Royal British Legion - Paris France

24/08/2026

August 19th, 2026. The Royal British Legion-Paris branch, represented by member Rosemary Rudland attended the international ceremonies in Dieppe marking the 84th anniversary of the 1942 Anglo-Canadian Raid, alongside senior French officials and high-ranking dignitaries from the participating nations. Numerous officials, local councillors, and standard bearers made the journey from England, including the mayors of Newhaven and Brighton & Hove.

The Dieppe Raid, codenamed Operation Jubilee, took place on August 19, 1942. It was an Allied amphibious assault on the German-occupied French port of Dieppe. Out of roughly 6,050 troops (primarily Canadian), over 3,300 were killed, wounded, or captured, making it one of the war's most severe early defeats.

Forces Involved: ~6,080 total personnel—nearly 5,000 Canadians, 1,000 British Commandos, and 50 US Rangers, backed by naval vessels and air squadrons.Casualties: ~3,367 Canadian casualties (including nearly 900 dead); over 275 British dead; nearly 2,000 captured. The Royal Navy lost one destroyer and 33 landing craft, and the RAF/RCAF lost 106 aircraft.

D-Day Impact: Insights gained directly shaped the successful planning for the Normandy landings (Operation Overlord) in June 1944

Photos: Yvan Barbieri ©

* Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery, Hautot-sur-Mer. Early morning wreath laying by Rosemary Rudland, and by Brigadier Jon Cresswell, Defence Attaché British Embassy Paris.
* Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery, Hautot-sur-Mer. Rosemary Rudland with Brigadier Cresswell and Philippe Laurent, conseiller départemental Calvados, by the grave of Brigadier Mary Janet Climpson, 56-year-old member of the Salvation Army, who lost her life on May 20th, 1940, when German Aircraft attacked her vehicule. Her grave is the only female grave in this cemetery where 948 commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War are buried or commemorated, 187 of which are unidentified.
* Square Canada, Dieppe. Wreath laying at the main international ceremony.

24/08/2026

Ceremony in Bennecourt, Saturday 22nd August: The towns of Bennecourt, Vernon, Giverny, Limetz, in the Yvelines near to Paris, held a Remembrance Ceremony in honour of the 600 British Service men that died helping to free the area in the summer of 1945. Our Chairman, Richard Neave, with the Mayor of Bennecourt, Didier Dumont, member of our RBL Committee, laid wreaths at the Monument aux Morts.

The Liberation of the area leading to Paris was marked by the arrival of British and American forces, supported by the local Resistance Networks. Prior to this, intense aerial bombing by the Allies was aimed at cutting off the German retreat. The French Resistance played important role, in major battles and sabotage. As there were many British civilians living in Paris before the outbreak of WW2, who were unable to get back to the UK, some joined the local French Resistance and were involved in sabotage, while others were radio operatives for the allies.

21/08/2026

15/08/2026

Today we are marking 81 years since Victory over Japan Day and the end of the Second World War. We remember all those who served in the Far East.

We honour the courage, resilience and sacrifice of that generation.

15/08/2026

On this day 81 years ago Victory in Japan day was commemorated, effectively ending the Second World War.

Europe had celebrated months earlier, while British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces in the Far East continued the fight, suffering terrible losses. After almost six years of the most destructive war in history, peace could at last be celebrated, and preparations made to return home, with Allied prisoners of war liberated and repatriated after their appalling experiences.

Join us in remembering the service and sacrifice of all involved in the Far East, without whom the freedoms we enjoy today would not have been possible.

We will remember them.

09/08/2026

Further photos of our RBL Paris Ceremony on the 4th August in memory of the outbreak of WW1, date when Britain declared war on Germany, and when British soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force left UK to join France. Many thanks to everyone who participated, including the Ambassador for Pakistan, Madame Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Oliver Stead (British Embassy and our Branch President), Richard Neave (RBL Paris Chairman), Rosemary Rudland (representing Canada Memory Normandy), Robin Sweeney (branch Standard Bearer), Pierre Quenot (Commissaire de la Flamme), and others.

Our Chairman, Richard Neave would like to thank photographer Yvan Barbieri for being our official photographer for the ceremony.

09/08/2026

Remembering the brave WW2 secret Sussex Network agent, Evelyne Clopet, who was tragically was shot with her companions after parachuting behind enemy lines in 10th August 1944 in one of the last WW2 secret missions.

07/08/2026

On the 7th August 1914, the first British troops landed in France. The 120,000 highly trained members of the regular British Army form the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were commanded by Field Marshal John French.

This day saw the British Channel Fleet formally constituted under Admiral Burney to cover the impending passage of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), though the main bulk of troop transport sailings across the English Channel did not begin in earnest until August 9–12, 1914.

The Cross-Channel Transport Plan:
Troops and equipment were marshaled via special military trains to primary embarkation ports like Southampton and crossed over to French ports such as Le Havre. The cross-channel fleet relied heavily on requisitioned and chartered Merchant Marine vessels and fast railway packet steamers rather than heavy warships. The Channel Fleet was supported by destroyer flotillas and cruisers, which maintained strict covering patrols at both ends of the narrow seas to safeguard the crossings against potential German naval interference.
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Photo copyright IWM and other non identified sources.

06/08/2026

Our annual Ceremony of Lighting the Flame on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on the 4th August, with the Ambassador for Pakistan, Madame Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. This ceremony remembers the British soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force who fought during WW1. The date of the 4th August 1914 was when Great Britain declared war on Germany, following the latter's declaration of war on France the previous day, after invading neutral Belgium.

The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in World War I was the professional field army sent to France in August 1914, comprising the National Army Museum forces that fought at Mons, grew into a mass citizen army, and peaked at over two million men.

The BEF Started as a tiny elite force of about 80,000 to 90,000 professional soldiers and reservists under Field Marshal Sir John French.

The British Indian Army was also part of the BEF: Troops from modern-day Pakistan were recruited heavily from regions like the Punjab and the North-West Frontier. For the Western Front Deployment: Divisions like the Lahore Division and the Meerut Division arrived in France in late 1914. These divisions joined and supported the British Expeditionary Force during critical early battles, including the First Battle of Ypres.

BEF early Battles: Fought crucial delaying actions alongside the French army, including the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, and the Battle of the Marne.
Heavy Losses: By the end of 1914, the original regular army—often called the "Old Contemptibles"—was nearly wiped out after suffering massive casualties.

We will remember them. 🇬🇧🇨🇵

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