Comrades of the Great War

"Comrades of The Great War" was one of the original four ex-service associations that amalgamated during 1921 to form "The British Legion"

They four consisted of:-
"Comrades of the Great War",
the "National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers",
the "National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers"
and the "Officers' Association".

Consequently the "British Legion" was founded in 1921 as a voice for all those ex-Service personnel.

Local Bures records show that the village had a "Comrades" branch between April 30th 1919 until it amalgamation on the 15th May 1922.

List of Bures members dated 1918.
This is not a comprehensive list as the name were taken from several documents, such a collections for wreaths etc

A Foreman	F Dessent	A Stebbing	F Graves	H Stebbing
W Powell	M Hook	Ted Deeks	S Mortimwer	J Page
S Eves	Y Mortimer	B White	Moore	L Stebbing
Baldwyn	R See	F Beard	E Garrod	Cpt Redhill
Dr Griffith	A Cook	M Sherlock	Col Probert	A Graves
C Traylor	F Pepper	B Cansdale	H Reditt	W Spurgeon
A Powell	G Twitchett	S Deaves	H Baldwyn	W Mortimer
E Bays	G Baxter	Page Baxter	C Pilgrim	J Aldous
B Fisher	F Cook	Walter Cardy	H Austin	A Death
Mr Smart	Mrs Smart	Livermore

List of Pebmarsh Members dated 1918

S Cook

B Binks

E Dixey

A Binks

W Sycamore

On April 11th 1921 the association listed 86 members.

It would appear the Comrades took part in Cricket and Football matches as well as Concerts over at Pebmarsh.

I presume the Victory Hall was not their first choice, as they used the "New Room" over at Pebmarsh no doubt to assist their local members.

<<see left invoice

Click here to see a selection of invoices that were submitted to the Comrades.

The Bures Minute Book registers a final meeting of the Comrades on June 10th 1922 when the accounts were closed and the balance of £1.13.2 was handed to the Treasurer of the Victory Hall.

Those present at this final meeting were Messrs A Powell, Rev E Molesworth, F Pepper, G Twitchett, S Mortimer, Diggens, A Clampin, S Deaves, F Beard, H Wallis, R Lee. Y Graves and C Traylor.

Bures Comrades Football Team 1923

Although nationally the "Comrades" were amalgamated into the newly formed "British Legion" the Bures branch for some unexplained reason decided to close.
Perhaps disillusionment at the failure of the Government to provide the "great new country, fit for heroes" to arise from the ashes of the Great War! Perhaps the war was something they all wanted to forget about and then fervor was rekindled by the emergence of the likelihood of yet another appearing on the horizon.

On March 2nd 1938 the "British Legion and the United Services Benevolent Fund" was launched in the village.
The prefix -"The Royal" was added in 1971

A selection of Comrade Medals can be found here:-
http://www.legion-memorabilia.org.uk/badges/comrades.htm

Information by Alan Beales, Pat Creek, Mike Marsh (RBL Sudbury) Anne Snelling (RBL Bures)

Bures-online.co.uk *Serving the communities of Bures St Mary and Bures Hamlet*

The Comrades of The Great War were formed in 1917 as a non-political association to represent the rights of ex-service men and women who had served or had been discharged from service during The Great War.