Liberation 44 and the story of the Royal British Legion in Brussels
The people and events that shaped our history
By Dennis Abbott
Introduction
The idea of writing a potted history of the Royal British Legion’s Brussels branch ahead of its centenary in 2022 mostly came about due to the Covid pandemic. The Legion in Britain was due to celebrate its own 100th birthday the year before so I figured it was a way of killing two birds with one stone – and keeping me occupied when there was little opportunity to get out and about.
As self-appointed branch historian, I took possession of the archives, hoping they would be a treasure trove. They weren’t. There were a couple of decades’ worth of committee minutes and a few black-and-white pictures, most notably of a visit to the branch by the Prince of Wales in 1923. A caption on the photo was dated a year earlier and, for a long while, I couldn’t for the life of me work out why there was no record of his visit to Brussels in reports of the time.
With so little to go on, I envisaged the history would be covered in a dozen pages at most, but the project gradually took on a life of its own. I spent more than a few hours trawling through Belgian newspaper archives, often researching a tiny detail. Members and friends sent me pictures and, gradually, I discovered the stories of men and women whose contribution, I felt, should not be forgotten.
In telling the story of the branch and its mostly British and Belgian members – among them some illustrious names – context helps, which is why there is a considerable focus on the Liberation of Brussels in 1944 and Belgium’s experience in the Second World War.
This history is intended to be a “living document”: do get in touch if you wish to suggest a contribution or correction.
The British Legion was created on 15 May 1921 to help the many thousands of servicemen and their families who found themselves in desperate need. The Brussels branch was formed almost a year to the day later. Belgium was home to eight branches originally. The others were Antwerp, Ypres, Mons, Ostend, Ghent, Knokke and Alost. Brussels, Antwerp and Ypres are still going strong.
The Legion’s mission today is largely unchanged: it continues to provide financial and emotional support for the armed forces community, including serving personnel, veterans and their families, whenever or wherever that help is needed. Branches worldwide organise commemorations to honour those who served and the many who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We must ensure they are never forgotten.
Service not self
In an era when the word “hero” is often easily bestowed, Brussels branch can take pride in its association with distinguished members such as Battle of Britain pilot Group Captain Peter Townsend CVO DSO DFC, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Piron DSO, commander of the Free Belgian Forces in the Second World War, Special Operations Executive warriors Lieutenant Colonel George Starr DSO MC and Peter Lake MC, spymaster Captain Norman Dewhurst MC, Squadron Leader Edward Hearn DFC, Count Henri d’Oultremont of the Brigade Piron, Commandant Fernand Delcourt and Colonel François Roberti-Lintermans.
But the names that most often crop up in this history are the unsung heroes – the hands-on members doing the unglamorous but vital organising, collecting, ferrying, phoning, minute-taking, tea-making, and more. They epitomise the guiding principle of the Legion: service not self.
A full list of those who served the branch with distinction is impossible but would surely include: Horace Field Westmacott, Victor Saxon, Léon Gyssels MC, Charles Haldane CMG DSO, Ernest-William Briscoe, William Wrathall DSO MC, Lionel Grigson-Page, John Calastreme, Edward N. Ackroyd MC, Roger Galère MBE, Reverend Philip Moore, Dr Paul Maurice OBE, Kenneth H. Ross, Albert (Bert) Harris OBE, Victor Snutsel, Alan Thorniley MBE, Angèle T. Lorge MBE, Gordon D. Staple MBE TD, Douglas Cooper OBE, Harry Moffatt, George Lapthorn, Douglas Harrison, Harry More MBE, Reg Whitburn MBE, Peter Allen, John and Daphné Chotteau, Alf Woodward, Claire Whitfield, Dédée Cooper, Yvonne Sayer, Maureen Van Tiggelen, Arthur and Flore Empringham, Simone Nossent, Monette Johnson, Freddie Townsend OBE, Michael Rose and Mark Thomas.
More recent champions include Andrew Fisher, Len Oddie MBE, Ed Read Cutting, Paul Boorman, Michael Rose, Jean-Pierre Pede (awarded the RBL Gold Badge in 2025 after 40 years of outstanding service), Ethel Pede-Moffatt, Freddy Roiseux, Colin and Brenda Puplett, Alan Puplett, Mark Thomas, Ron Aston, Andrée Ferrant, Ann Morley, Dave Lees, Kate Andrews, John Wilkinson, Darren Bone, Zoe White MBE, David Bizley, Alain Brogniez, Rainer Hiltermann, Mireille Picron, Phil Hyde, Mika-John Southworth, Steve Grant MBE, Scott Wilson and Yvon Gilles.
Perhaps no-one better typifies the spirit of dedication than Normandy veteran Eric Johnson BEM who served as Brussels branch Standard Bearer for a remarkable 56 years.
In early 2026, I set out to re-edit the text, including new content and additional pictures, ahead of its planned publication as a free e-book. I hope you enjoy reading this account and discovering the story of the men and women who have ensured – and continue to ensure – that we pass on the torch of remembrance.
October 2026
Dennis Abbott
Chair, Royal British Legion Brussels Branch
[email protected]
Chapters
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Acknowledgements
I would particularly like to thank the 2022 branch committee for their ideas and encouragement at the outset of this project: Zoe White (Chair), Jean-Pierre Pede (Vice-Chair, Membership Secretary and Treasurer), Andrée Ferrant (Secretary), David Bizley (Poppy Appeal Organiser), Alain Brogniez (Facebook Coordinator), Phil Hyde (News and Events Coordinator), Freddy Roiseux (Standard Bearer), Canon John Wilkinson (Chaplain), Steve Grant (Battlefield Tours Organiser), and Ann Morley.
I am also particularly grateful for the contributions I received from Colin and Brenda Puplett, Rainer Hiltermann, Andrew Fisher, Greg Ruthven, Ed Read Cutting, Michael Whitburn, Leo Cendrowicz and the late Claire Whitfield. My wife (and fellow branch member) Laura Houlgatte Abbott has provided staunch support even when it must have seemed my research was bordering on obsessional.
Thank you to everyone who provided photographs and to the National Library of Belgium for giving me access to its newspaper archive and allowing us to re-publish images. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain permission for use of material. If there are any errors or omissions, please notify us and we will make any necessary corrections.
If you would like to discover what the branch has been up to since its centenary year, do read our excellent newsletter, The Wipers Times, on the website.
Dennis Abbott
The author paying tribute at Hotton in May 2026
Author serving in Iraq in 2003
