During the four years of WW1 four separate organisations were created. Each represented the rights of soldiers, sailors, ex Servicemen, their widows and dependents.  After the war ended Earl (formerly Field Marshall) Douglas Haig campaigned for the amalgamation of the four units. This was agreed and a new, single organisation to be known as the Royal British Legion was constituted on 15 May 1921.  

In 1928 Sibford decided to form its own Sub Branch of the Hook Norton Branch with some 32 members from the Gower, Burdrop and the Ferris attending an inaugural meeting. Many familiar village names appear on the first page of Branch Minutes which have recently come into the village archive. Some familiar names include: Haynes, Lamb, Hiles, Hooper (headmaster of village school), Dyer, Payne, Barnes, Rymell, Scruby, Pettipher, Lines, Webb and Rev. Grogan (vicar of Holy Trinity). The group met in the ‘New Room’ in Sibford Ferris, subscriptions were fixed at two shillings and sixpence per year, the Legion charter was accepted, officers and a committee of 8 members were appointed on December 12 1930 and Major Nelson was invited to officially open the new Branch. Meetings were held monthly, some members attended the North Oxfordshire regional conference, social evenings and whist drives were held in the New Room, a Benevolent Committee was formed for the benefit of members in need and members organised the annual Poppy Day Appeal.

At the Annual Meeting in 1937 it was agreed to order a Standard for the Sibford Sub Branch as funds were to hand and it was dedicated at the War Memorial in Sibford Churchyard on Remembrance Sunday that year. Neighbouring Branches of the RBL from Bloxham, Hook Norton, Shenington and Tysoe were in attendance. In June 1938, in view of the worsening international situation, a national Legion policy to implement emergency enrolment was arranged to encourage increased membership to help with assistance in many different ways. The Branch continued to meet intermittently during the 1939-1945 period of war and meetings moved to the School Room, Sibford Gower.

After the end of the war quarterly meetings were reinstated and  Mr F Hall was appointed Standard Bearer to take the Legion’s Standard to the Banbury Rally in 1951. However, in 1953 the Sibford Branch declined the offer of a standing place at Hyde Park Corner for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II but hoped that another Branch in the North Oxon Group would be able to attend.

The last recorded Minutes received in the archive are dated 18 September 1953 although the Branch continued until it finally closed in 1981. The Sibford Standard was laid up and is now displayed in Holy Trinity Church, Sibford.

Maureen Hicks