Armistice Lecture

James Bashall has enjoyed a varied and highly active 34 year career in the Army where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.  He commanded the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, 1st Mechanised Brigade and 1st Armoured Division.  In various command and senior staff appointments, he deployed on multiple tours to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and, from Malta, directed the Non Combatant Evacuation Operation into Libya.

Lieutenant General Bashall has just completed a 4 year tenure as the National President of the Royal British Legion; he remains the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps and is the Admiral of the Army Sailing Association and is a qualified RYA instructor.   He is married to Sarah-Lucie and has 3 children.

During his talk entitled ‘The Royal British Legion – Yesterday & Today’, Lieutenant General Bashall will focus on the work of the Legion in leading the Nation’s Remembrance and supporting Veterans.  He will examine the history and philosophy underpinning the countless War Memorials throughout the country and highlight those wars and campaigns since 1945 that have resulted in the deaths of a great number of Service Personnel.  He will focus on the actions of 2 PARA in the post war period, drawing upon his own direct operational experience with that battalion to bring home the stark reality of warfare and why organisations such as the Royal British Legion are so important.