I enlisted with the TA in March 1995, attached to the Royal Military Police based at Edinburgh Castle. After deciding to join as a regular in 1997, I trained to be a gunner in the Royal Artillery and then went on to complete driver training in Leconfield. In January 1998, I joined me regiment in Bergen-Hohne in Germany, followed by a 6 month tour of Northern Ireland. I then saw two tours of duty in Bosnia, serving at Glamoc and Sanski Most and also served as a member of the regimental police. Regrettably, I was later discharged on medical grounds after taking a reaction to the anthrax vaccine in preparation for deployment to the Gulf.
I am now in a position where I can try and help some of our service personnel who are coming back from the conflict zones in a bad way by participating in the Help for Heroes Big Battlefield cycle ride, from the 24 of May to the 31 of May 2010.
Our exciting cycle challenge takes us from HMS Victory in Portsmouth, a hugely important part of naval history, across the channel to Le Havre, through northern France to Dunkirk.This challenging route traces some of the region’s most significant First World War & Second World War battle sites, including Thiepval on the Somme
This will be a great physical challenge and also an amazing emotional journey as we visit some of the memorial sites in the Somme. The will be in Dunkirk on the 70 Anniversary of the evacuation of British troops where we will commemorate with the Flotilla of Dunkirk Little Ships.
Day 6, 29 May: Ypres – Dunkirk
Our penultimate day will see us traverse the flatter lands of the Belgian/French border to join in a spectacular celebration with the townspeople of Dunkirk to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the evacuation of both French and British troops. We will start early and head up towards the port town on this special day, following the route taken by many soldiers who were on foot. Cycling along the coast towards Dunkirk we will arrive at the beach memorial to those soldiers who lost their lives so close to being free, and witness a special ceremony to remember those who fought here. The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships will welcome us with 50 small ships which were active in the evacuation taking our men to safety 70 years ago. After the ceremony we will take time for lunch away from the bustle and hear the story of Dunkirk from our Battlefield Historian guides before returning to the centre of Dunkirk to watch the parade of veterans march past the Town Hall; a moving spectacle. From here we shall take our bikes for a final pedal, from the town to the port area were we will end our cycle in style. The bikes will be packed away and we shall enjoy an early supper before we head out to HMS Largs Bay, where the Royal Navy is hosting us on board off shore from Dunkirk for the night.
We will have the chance to reflect on the Dunkirk evacuation from the deck of HMS Largs Bay as we hold our final wreath laying ceremony out at sea looking back on the historic town. We will then be transported over the Channel by the Royal Navy, subject to operational permissions, to land at Dover on the beaches mid afternoon. (Please note: this is subject to change and may be replaced by a Calais – Dover passenger ferry crossing). We will be taken to our hotels in Dover to freshen up before boarding a coach and driving to a well earned celebration at the Duke of York Royal Military School in Dover. We will be welcomed by a Military Band before being well fed and watered. This will be a chance to reflect and congratulate ourselves on our huge achievement, before enjoying a good night’s sleep.
Day 8, 31 May: Free time and departure You will be able to have a well deserved lie in before making your own way home with your bike. You will need to plan your own transportation home, there are good rail and bus links to London, or friends and family may wish to spend this bank holiday in the surrounding area with you.
