It was founded in 1921 (as the British Empire Service League) by Field Marshals Earl Haig and Jan Smuts to link together the various ex-service organisations throughout the Commonwealth.
[2] The archives of the League are retained at its headquarters in London (UK).
The papers include minutes of the Council from 1952 onwards and those of the Executive Committee; reports of the Triennial Conference since 1921; annual audited accounts; and subject and correspondence files referring to individual ex-servicemen's organisations in various countries.
A full set of the magazine Our Empire is also available.
Special permission is required for access to the papers and further enquiries should be addressed to the Secretary-General.