Brian Soffe

Brian joined the Branch in 1967 and he still has his original affiliation receipt for 4 shillings (20p)  and joining fee of 1 shilling (5p) signed by branch secretary, John Wilkins.

He served a five year apprenticeship with Southern Railway (Marine Division) at Southampton Docks as fitter and turner, working on the cross-channel ferries.

He joined the Mercantile Marine as an engineering Officer from 1952 until 1957, the last two years on RMS Queen Mary. He then spent the rest of his working life at Esso Petroleum at Fawley as a repair technician retiring in 1995.

 His work for the Legion began with a sharp introduction to Branch Committee at the 1967 AGM. He has served on the Branch committee and as secretary, chairman, president, and on the welfare committee and has been a branch vice president since 1995. He served as a RBL Hall trustee from 1976 until the hall was transferred to the Royal British Legion in 2002. He took on the role of branch treasurer in 2015.

Brian joined the SW Sector meetings with Len Holdstock in 1970 and became a committee member in 1973. He was elected in 1974 to the Hampshire County Committee, taking on the roles of treasurer, vice chairman and chairman from 1978 until 1990. He served on the SE Area Council from 1981 until all Areas closed in 1993. He served on the Legion's National Council from 1990 until stepping down in 1999.

He continued serving on the County Committee as a member and was appointed as a County Vice President in 2007 and finished his third spell as County Treasurer on retiring from county activities in January 2020. The Legion has been a great part of his life and he had been ably supported by his wife, Dawn until her passing in 2000.

Brian was secretary of the Copythorne Carnival Committee for a number of years after leaving the sea. He was secretary of the new Copythorne Parish Hall committee for 14 years until after construction and its opening in 1970. He spent 12 years on the Copythorne Parish Council, the latter ten years as the council chairman and served as a school governor for Copythorne CoE School.

 Brian can be contacted by email on:-     copythorne.treasurer@rbl.community