Day 2 - British Day

Day 2. 48 miles. Average speed 13.6. Top speed 40.1. British Day.
A short ride in the morning to Arromanche – to our base for the morning – a hill above the beaches. Arromanche is the town where the British built the Mulberry Harbour – a most incredible engineering feat – a harbour built in sections in Southern England then towed across the channel to ensure that all the supplies needed by an army could be unloaded. An excellent service overlooking the harbour – the peddling padre being on fine form – a 15 minute amusing talk without notes followed by wreath laying ceremony. The best thing about being at the top of the hill is when one starts cycling again it is downhill all the way. The route took us along the coast and at certain key points the Guild of Battlefield Tour Guides who are travelling with us told us about individual battles as well as telling the overall D-Day story. Night at a small hotel on the outskirts of Caen – very upmarket in comparison to the second day - the rooms had an extra square feet of space, and there was a bar and restaurant on site. On the food stakes it is all perfectly adequate. Lunch is provided by an excellent company called Extreme Catering and they do an excellent job – the pasta meatballs for lunch were memorable. Food in the hotels is basic but nourishing – and washed down with copious quantities of cheap French red wine is perfectly acceptable.

Day 1 -- American Forces Day

50.2 miles, average speed 14.8, top speed 38.1.

The start of the ride itself was at St Mere Eglis which was the town where the first allied troops landed – paratroopers from 82nd and 101st Airborne (US). To be in the town on the day the anniversary of the event was quite special and the place was buzzing with some old soldiers and quite a few “new soldiers” – individuals who dress up in old uniforms and drive around in old military jeeps. A strange hobby – but it appears popular. The first of our ceremonies took place in the town square with one of the wreaths being paid by a serving member of the 101st – a young man from San Antonio, Texas with a prosthetic leg - an Afghanistan casualty. The ceremonies are good – we have our own “peddling padre” – a current vicar from the midlands who used to be a Greenjacket, a bugler from the Royal Artillery and a piper from the Highland regiment. Controlling us all is the old Regimental Corporal Major (Equivalent to RSM) of the Blues and Royals – to ensure that everything runs smoothly – and we are in the right place at the right time!

We have been joined on this trip by a team of 10 US wounded from Operation Comfort – to add to our own Headley Court team, so there are 8 hand powered (sit down) bikes as well as servicemen with missing limbs. So no complaining about sore legs from the rest of us! The highlight of the day was the afternoon ceremony at the American ceremony above Omaha Beach – if you have not been there it is highly recommended – acre upon acre of gravestones – all immaculately laid out and really quite a beautiful and serene part of the world.

Overnight in the Premiere Classe hotel – a misnomer if ever there was one. 3 to a room and one had to stand up in turn – it worked though and even the non-snorer in the room claimed to have slept well (poor fellow).

The Off

How quickly time flies! Today is the day and we all assemble to head to France. I am with a small group who have volunteered to be an advance party - heading over to France this afternoon on the fast ferry to overnight near the start tomorrow - with the rest of the team coming over on the overnight ferry (original large ferry not working so quite a few having to sleep in chairs - not fun). Delighted to see that the BBC news this morning has an article about our efforts. (And I cannot work out how to create a link - sorry! Please have a look at the BBC news web site!)

One week to go

With only a week to go before the 2011 Bike Battlefield Bike Ride, the nerves are starting to kick in. Am I going to be fit enough? Probably not - and indeed considering the severe lack of training this year I will probably suffer. I am heartened though to hear that we will be accompanied by 2 teams of wounded soldiers - one from the Uk and another from the US. So - no complaining!

As in previous years I will attempt to maintain this blog during the week - however this will be subject to getting adequate internet connections in the rather small French hotels we will be staying in. Based on previous years normally every other day.

The full itinerary for the ride is below and for those with time on their hands my reports of the 2 previous rides are lower down this blog!

INTRODUCTION
Our exciting cycle challenge takes us from Southwick Park in Portsmouth – a hugely important part of naval history – across the channel to Le Havre and Northern France. Our challenging ride traces some of the region’s most significant WW2 battle sites, including the Northern beaches around Arromanches, and the area south of Caen which witnessed the culmination of Operation Goodwood. This will be a great physical challenge, but also an amazing emotional journey. We finish our challenge by cycling through central Paris, via the Arc de Triomphe before finishing at the Eiffel Tower.

