal is heavily supported by Legion Scotland with about one third of the annual can collection raised by its members,
It has often been said that “In its early days, the British Legion was a life raft on a storm-lashed sea, widely strewn with wreckage. You are descendants of the survivors of that great storm, so we owe a debt of gratitude to the Legion.  And, in particular, to the man who built the raft.”
Since 1921 the Legion has represented and provided support to veterans and their families in many different ways. In many cases when servicemen and women return to civilian life after serving with the Armed Forces some are in need of community and friendship, maybe as a result of their experiences in the services or purely because they are no longer part of the ‘military family’ they had come to rely. The Legion provides the support necessary to assist in the transition to civilian life through their comradeship and befriending programme, developing strong communities and supporting remembrance.
The Lord – Lieutenant would wish to record her sincere appreciation for the work that Legion Scotland undertakes on a daily basis for veterans and their families.