“A nation that forgets its past has no future” (Sir Winston Churchill).

For many people, The Royal British Legion is synonymous with support work in the assistance of those who served during the two World Wars.

Many are those who found the Legion of invaluable assistance whenever it was approached. I assure you, many of them are in great need and the Poppy Fund which, as the name implies, raises much-needed cash through the selling of poppies on Remembrance Day, may very well be their one and only hope.

This special day is commemorated each year on the nearest Sunday to 11 November.

Thanks to the poppy, Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy on this particular day. These poppies are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans, who also welcome donations towards this end.

The motto of the British Legion is, Remember the dead; but don’t forget the living, who are also campaigners for issues relating to war veterans, especially elderly ones.

Poppies are worn because in World War One the soil in the Western Front contained thousands of poppy seeds, all lying dormant. They would have lain there for years more, but the battles being fought there churned up the soil so much that the poppies bloomed like never before.

The most famous bloom of poppies in the war was in Ypres, a town in Flanders, Belgium, which was crucial to the Allied defence.

These inspired the Canadian soldier, Major John McCrae, to write his most famous poem In Flanders Field, which in turn inspired the British Legion to adopt the poppy as its emblem.

The British Legion is totally committed and continuously extends help to all members of the ex-services community, providing them with assistance to overcome life’s difficulties and at the same time encouraging them to look forward to the future with confidence.

For this reason we once again appeal to your generous donations to fund the ever increasing demand on our welfare and benevolent services.

I am confident that, as in previous years, your generous contribution, which will be gratefully received and acknowledged, will once again be forthcoming. Please help us to help them.

L. Camilleri

The Royal British Legion (Malta Branch)

Valletta