ITINERARY
Day 1: Portsmouth – Le Havre
We meet for registration in Portsmouth where there is a rare opportunity to visit the D-Day map room, from where Eisenhower made all his tactical decisions, and also some of the museums at Southwick Park. We’ll then have a send-off supper at Southwick House before cycling down to the ferry terminal, leaving our bikes with the transport crew and boarding the overnight ferry to Le Havre.
Cycle approx 5 miles

Day 2: Ste Mere Eglise – Bayeux
Disembarking from the ferry, we board coaches and travel to our start point on the Cherbourg Peninsula, Ste Mere Eglise. Here, the first French town to be liberated in 1944, we will remember the American Airborne Forces and lay the first of our memorial wreaths in a special ceremony. After looking around the Airborne Museum we continue on to visit the main American landing beach, Omaha, before heading for our night stop in the beautiful town of Bayeux. Overnight hotel.
Cycle approx 55 miles

Day 3: Bayeux – Caen
Today – the British Day – we visit the coast where the troops landed. First we tour the museum at Arromanches and see the film footage of the historical events that took place. After a moving wreath-laying, we head onto the Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches, where guides will be waiting to deliver some history at your leisure. From here we continue on to Pegasus Bridge, where the first house to be liberated from the Germans in June 1944 still stands. Here we are piped over the Bridge by Pipers and after a gathering and historical briefing we ride to our hotel in Caen as the bugler sounds The Advance. Overnight hotel.
Cycle approx 45 miles

Day 4: Caen – Lisieux
Today, the Canadian and Polish are remembered as we cycle from Caen down to Falaise, where the Germans were very nearly defeated! After a stop in the square to hear the Guides explain how close it was, we take a spectacular climb to the Mace. Here we will lay a wreath to commemorate the Polish soldiers, before continuing on to Lisieux. Overnight hotel.
Cycle approx 75 miles

Day 5: Lisieux – Evreux
The French Resistance and Special Forces Day, today we will remember the brave soldiers as well as women and civilians and hear the stories of the much celebrated SOE (Special Operation Executive) Agents, who parachuted into the countryside to work undercover against the enemy. We will have SOE individuals who were there at the time, as well as modern-day SOEs, when we remember those no longer with us. We shall once again lay a wreath in the memory of resistance fighters. Then we continue to Evreux. Overnight hotel.
Cycle approx 55 miles

Day 6: Evreux – Paris
Free French day – the liberation of Paris. An exciting day today, as it was back then, as we cycle eastwards and follow the route many soldiers took in the liberation of Paris. With personal memories from those who were there, we cycle towards the capital city where a wonderful celebration welcome awaits us. A wreath will be laid at the Arc de Triomphe as we cycle past, and on down the Champs Elysees to our finishing point at the iconic Eiffel Tower. This is a long, emotional yet rewarding day to finish the cycle challenge! All cyclists will be part of a celebratory evening reception at a hotel in Paris. Overnight hotel.
Cycle approx 70 miles

Day 7: Paris – London
Arriving about 6pm

The End

What a tremendous week. Cycled 320 miles in 5 days - averaging 64 miles per day, and for those who thought Northern France was flat - it isn't! Body is a bit stiff and cream still needs to be applied, other than that no problems.

Best bits:
1. Most emotional. Ceremony at Theiphal memorial to those thousands who were killed on the Somme whose bodies were never found - not a dry eye in the house.
2. Worst ceremony. Dunkirk - organised by the French whose sense of ceremony is not to the British taste. Not assisted by one of the French veterans dropping dead at Bryn Parry's side cuasing the event to be delayed.
3. Hardest day. Day 3 - 81 miles in the rain between Dieppe and Amiens. over 100 punctures dueing the day - I got one, which was kindly mended by two ex officers - I was praised for my supervision skills.
4. Best experience. Being "evacuated" from Dunkirk on landing craft which then went to the Mother Ship - HMS Largs Bay, and in the dark we drove inside the ship, lined by Royal Marines - rather resembling a scene from a James Bond film. After an overnight stay on board in 24 man bunks (interesting) - we were landed again in the landing craft on Dover Beach to a great welcome.
5. Most difficult decision. Having chosen a middle bunk on Largs Bay and having discarded cycling shorts prior to going to bed, getting up in the morning, not having room to put shorts back on and having to decide whether to get out of bed on my front or back. Luckily, the guy on the bunk below had his curtain drawn!
6. Best meal. Steak frites in a restaurant not far from Menin Gate in Ypres.
7. Best drink. The first beer of every evening.
8. Fastest day. Day 4. Average 13.8 mph between Arras and Ypres - after a few hills in the morning, flat ride through the French mining district.
9. Worst roads. In Belgium - which interestingly was not signed on the way in.
10. Most interesting view. Looking at the field where on Christmas Day 1915 the British and German troops had a game of football. Sadly, the Germans won 3-2. Within 500 yards each side of the field was based a certain Liutenant Colonel Winston Churchill (after the Dardenells disaster) and 500 yards the other way a Corporal Adolf Hitler. Sadly not at the same time - but only a few months apart.
11. Best hotel. Did rather well in that the room mate I had been allocated failed to turn up for the ride, so most nights had a room to myself. Sheer luxury. Hotels all clean and serviceable - one star.
12. Most amusing crash. Right at the very end, a brother officer, Andrew Stuart Mills crashing after the final parade at Dunkirk and being assisted to his feet by a veteran.
13. Best fly-by. A Spitfire over Dover harbour on the last morning. Absolutely magnificent and on a number of occasions he was below the level of the ship and those on shore thought he had crashed into us.
14. Best parachute display. The Red Devils (Parachute Regiment display team)doing a spectacular display into Dover harbour.
15. Best fund raising effort. The father of a soldier killed a year ago in Afghanistan who raised 93,000 pounds for the ride and although I did not meet him he was a great person, and still heavily grieving for his son.
16. Best example. While awaiting our landing craft in Dunkirk - a mere 5 hours all told - remembering that 70 years ago 320,000 British troops were doing the same - but for days while being bombed and strafed.
17. Best Hill. The feature of Cassel, about 25 miles outside of Dunkirk, which was when the last time that a unit of the British Army were ordered to defend it to the last man. An interesting ascent - steep uphill on cobble stones! Great for thin tyres.
18. Best Padre. We had the Peddling Padre with us who cycled the full distance and then donned his robes over his lycra daily for a memorial service at the various stops.
19. Best example of the impact of poor communications and sheer courage. The Canadian positions at Beaumont Hamel where the first battalion attack went over and were all mown down by 2 machine guns within 50 yards. The second battalion were then ordered to do the same - with the same result. The third attack was again ordered, and they had to climb over the bodies of their comrades to meet the same fate. Meanwhile the Brigade commander had no idea about what was happening because the runners sent back to report were all killed - and the carrier pigeons had met a similar fate.

