A STALWART of the Royal British Legion is about to embark on his 60th year of collecting for the Poppy Appeal.

President of Tenby branch of the Royal British Legion, Gordon Prime will take to the streets of the town tomorrow (Saturday), to once again lead the local appeal, which is the Legion's biggest fundraising campaign.

Every year the nation helps the work of the Legion through its support of the Poppy Appeal.

For this nationwide event of reflection and Remembrance, millions of poppies, wreaths and petals are produced to raise money to help brave heroes.

The Royal British Legion gives practical help, advice and support to serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families, spending £1.6m a week supporting the Armed Forces community, in all sorts of ways.

"There is still the need to raise money for our soldiers who are returning now and our veterans from World War II who are needing help, so we are looking forward to people coming out to support us," said Gordon, who will be joined on his annual fundraising walkabout by the local Royal Navy Cadets, Army Cadets, and Air Force Cadets, on both Saturdays.

Gordon began his time in the service in June 1940, when he joined the Home Guard (Dad's Army) aged 16, for the defence of Birmingham Airport.

Two years later he joined the army and trained as a driver and dispatch rider, and on June 6, 1944, landed on Juno Beach on D-Day.

"After the Battle of Normandy, we crossed the Seine, turned left towards Le Havre to liberate the town, which took almost two weeks," recalled Gordon.

"We then went on to liberate Belgium, and on September 14, 1944, took part in the Battle of Arnhem, before later that year in December went to the Ardennes, to help the Americans out at the Battle of the Bulge," he continued.

On February 6, 1945, the day before his 21st birthday, Gordon took part in the Battle of Reichswald Forest, before crossing the Rhine the following month and finishing the war in Germany in May.

Each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for the Royal British Legion's work through the Poppy Appeal, and it takes 350,000 volunteers and staff to organise the appeal each year.

More than 40 million Remembrance poppies, 500,000 poppies of other types, five million Remembrance petals, 100,000 wreaths and sprays, 750,000 Remembrance crosses and other Remembrance items are made at the Poppy Factory each year.

This year for Remembrance Sunday on November 10, the Tenby parade will assemble outside the Hazelwell Club in St. Florence Parade, at 10.50 am, before making its way to the War Memorial where a short service of remembrance will be held and wreaths laid.

"During the wreath-laying ceremony, Scottish piper Graham Phillips will play the 'Flowers of the Forest' which will be fitting," said Gordon.

Anyone who has ordered wreaths can pick them up from the De Valence on Tuesday, October 29, or November 4, from 10 am to 2 pm.

A memorial service will also be held at the War Memorial on Remembrance Day, November 11, at 11 am.