ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COMBER
Incorporating Dundonald Branch.

The Royal
British Legion
Providing welfare, comradeship, representation and Remembrance for the Armed Forces community.


LINKS

  British Legion London

  British Legion Belfast.

Belfast Area Office Address
The Royal British Legion
51-53 Fountain Street
Belfast BT1 5EB

Tel: 028 90 321683
Fax: 028 90 330782
email: ni@britishlegion.org.uk

  Comber RBL Archive
This is where all of the previous information is stored.

  Comber History
The story of Comber and its long and glorious history.



The Author of www.Sixgolds.com also acknowledge other organisations striving to assist veterans.
  • British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association
  • The "Not Forgotten Association".
  • The "RAF Association".

If you served on the Arabian Peninsula during your service in the Army, Navy or the RAF then you should have one of these badges. They are 22mm sq and cost £5-00 each inc P&P to:-
G. Watson, 3 Merchants Gardens, Alnwick, NE66 1BZ , UK.



EDITOR CONTACT DETAIL

Sam McIlwrath BEM

It is with great sadness that I report the death of Sam McIlwrath.
Sam departed this life on Thursday 2nd June 2016 after an illness. The President, Chairperson Officers and comrades extend their deepest sympathy to his family.
"Rest in Peace Comrade"

Sam McIlwrath receives British Empire Medal

Congratulations to Sam McIlwrath on receiving the British Empire Medal in the 2016 Queen's New Year Honours List in recognition of the tireless work for services to the community in Comber. It should be noted that Sam has served since 2000 as Poppy Appeal Organiser to the Royal British Legion Comber and Dundonald Districts. Sam is also an active member of the Comber and District Community Development Committee and is also involved in youth work through the Comber Soccer Club. Sam's award has brought distinction and credit to the Comber District enriching those whose lives he touched.

Image Copyright of Newtownards Chronicle


            The officers and members of Comber Royal British Legion would like to thank the members of the public for their continued support and generosity not only for the Poppy Appeal but also the support given to the Comber Branch.
Thanks also to staff at Tesco, Knocknagoney, Sainsbury's, Knocknagoney, SuperValu Comber and Asda, Dundonald as well as all the other shop owners who very kindly took boxes of Poppies to sell in Comber, Ballygowan, Lisbane and Killinchy. Thanks also to all who helped at collection points over the time of the appeal Branch members and friends of the Branch.
The Branch also wish to advise their Poppy Appeal Organiser, Mr Samuel Mcllwrath, has decided to retire from this post, one which he has held within the Branch for some time now. The branch would like to wish him well in his retirement from this post.
A new Poppy Appeal Committee has now been formed within the Branch to take over all the duties relating to the Poppy Appeal and correspondence will be sent to all relevant parties in due course confirming details.


Comber and Dundonald Branches of the Royal British Legion meets once per month at 7.45 pm (for 8 pm) on the second Tuesday of each month (except July and August.) in Comber Rifle Club. We start each year after summer recess in September.

The Royal British Legion Comber work in close association with Dundonald Branch we exist to provide help and assistance to all comrades who are in circumstances of need. This applies also to those comrades of the future who may face conflict in other places and wars which have not yet come. We will be there for them as we are for the servicemen of the past and present. We are not all aged and infirmed, we are a mix of all ages, from all of the services, a band of brothers and sisters, with a common past. We provide mutual support and just as important comradeship as a band of kindred spirits. We have a range of activities which will keep you interested regardless of your age. You will receive a warm welcome at your Local Branch, just make a point of attending at least once to see what we are about.

Anyone wishing to attend should come along and join in you will be made welcome and given a place within the Branch to make you feel at home with friends and good comradeship. The Royal British Legion needs the support of the whole community, all ex-service personnel should make a point of going at least once to your local branch just to see what we do. This will give you a chance to meet some old comrades and have a chat, and bring back memories of times past.

Today membership of the Royal British Legion is open to everyone in the community. This was passed at a recent Congress of the RBL. In the past membership was open only to those who served their country as a member of any of the armed services anyone else was an associate member now they can be Full Members.
There are many past servicemen living in the community who believe that the Legion is not for them because they did not see action. It is not necessary for them to have seen action, having served their country even for a short time was sufficient. When they joined (even in peacetime) they knew the possible risks they could face, yet they gave service to your country regardless. The work that the Legion does is wide ranging and we welcome all the new members we can recruit. You to can help in many ways, so if your heart is in the right place you are welcome to come along and meet us.

Many of us choose not to talk about our experiences, some of the memories are just too painful to put into words. If you don't want to talk it doesn't matter, but should you need to there will be a friend to listen and understand.

There are many people within the community who lost relatives in the various conflicts. They have no way to mark or commemorate their loss other than on Remembrance Day. They are welcome to come along and share together with us that solemn act. If you want to wear the medals of your deceased loved ones, you can do so by placing them on the right breast. You can do this with pride and as a mark of respect to honour those who have gone before. Those wearing decorations on the left breast are the actual recipients, it is also traditional for them to wear the head-dress, tie and blazer badge of their old regiment, if they so wish. Civilians will be welcome to place a small cross in the Garden of Remembrance at the foot of the War Memorial. Those wishing to do this will be called forward towards the end of the service.   See The Order of Service at the bottom of the :-
  Comber Archive page.

This year twenty-six different organisations placed wreaths at Comber War Memorial and after that many members of the public came forward to place their own wreaths and crosses at the base of the monument thus giving them an opportunity for expression of remembrance to all who have suffered and died in conflict in the service of their country and all those who mourn them. The list of Organisations laying Wreaths is listed at the bottom of the Archive page. Cenotaph is Greek and literally means 'Empty Tomb'.