Shepton Mallet Royal British Legion

19/01/2026

Ready for recall……..

25/11/2025

12/11/2025

For those of you who follow and support our FB page/group, please consider taking the next step and joining our branch, Shepton Mallet BR2530. Naturally you can be as active or inactive as you wish, if you choose to support us as a member but take no active part we understand and are grateful. You can of course join us for meetings, quiz nights, fish and chip suppers etc. You do not have to have had any military experience to join the Royal British Legion. Easiest way to join us is by telephoning 08003077773 or by scanning the QR code, see picture below. Remember this is your local branch serving both our town and satellite villages of Dean, Cranmore, Doulting, Oakhill, Dinder, Croscombe and Pilton. Without members we will lose the ability to provide support to the town council for civic events like Rememberance Sunday. Thank you.

11/11/2025

This morning I was fortunate enough to attend the Armistice Day at RNAS Yeovilton. A very moving event especially hearing the Roll of Honour for twenty members of the Naval Service who have died in service since last year. Somerset Royal British Legion reconfirmed affiliation with the Air Station. Pictured is the County Chairman Somerset RBL and the Commanding Officer of RNAS Yeovilton and in the second photo, myself (L) with an old shipmate I bumped into.

Andy Ransom
County Recruiting Officer Somerset RBL //
Membership Secretary Shepton Mallet Branch RBL

03/11/2025

Somerset Festival of Remembrance occurred on Saturday 1st November in Wells cathedral. An amazing tribute to those who gave so much.

Credit Rob Bywaters.

01/11/2025

Oscar Taylor-Smart aged 7 years old, from Shepton Mallet in Somerset had a school project to create a carnival float. Oscar is obsessed with anything to do with the military and asked to create a Rememberance float, in memory of his Great Great Uncle who lost his life at sea in 1942 on H.M.S Matablele and to all of the soldiers who have given their lives and fought for us. Here is the carnival float that Oscar and his mum created, after donating to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and using their merchandise.

Photo and article published with parental permission. .

26/10/2025

The generosity of people still astounds me after ten years of collecting for the Poppy Appeal.

05/09/2025

Our fellow Legionaires in Wells RBL branch look forward to hosting a prestigious event.
Somerset Festival of Remembrance at Wells Cathedral.
Saturday 1st November 7pm to 10pm.
Door open 6:15pm
Ticket prices start from £12
Book your seats by clicking the link below
https://bit.ly/4gnapBT

03/09/2025

September 3rd 1939 was the day WW2 commenced. The Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy commenced the Battle of the Atlantic, a battle that would only cease some six years later on May 8th 1945 when hostilities ended. This was the longest continuous battle in history.

The seamen of the Merchant Navy faced horrendous conditions and deserve our recognition and respect. Without them our country would have gone under, we would not have been able to remain in the fight, we would have been starved into submission.

Shepton Mallet and it’s surrounding villages are a long way from the sea but our small rural community was 100% dependent in those dark days on the Merchant Navy along with the rest of the country. We will remember them.

02/09/2025

Shepton Mallet Royal British Legion Branch held their AGM on Monday 1st September. Andy Ransom was awarded a certificate in recognition of his nine years of service as he stood down from being Chairman of the Branch. Mike Allison the Chairman of Somerset RBL presented the certificate.

A warm welcome has been extended by all as Ed Freely steps up to the plate to assume Chairmanship of the Branch. Everyone wishes him success as he carries the Branch forward.

Jan Crewe, the Branch Poppy Appeal Organiser was award a Gold RBL Badge for her outstanding efforts in raising funds every year over the Remembrance period in November. The badge was awarded by SMRBL President Tony Dalby-Welsh.

Two new members joined the Branch at the AGM and received a friendly welcome. Please remember anyone can join the Royal British Legion, you do not have to be a member of the Armed Forces. SMRBL Branch is strongly supported by the local villages of Doulting, Cranmore, Pilton, Dinder, Evercreech, Dean and Oakhill in Somerset.

01/09/2025

SMRBL AGM tonight at the Club in Shepton Mallet High St, prompt start for 7.30pm all welcome.

15/08/2025

With hindsight, the Second World War can trace its origins back to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the official ending of the First World War. Then a one party dictatorship in facist Germany, book burning and Kristallnact. It flared up again during the Spanish civil war in 1936 and the r**e of Nanjing in China by Imperial Japanese forces in 1937.

Then in September 1939 Britain and its Dominions entered the fray. Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, North Africa, the Battle of the Atlantic, Burma, Italy, D-Day, the Holocaust and Arnhem followed until the final victory in Europe in May 1945. Today 80 years ago the guns finally fell silent at the end of the largest war mankind has undertaken so far. Victory over Japan, known as VJ Day.

Today in a small market town in Somerset members of Shepton Mallet Royal British Legion and local citizens gathered. Our Honourary Branch Padre Jonathan Hunter-Dunn said a prayer for peace, wreaths were laid and the Branch standard dipped.

They were remembered !

The Kohima Epitaph.
“When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today”
(John Maxwell Edmonds).