RBL removes 'Pull the Pin' rum from shop after 'a number of complaints'
The Royal British Legion (RBL) has said its withdrawn a product named 'Pull the Pin' rum from its Poppy Shop "following a number of complaints".
Bottles of the drink are opened with a grenade-like pin-shaped device but the charity told Forces News the product has been "misinterpreted".
In a statement on Armistice Day on Thursday, the RBL on Twitter said: "Following a number of complaints, we are undertaking a review of the Pull the Pin rum on our Poppy Shop and therefore we have removed the product at this time.
"This course of action has been taken as it is important we now focus on Armistice Day and the Remembrance weekend, however we remain committed to supporting our veteran community in their employment after service."
Pull the Pin was set up in 2018 by former Army Commando Tom Foster who was forced to leave the British Army due to injury.
After receiving support from the RBL, Mr Foster designed a special centenary bottle to commemorate the work the charity has done over the last 100 years - with all profits going to the charity.
Mr Foster told Forces News there has been an "incorrect link between the bottle and 'celebrating' Remembrance, as well as linking the bottle to a grenade".
"Neither of which is what the bottle is for or about and it saddens me immensely that this has happened, especially today.
"We are an active part of the military and veteran community and develop our military-linked products with them.
"This 10 spiced rum, one spice for each decade of the Legion, is to highlight the great work that the British Legion has done over the past 100 years and it saddens us that they have felt under pressure to remove it from sale due to a few minority objections.
"It is only right that the focus this weekend is on Remembrance."
Towards the end of the summer, the Royal British Legion built an online Veteran's Market as part of its centenary year.
The market was designed to showcase products created by the military community and raise funds for the charity.
Pull the Pin rum was one product listed on the online Poppy Shop.
The Royal British Legion told Forces News the bottle was "never intended as a Remembrance product" and the term 'Pull the Pin' was "misinterpreted".
"In the military everyone knows that this term is used as a way of saying 'let your hair down', 'put something behind you', or in the way Tom and Kerry [Mr Foster's business partner] mean it: 'pull the pin on convention and celebrate life'," the charity said.
"The focus this weekend must be remembering the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces, past and present.
"Anything distracting us from that would do a disservice to the memory of our fallen."
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