The Honiton Branch of the Royal British Legion was first established in 1921.

Historically Honiton has been a military garrison town since the Napolionic Wars. Heathfield Camp has been the home to British Infantry & Cavalry, National Serviceman of the REME as well as Canadian Troops in both World Wars, it was even an ATS Training Camp in 1942. It came as no surprise that Honiton was one of the founding towns to create a Branch of The British Legion on 19^th July 1921. At the same time the Town commissioned it own War Memorial in front of St. Paul’s Church, at the time deemed to be the centre of the Town and the centre of the community.

Heathfield Camp was officially closed as a military installation in 1970 and Honiton ceased to be a Garrison Town.

Between the world wars The British Legion was at the centre of social life in Honiton managing many activities in sports and social events. This continued post WW2 and after land was donated to the Legion a Club was built by local tradesmen in Dowell Street in 1963. By this time the Branch boasted over 750 members. As well as numerous fundraising activities the Branch laid on the Annual Remembrance Parade in which a large number of the town took part.  The British Legion received its ‘Royal Appellation' on 29^th May 1971 and has since been known as The Royal British Legion.

In June 2010 following an old comrades event for former service personnel of Heathfield Camp organised by the Legion, The Lord Lieutenant of Devon took the salute at the Town’s War Memorial.

On 07^th August 2011 The club closed its doors to the surprise of residents in the town. It was the end of an era for Honiton as the town said goodbye to the Royal British Legion Club. The Statement made was as follows:

'The club took the decision to close as a result of mounting debts that have built up over the last 10 years following a meeting of members last Friday. It ceased trading yesterday (Sunday) and the decision has come as a surprise to many residents. (the club was a limited company and leased the license to manage the club from the Royal British Legion). The Royal British Legion Riders also rolled into town with motorcyclists from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol and Dorset taking part in a ride to show their support for the legion, which instead marked the club’s final day of trading'.

Following the closure of the club the Branch membership was reduced dramatically and dropped from around 500 to 200 in 2 years. As the Branch membership continued to decline and many of the members sadly passed away a decision to close the Branch was considered. As the people of the Town historically raise a large amount of money for the annual Poppy Appeal and the thought of not having a Remembrance Day Parade, the idea to close was never  implemented. Over the last 50 years The Poppy Appeal in Honiton has raised over £600,000. In recent years an average of over £20,000 is raised annually.

In 2018 the 100^th Anniversary of the end of World War 1 was remembered in Honiton by the Royal British Legion and Brian and Norah Smith, members of the Branch attended GP90 a re-enactment of the original Grand Pilgramage in 1928. On the 2018 event The Standard of Royal British Legion Honiton attended to parade at the Menin Gate in Belgium along with 1,172 other Standards. A further 1,200 wreaths were laid (including one from Honiton) to remember those lost. For the Poppy Appeal in 2018 the Town was decorated with over 150 24” Poppies each containing the names of the missing soldiers from World War 1.

In 2020 the 75^th Anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day from World War 2 were remembered. Due to the COVID19 Pandemic these events were remembered in a more modern virtual way with celebrations much quieter than had originally been planned.

The 100^th Anniversary of the Branch and The War Memorial were both celebrated with an Act of Homage in front of St Paul’s Church.

Over the most recent 5 years the Branch in Honiton even though it has 90 members has struggled to resurrect its former self. But to keep the Poppy Appeal in the Town alive and as the custodians of remembrance the Branch still functions, now meeting in The Honiton Conservative Club. The War Memorial is still the centre of the Town and is still a prominent meeting place for many people. The Remembrance Parades are still attended by up to 1,000 people every year, enforcing the work that The Royal British Legion does, both Nationally as well as locally.