Ceremony to mark centenary of Legion );
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A WREATH will be laid on the steps of Henley town hall tomorrow (Saturday) to mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Royal British Legion.
The Henley and Peppard branch of the charity will be recreating the moment when the national body was formed with the ceremony, which will begin at 9am, in line with current coronavirus restrictions.
A commemoration service will be held in St Mary’s Church at noon, conducted by Fr Jeremy Tayler, rector of Henley with Remenham.
Four legion standards will be present. The Henley branch standard will be presented by president John Green, the Peppard standard by Col Nicholas Launders, the Henley Army cadets’ standard by CSgt Jamie Forehand and the Dunkirk Veterans’ standard by James Nelson.
New report finds numerous examples from the 1940s to 80s when ministers would usually tell parliament about UK special forces.
Extreme secrecy allows prime ministers to covertly deploy UK forces abroad and bypass parliamentary scrutiny
British government ministers were willing to give Parliament more information about the UK military’s special forces during World War 2 and the “end of empire” than they do today, new research reveals.
Ministers currently claim to have a “long-standing policy” of not commenting on Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) when asked by MPs for basic details of its operations.
The special forces, which consist of several thousand personnel, are believed to be involved in eight covert wars abroad, including Yemen and Mali, and have a multibillion-pound budget.
Tributes to loyal veteran known for tireless charity work );
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TRIBUTES have been paid to a former president of the Royal British Legion’s Henley and Peppard branch, who died last month.
Brigadier Malcolm Page MBE, who was 94, was praised for his commitment to the community and charity work during his funeral service at Reading Crematorium.
Only a small group of family, friends and well-wishers could attend the humanist ceremony because of social distancing regulations but it was broadcast online.
Mourners included his sister Yvonne Meachen and her children, Kate Osbourne and Stephen Meachen, as well as branch president John Green, Brig Page’s immediate successor Lt Col Peter Blaker and Henley Mayor Ken Arlett.
Brigadier Malcolm Page MBE 1926-2021 );
THE former president of the Royal British Legion’s Henley and Peppard branch has died.
Brigadier Malcolm Page MBE, who was 94, had stepped down for health reasons in January 2019.
He lived in Henley for most of his life and was awarded the town medal for exceptional contribution to the community in 2011.
He served the Legion, which organises the annual Poppy Appeal, for more than a quarter of a century. In 1982 he founded the Henley-Borama Friendship Association, which maintains a link with the Somalian city and organises cultural exchange visits.
Brig Page’s military career spanned more than 30 years and he attained his rank while serving in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Seventies.