https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj310PzHWfY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj310PzHWfY

Facts and figures about the Royal legion The Legion was founded in 1921. Since 2003 we have provided financial help to over 10,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan operations - and we are investing £50 million in Personnel Recovery Centres and our Battle Back Centre to care for the wounded of current conflicts. There has only been one year (1968) since the Second World War when a British Service person hasn't been killed on active service. More than 30 million Remembrance poppies, 500,000 poppies of other types, 5 million remembrance petals, 100,000 wreaths and sprays, 750,000 Remembrance Crosses and other Remembrance items are made at the Poppy Factory in Richmond, Surrey, each year

George Armstrong

George Armstrong He was born in 1885 in Skellow but before the outbreak of war George had emigrated to Australia, where he carried on his trade as a carpenter. He enlisted in Adelaide, Australia in February 1915, aged 30. George was posted firstly to Gallipoli in October 1915, where he saw active service until March 1916 when his battalion joined the British Expeditionary Force in Alexandria, ready to ship out to France. He survived until December 1917 when he was killed in action. His Captain wrote to George’s parents, who were living in Thorne, “on the 18th December, 1917, he was killed by enemy shell fire, death being instantaneous. He was awarded the 1914/15 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

William ‘Billie’ Royle

William ‘Billie’ Royle William ‘Billie’ Royle was born in 1891 in Doncaster, the son of Thomas Clifford Royle, the local registrar of births of deaths. He lived at 67 Nether Hall Road with his parents and three brothers, Francis, Reginald and Frederick and was educated at Beechfield Junior Boys School and later Doncaster Grammar School. He signed up to serve with the Sheffield Pals Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment soon after the outbreak of war, later obtaining a commission in the 3/5 battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as a Second Lieutenant. William was killed in action on the July 5 1916 and a telegram was sent to his parents on Town Moor Avenue to notify them.

The telegraph announcing William Royle's death.

In October 1916, Mrs Royle received a letter from Lillie Stones at 35 Casualty Clearing Station in France. She went on to write that she had just had a patient in her ward named Private Addy who was with William when he was killed. Private Addy told Lillie that William never spoke after he was wounded and died immediately. ”Billie was killed at Thiepval and I wrote to tell you this in case you have not been able to get any particulars, as I hear that there were only about 10 men returned out of the Company.” Billie’s brothers Reginald (Rex), Francis and Frederick all served during the First World War, while their youngest brother Harold was too young to serve, but received regular letters from his older brothers abroad.

Charles Harsley who died on the first day of the Battle of The Somme.

LANCE CORPOPRAL CHARLES HARSLEY Lance Corporal Charles Harsley died on the very first day of the battle - and tragically, never saw his new born daughter. The family lived at 22 Apley Road but later moved to 61 Abbott Street - both in the Hyde Park area. When war broke out, Charles was keen to enlist and volunteered in September 1914. A few days later, he married his fiancée, Helen McKone and the pair set up home at 68 Beckett Road before Charles went off to fight in France. Tragically he was killed in action on July 1, 1916 - the very first day of the Battle of the Somme. Their little girl was only seven months old when Charles died -and he had never seen her in the flesh, only in those photos. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, the memorial to the missing of the Somme.

Ernest May

ERNEST MAY Ernest May lived at Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster. Ernest was a miner and he worked at the Bullcroft Colliery in Carcroft, Doncaster alongside his 2 uncles, Fred and Claude Evinson. Lance-Corporal E. May, who was killed in action on the 1st July 1916 Ernest was a Lance Corporal in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 8th battalion, Service No. 21120. He was awarded the Victory medal, the British war medal and the 1914-1915 Star.

Cyril Grice Gunner - Royal Artillery - 88 Field Regt 12 September 1944, aged 24 Born in Doncaster in Q1 1920 Son of William Joshua and Sarah Jane Grice, of Highfields, Yorkshire. Enlisted 1940 Lived at 157 Coppice Rd, Highfields, Doncaster Singapore Memorial Unit fell into captivity when Singapore was surrendered on 15 February 1942. Died in allied hands from the effects of exposure, was a PoW when ship Rakuyo Maru he travelling on was sunk by the US Sub Sealion. Rescued and died on board USS Queenfish - Sunday, 17th Sept 1944. Buried at sea

Ben Parkinson

Ben Parkinson Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson MBE was seriously injured in Afghanistan serving with 7 Para RHA in September 2006. Ben is still the most severely injured soldier ever to survive. On 12th September 2006, whilst on a patrol in Afghanistan, Ben was top cover when his WIMIK Land Rover detonated an anti-tank mine. Ben sustained horrific injuries and his life was saved that day by his colleagues Sergeant Rudy Fuller, Lance Bombardier Danny Byrne and Lance Corporal Matty Oliver. In the incident Ben suffered the loss of both of his legs, severe brain injuries and a broken spine.

Additional resources can be found here: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/