The Bromyard News & Record, dated 12th June 1919, reported that a branch of the Federation of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors was formed in the town. This organisation was one of the four constituent groups that were amalgamated into British Legion on 15th May 1921. The Hereford Times provided a more detailed account of the “largely attended” formation meeting held at the King’s Arms Hotel. Mr. Boffy of Tenbury presided and fifty members were immediately obtained.

Later that year the same newspaper described “a good attendance of ex-servicemen at the Drill Hall to open a branch of the British Legion in Bromyard”. In the process the Comrades of the Great War Association was dissolved. The reasons for the amalgamation were explained to the meeting and the attendees were urged to join the Legion to protect their interests as well as those of pensioners, the sick, the wounded, widows and orphans. Major R.L. Heygate was elected as Chairman, Captain E.V. Buchanan-Boyd as Treasurer and Mr. Charles W. Feltham Secretary; also on the committee was Mr. W. Chandler.

For the majority of WW1 disabled veterans who did not need care in an institution there was an urgent need to provide independent living, suitable accommodation as well as a means of earning an income for themselves and their families. As there was no national government plan the voluntary sector stepped in to build new housing – from cottages to entire villages. Bromyard was no exception.

In the archives there are plans dated April 1927, submitted under the auspices of the British Legion Area Housing Scheme, showing the elevations and internal layout of a pair of semi-detached houses. These were built ten years later, on land donated by Colonel Kempson on the junction of Old Road and York Road. Building costs were £300 (equivalent to approximately £20,500 today).

British Legion Houses in Old Road, Bromyard

An article in the Bromyard News and Record on 8th September 1955 referred to protests against the decision by Legion headquarters to sell these houses. This was followed in November with a response from the national headquarters. There is no more evidence to hand on when the houses were finally sold.

An article in the Bromyard Times from February 1988 provides some names of Branch members. It mentions Jim Davison, chairman of the Branch, who received a gold badge for services to the Legion. This was the first time that such an honour had been awarded in Bromyard. Gordon Ross was presented with a County Certificate of Appreciation while Christine Smith and Rachel Walwyn received certificates in acknowledgment of their ten years of service as collectors for the Poppy Appeal. These awards were presented by Dr. M. Peto the Branch President. Some other names were also mentioned: Mr. Bear (bank manager), Hayden Evans (woodwork teacher), George Graham and George Middleton.

The Branch appears to have a suffered a couple of closures during its long history. The first of these was for a period of three years from July 1979. So far, no reasons for this temporary closure have come to light.

A second, reported in the Hereford Times, dated 18th January 2008, described how Bromyard British Legion would be closed and incorporated into the Colwall branch. This decision was forced by the low attendance at a previous meeting on 10th January, which had been arranged for the evening to encourage more to attend. As only seven members turned up, the decision to close was inevitable. However it seems that the Branch was still able to parade its standard. 

Branch Chairman and Treasurer, John Lidsey, commented that the decision could not be delayed and it was a shame that a sizeable town like Bromyard could not support a branch. It was thought that the distance to Colwall would mean that very few members would attend social events there.

Mr. Lidsey painted a gloomy picture of the future of the Legion in Herefordshire. His view was that so many branches would be forced to merge that “in many years there would just be a county branch”. Fortunately that did not prove to be the case and Bromyard’s closure was only very short lived as there is evidence in the financial records to show that it was active again the following year.