About this design
The British Legion was founded in 1921 and granted its Royal Charter in 1971 as part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary. This year is their 90th anniversary. Coincidentally a year that has the remarkable symmetry of 11/11/11/11 - 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year. To mark this, among other things, The Royal British Legion have collaborated with WeAdmire.net to produce a range of t shirts intended to be worn year round. The shirts are available in a range of six colours and seven sizes from XS to XXXL. The designs are dyed into the shirts at very high resolutions, they are colourful and very detailed. Because the designs are dyed into the fabric of the shirts they are completely colour fast, and because they are dyed there is no change to the performance or feel of the fabric. Soft comfort is constant.
At the bottom left corner of the front of each shirt in this range is a drawing of the “dog tags” issued in the 1st World War. Their use will be limited to this range of shirts. In their day they were made of compressed asbestos dyed red and green and secured with butchers twine.
There are five designs. The others within this series are Lord Kitchener, Let Us Sleep Now, War Time Pidgeons, and Poppy Planes.
It appears to be an extraordinary coincidence that the blood red poppy of places such as Flanders, should flourish from the upheaval of soil that comes as a result of war. First noted during the Napoleonic Wars, heavy bombardment causes the chalk soil to become enriched with Lime from the dispersed rubble and it is under these circumstances that the poppy flourishes. After a time, as if to mark the end of mourning, the Lime get absorbed and the Poppies disappear.
It was the Canadian Doctor, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae who latterly made this connection and, of course, went on to write the famous poem In Flanders Fields.
Later, an american woman, Moina Michael, began wearing a Poppy in remembrance of those who died as a result of the First World War. In 1920 Michael's observance was noted by a French woman, Madame Guerin, who, having returned to France, raised money for destitute children, by selling handmade Poppies. By November 1920, on the suggestion of Madame Guerin, Poppies were being distributed throughout Canada.
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
