Earlier this year we commissioned a historian to research the history of the Officers’ Association. From its founding in February 1920 to the OABF that we know and love today, the evolution of the organisation has been traced in the context of UK military history across the past 100+ years.

We are pleased to share the news that the resulting work has been approved by Wikipedia and the OABF now has its own extensive listing on the site. The page is a fascinating read for friends of the OABF, historians and military buffs alike. It uncovers the story of the creation of the Officers’ Association after the First World War, principally in response to the widely publicised social phenomenon of ‘the money-less former-Officer’. With many Officers having to give up their education, jobs and careers in order to serve, at the end of WWI they found themselves demobilised, ‘de-Officered’, out of work and ineligible for unemployment benefits and training, with many reduced to begging. It tells of how the OABF secured its Royal Charter, its ties with the British Legion and the vital role played by the OABF in supporting Second World War veterans through its Business Grants Scheme, as well as financial assistance towards the cost of housing. The article brings the OABF up to the present day, exploring the incredible success of its employment services, the subsequent founding of the Forces Employment Charity and its ongoing, essential work as the Officers’ Association Benevolent Fund.

You can read the full article on Wikipedia – a highly recommended good read! We’d love to hear what you think.

Image ref. Image of Field-Marshal Earl Haigh from the OABF annual report