About us

The club was originally formed at a meeting held on the 18th of May 1918 with the snappy title of The Wantage Branch of The Berkshire Division of The Comrades of the Great War, with members required to pay a subscription which was to be used to support ex-servicemen and their families in time of need. 

The Comrades of The Great War was a non-political organisation formed in 1917 to represent the rights of ex-service personnel, and would grow to over 2000 branches and posts around the UK.

In January 1920 the club was reconstituted to become an independent entity affiliated to The Comrades of The Great War.

The site of the clubhouse was secured on payment of £100 on the condition ‘that no intoxicating liquors be bought, sold, or used on the site nor on any premises that may be erected upon it’, with title to the property held by 4 trustees on behalf of the membership, and run by a committee and officers elected from the membership by the membership. 

In May 1921 The Comrades of The Great War merged with The National Union of Ex-Servicemen, The National Federation of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers and The Officers Association to become The Royal British Legion at which point Wantage and quite a few other Comrades Clubs elected to remain independent of the new organisation. 

Over 100 years later the club is going strong and still run the same way, with the property held in trust for the membership by 3 trustees and run by members elected by the membership, with every member having an equal stake and say in the club.