Royal British Legion Brussels Branch

Former fighter pilot named as Britain’s top Nato commander Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer becomes only the third RAF officer to be appointed deputy supreme allied commander in Europe

From The Times: Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, a former fighter pilot who flew in the Balkans and Iraq, has been appointed NATO deputy supreme allied commander in Europe www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

Lt Gen Eldon Millar CVO MBE is the new UK Military Representative to NATO and the EU, replacing Lt Gen Sir Ian Cave KCB, who is retiring after almost 40 years in the British Army www.gov.uk/government/n...

The New Ypres League is restoring historic boundary stones erected 100 years ago to mark the WW1 front line in Belgium. You can donate to the project: newypresleague.com

Archeologists unearth Nazi brick trench on the outskirts of a West Flemish village | VRT NWS: news Archeologists have unearthed a forgotten defensive trench that was built by German troops during the Second World War. The trench was discovered just outside the centre of Pervijse, a village near to ...

'Forgotten' trench led to artillery position www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

The January issue of The Wipers Times is out now. It's packed with articles including the story of how a palace in Brussels was converted into a club for British troops on R&R branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/bru...

“There’s hardly a family in Britain that wasn’t affected in some way” (VIDEO) | VRT NWS: news Many are the visitors from at home and abroad who come to Ieper for the annual ceremony of remembrance under the Menin Gate in Ieper (West Flanders). Many visitors also remember individual soldiers wh...

'Every grave is a human being with a story.' VRT follows Roger, David and Alan, three Brits who for over 30 years have made an annual pilgrimage to Belgium to pay their respects at war cemeteries www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

RBL Standard Bearer Freddy Roiseux had pride of place at the Armistice Day ceremony led by King Philippe at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Brussels this morning. Branch Chair Dennis Abbott laid a wreath with Baron Christian Houtart, President of the Tenby Memorial Committee

Thank you to everyone who attended our Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Heverlee war cemetery in such numbers yday. Our gratitude to HE Anne Sherriff, the UK Defence Team, Military Wives Choir, the scouts & NATO top brass! More pictures here www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

If you're in the Brussels or Leuven area on Sunday, do come and join us in paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Remembering the fallen of WWI: Poppy appeal launched in Belgium The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal has been launched in Belgium by British Ambassador Anne Sherriff.At a ceremony at the British Residence in Brussels, she paid tribute to the fallen of wo...

UK Ambassador Anne Sharriff hosts launch of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Belgium - report via The Bulletin www.thebulletin.be/remembering-...

Royal British Legion poppy appeal begins with moving tribute The annual launch of the UK’s Royal British Legion poppy appeal has been marked with a moving tribute to the war dead. It comes just ahead of Remembrance Day in November in honour of Britain’s militar...

www.eureporter.co/world/rememb...

Today is the 81st anniversary of the Liberation of Brussels by the Welsh Guards. W01 RSM Christoper Greaves (pictured) and Regimental Adjutant Lt Col Guy Bartle-Jones presented a new hand-made uniform to the city for the Manneken-Pis. The little boy can now say he is taking a leek

Antwerp police hand over Second World War deportation list to city archives | VRT NWS: news Antwerp police have handed over a list containing the names of the people deported by the Germans during the Second World War to the FelixArchief, Antwerp's city archives. Until now, the document had ...

‘A dark period in Antwerp's police history’: of the 25,000 deported, barely 5 per cent survived www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

Belgium sends 200 soldiers to Lithuania to beef up NATO’s military presence in Eastern Europe | VRT NWS: news Belgium is deploying over 200 soldiers to Lithuania starting next week Belgian defence minister Theo Francken (Flemish nationalist N-VA) has announced. Since the war in Ukraine and the increased Russi...

Belgium sends troops in response to Russian threat vrtnws.be/p.6Kewp3W0K

Talbot House acquires full collection of Wipers Times | VRT NWS: news Talbot House in Poperinge(West Flanders) has been able to acquire the complete collection of 'The Wipers Times'. The publication was an underground satirical soldiers' newspaper written at Talbot Hous...

Original Wipers Times collection saved www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

It’s the 81st anniversary of the end of the battle of Kohima - you can go back and listen to Rob and Jack’s description in the series one overview here:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

open.spotify.com/episode/4BIV...

Thx to all who joined our commemoration at Evere despite the sweltering heat. Our President Zoe White presented a richly deserved certificate of appreciation to #WW2 veteran Count Henri d’Oultremont, who served with the #PironBrigade. The fittest 100 year old we've ever seen!

Branch member Phil Hyde laid a wreath at our annual commemoration in #Brussels at the grave of #WW2 #SAS hero Maj Bob Melot

All welcome!

45K views · 731 reactions | Survivant de la 2e Guerre mondiale : "J’ai peur mais j’espère un sursaut pour ne pas recommencer les mêmes bêtises" explique Henri d'Oultremont. | La Première - RTBF Survivant de la 2e Guerre mondiale : "J’ai peur mais j’espère un sursaut pour ne pas recommencer les mêmes bêtises" explique Henri d'Oultremont..

Wishing a very happy 100th birthday to our member Count Henri d'Oultremont, a veteran of the #WW2 #PironBrigade. Here he is speaking to the Belgian national broadcaster, urging today's leaders to avoid making the same mistakes as 80 years ago shorturl.at/Np41S

Don't miss our battlefield tour in Flanders and northern France on 7 June! We're visiting #WW2 V1 and RAF crash-landing sites & the infamous location of the #WormhoutMassacre. Only a few seats remain - register at shorturl.at/HvRTt

Visit the Great War battlefields by helicopter! | VRT NWS: news The city of Ieper and Toran, a helicopter flight company based in Wevelgem (West Flanders), are teaming up to offer flights over the Great War battlefields. Passengers fly over cemeteries and old bomb...

WW1 battlefield tour by helicopter in Belgium www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/20...

Hotton rend hommage aux Britanniques tombés il y a 80 ans Ce dimanche, Hotton a rendu hommage aux militaires britanniques, anglais, canadiens, australiens, néozélandais tombés il y a 80 ans. Anciens combattants, autorités civiles ...

tvlux made a report on our recent ceremony at Hotton www.tvlux.be/video/info/b...

Our new branch newsletter, out soon, includes this shot of #WinstonChurchill, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in #Brussels in November 1945. He was joined on the visit by his daughter Mary who commanded an ATS battery at Terlanenveld near Overijse during WW2

Our annual ceremony in #Evere takes place close to the Waterloo crypt & the grave of Joséphine Napoléone de #Montholon, said to be the daughter of #Napoleon

2025 marks 85 years since Operation Dynamo. From 21-26 May more than 75 Little Ships will moor in Dunkirk to commemorate the events of 1940. The Military Wives Choir Belgium will perform after the service on Sunday 25 May www.adls.org.uk/copy-of-dunk...

Mort de la résistante Odile de Vasselot, ancienne agente de liaison durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale L’ancienne résistante des réseaux «Zéro France» et «Comète», spécialisés dans l’évasion des pilotes Alliés, s’est éteinte dans la nuit du 20 au 21 avril 2025, à l’âge de 103 ans.

Comet Line courier Odile de Vasselot has passed away, aged 103 www.liberation.fr/politique/mo...

Our next battlefield tour includes a visit to the site of the Wormhout Massacre

Belgium's soldier king, Albert I. The statue was made by Rik Poot & inaugurated in 1952