Legion: 75 years of service

However, when the terrors of the Great War of 1914-1918 had given way to decades of uneasy peace and social change, many of the four-and-a-half million ex-services personnel who had survived the carnage of the trenches found themselves on the streets uttering just such a refrain.

The employment climate was harsh and, unlike in this day and age, training didn't feature on any Government's agenda. This parlous situation wasn't helped by the fact that around one third of all the former soldiers were disabled in body or mind.

Forming the British Legion
In direct response to their plight, the British Legion was formed in 1921 with the aim of pressuring Government to increase pensions and set up schemes to provide employment (in particular for the disabled veterans). By 1928, though, the plight of half-a-million service people who remained unemployed was a constant concern of the newly-organised British Legion branches across the country.

On 31 March 1928, the Belfast Branch witnessed the beginnings of what was to become the Royal British Legion Attendants Company (RBLA), with the formal recruitment of seven men and a superintendent to man some small car parks in the city under the title of British Legion Car Attendants (Belfast).

The emphasis of the RBLA was very much on job creation and, strange though it may seem today, a major opportunity was discovered in the car parking arena. The direct result of an increase in the number of cars on the road.

The car parking task became something of a reserved occupation as RBLA offices were opened in Glasgow, Rochdale, Braintree, West Hartlepool and Wigan.

Come the outbreak of World War II, and the prospect of another wave of disabled and unemployed ex-services people looking for gainful employment, the company was forced to restructure. The British Legion National Car Attendants Company – an associate company of the Legion – was formed on 1 September 1943, with £35,000 working capital provided by Legion hq.

In the early 1960s, Britain 'dusted herself down' and set a new agenda. The decade witnessed the development of eight local Boards and 87 directors. Under this new management regime, the company was divided into two regions – northern and southern. Agreements were also reached over wages with the GMBU Union.

Diversification into the security industry seemed a logical step for the company, and a period of rapid expansion followed, with some prestige contracts laid before blue chip organisation and institutions such as the Tower of London. Then, in 1972, the Legion was reorganised into The British Legion Attendants Company and the local Boards wound up (though not without resistance).

Throughout the 1980s, the difficulties associated with recruiting ex-service people became ever more acute. It was acknowledged that capability to carry out the security task was now more important than fitting the job to the physical condition of the employee. The refurbished Preston office re-opened in 1986, and a new London office the following year.

Come the 1990s and the impact of an expanding business – not to mention growing employee protection legislation – led the RBLA to separate the charity from its trading arm. Subsequently, Legion Security plc was launched on 1 October 1998. It was a major challenge. To trade commercially, while at the same time retaining the ethos, integrity and loyalty which has been the cornerstone of the organisation.

That goal has been realised by restructuring, and setting in place working policies designed on the basis of loyalty. In other words, the loyalty of the company to its workforce and customer base. Legion looks to long and successful partnerships with staff and clients.

Legion today... and tomorrow
Today, Legion Security plc employs around 2,000 staff, the aim being to generate profits that will provide a revenue stream for the RBLA to support its charitable aims in promoting the employment opportunities, training and care needs of ex-services personnel. It aims to provide staff with those key military values of loyalty, reliability, discipline and professionalism. Virtues all-too-often missing in today's society.

Times have certainly changed considerably from the poverty the early war veterans encountered. The Legion Security of today would be unrecognisable to them. What remains, though, is the same commitment to staff welfare and high standards of service.

The private security industry is set for fundamental and radical change over the next few years. Rest assured that Legion Security will be using that change as the basis for framing its operations during the next 75 years.