The Chobham Branch of the Royal British Legion has marked a major milestone, celebrating its 100th anniversary with a centenary event at Chobham Golf Club.

Formed in February 1926, the branch has served the village continuously for a century, supporting remembrance, community life and the Armed Forces family. Over recent years it has remained active, hosting a series of well-attended social and educational events, including a fish and chip supper with a speaker from the RNLI – often described as the fourth emergency service – and a talk on Operation Chariot, the daring St Nazaire raid of the Second World War.

The branch has also played a key role in ensuring local service personnel are remembered. Plaques bearing the names of Chobham residents who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars have been installed at the Memorial Gates, with the names also displayed on banners outside St Lawrence Church on Remembrance Sunday and beside the branch gazebo at Chobham Carnival. Additional plaques marking the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day in 2025 have been added to a commemorative bench in the cemetery.

Remembrance Sunday remains one of the village’s most significant annual events, with the branch organising a parade from the War Memorial to St Lawrence Church, followed by a service and a return ceremony, supported by local youth groups and Gordon’s School band.

Around 70 guests attended the centenary celebration on February 7. A bugler from Gordon’s School announced dinner, before guests enjoyed a short history of the branch, a three-course meal and entertainment from the Memphis Belles. The evening also featured a speech from Shannon Saise-Marshall, Chair of Surrey County Royal British Legion, and a raffle that raised £455.

The branch thanked local organisations, prize donors, Chobham Golf Club and all those who attended, describing the evening as a fitting celebration of 100 years of service.

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