All in all, a truly emotional, fun, amusing, sad, entertaining, inspirational, reflective, and tiring experience. And we raised over one million pounds! Thank you all who supported me.

Do look at the Help for Heroes web site for the videos of each day and photos. http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/bbbr_2010.html

Home!

Now home after a brilliant but tiring week. A full description will follow. See attached news item - and have a look at the video. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/10196718.stm

There are daily videos of the ride at http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/bbbr_2010.html

Day 4 - Amiens to Arras

Day 4 – Amiens to Arras
70 miles, average speed 12.9 and fastest speed 35.5.
We awake to a dry morning. The team who organise the whole event are from a company called Discovery Adventure – a great crew however their basic appreciation of time and distance can take some getting used to. At the morning briefing we were told that the first stop was 4 miles – well 11.9 miles later we arrived at the Australian monument! We now ask whether the mileage being quoted is a DA estimate or real! I could give you all a history tour of the first world war, however there are very good and voluminous books you can read if you are interested. We were well supported by our Commonwealth troops, and Australia was the most supportive. Out of a small population (in 1914 the whole country numbered 3 million people) – 10% (all men) volunteered to fight of whom 50% were killed. What an impact on a nation! Accordingly there are some splendid monuments which we visited commemorating their sacrifices. Continuing with Australia, a mass grave of Australians was found last year and a new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery built (the first for 40 years). The last of the bodies is due to be buried in July – attended by the Australian and British Prime Ministers and other dignitaries.
Throughout the route we passed cemetery after cemetery – often within a 100 yards of the last. Phenomenal the number of dead. Each country has however a memorial to those soldiers who died but whose bodies were never recovered. The British one is at Thiepval (pictured – apologies for the quality, camera battery has died). The white limestone columns contain a proportion of the British names (the plan was to build 3 such monuments but then, as now, the government was broke and the other 2 were not built). Of great personal interest was finding the name of Amanda’s great, great uncle – Captain George Fussell of the Warwickshire Regiment. Now the Warwicks take up a whole face of one of those columns – hundreds of names. We had a most emotional ceremony and at the end there was not a dry eye amongst us and some were openly sobbing.
The Canadians not only have memorials but some are national monuments – and as such are manned by Canadians sent out from Canada on 4 month postings. A visit to one such memorial was at Beaumont-Hamel. What was fascinating is that the trench system has been preserved – and one can see how close the 2 sides were – and really imagine the wholesale slaughter that took place.
On route to Arras, passing more ceremonies I was passing someone who had stopped at one of the smaller cemeteries who said – “I prefer the smaller ones because I can then blub without anyone else seeing”.
Finally we visited the caves of Arras – where not only 24,000 soldiers sheltered from the artillery fire prior to the Battle of Arras in 1917, but where the New Zealand tunnel engineers built 27 miles of tunnel, in the rock only using picks and shovels out from the British lines so that the troops emerged just in front of the enemy lines. Fascinating.
Room a luxury – by myself! Investment in the cream was a good move and as each day progresses I am fitter than before!