British Armed Forces veterans parade in Spain in honor of their fallen

The Spanish city of Benidorm (Alicante) has been a major tourist destination for decades due to its climate and beaches.

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Benidorm is home to a large community of British citizens, many of them retirees looking for a pleasant place to relax after a long life of work. This growing British community has brought some of its customs to this part of Spain, including its memorial services for British citizens who died in service to their country.

For years, this Spanish city has hosted parades of the Royal British Legion (RBL), a charitable organization that provides support to veterans of the British Armed Forces. The Spanish branches of the RBL organize these parades with British veterans residing in Spain and also with the support of the British embassy and consulates and other British social organizations in Spain, such as the British Scouts of Madrid and Majadahonda.

This annual parade is known as the "Poppy Appeal", as this flower is the one used in the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations to remember their fallen.

This year's parade was held on Saturday, October 18. Benidorm City Council has published a report and a series of photos, noting that the parade was presided over by the Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, along with the British Ambassador to Spain, Alex Ellis, on his first official visit to Benidorm.

The parade also featured the participation of the British Defense Attaché in Spain, Captain Anthony Crabb; the British Vice Consul in Alicante, Sara Munsterhjel; Stephen Lee, a member of the RBL Board of Trustees; the RBL District Chaplain in Spain, Reverend Richard Seabrook; and the local RBL Chairman, Paul Kane.

The parade was accompanied by the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums, a band made up of British citizens living in Spain. The event also featured the participation of British war veterans, some of them very old, such as 93-year-old Raymond Barber. The photos of the parade you see here are those published by Benidorm City Council on its website.

You can see a video of this parade here, published by Radio Comercio Benidorm:

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Photos: Ayuntamiento de Benidorm.