How started the poppy appeal?

The poppy appeal is a worldwide annual fundraising drive held by The Royal British Legion (RBL) every November. It is in remembrance of the sacrifices of British soldiers during the First World War and subsequent conflicts. During the war, much of Belgium and northern France was churned into a muddy battleground, where red field poppies flourished amid debris and shell holes.

Following the First World War, two Canadian women decided to adopt a custom. Moina Michael conceived the poem "In Flanders Fields" and Anna Guérin wore a silk "poppy" in 1921 to commemorate the end of the war. Guérin's poppy was so successful that it quickly became a common accessory, inspiring the formation of the British Legion Poppy Factory.

The idea of using the poppy as a symbol for Remembrance began in 1921, when the French War Veterans Association adopted it as their commemorative emblem. The following year, the British Legion adopted the poppy and began selling them on Armistice Day (11 November) to raise funds for ex-servicemen. The idea quickly spread, and the poppy became an international symbol of remembrance.