Wet and weary - but the Help for Heroes cyclists push on

On Monday 24 May, 275 cyclists gathered at HMS Victory in Portsmouth to begin a bike ride around the Normandy battlefields on behalf of Help for Heroes.  Over the course of a week, the cyclists are covering nearly 350 miles, visiting various war memorials along the way and holding wreath-laying ceremonies.

The cyclists range in age from 18 to 65 years old.  There are at least 56 Army, nine Navy, one Royal Marine and 12 RAF personnel on the ride, not to mention dozens of veterans, and Fr Roger Dawson SJ, the Jesuit Chaplain at Oxford University, who served in the Royal Green Jackets (now The Rifles) and is Chaplain for the cyclists.

On Wednesday, 26 May, the cyclists arrived at the local graveyard at Ramburelles where the solitary Common Wealth Grave of young man who had served with the 10th Royal Hussars stands. 'Despite the inclement weather, the riders continued and morale remained high,' said one of the team.

One of Fr Dawson's functions on the H4H Bike Ride is to lead some of the wreath-laying services and prayers at the battlefield memorials from the two World Wars in Northern France.  Before heading into Amiens, he joined other riders - 'soggy but still proud' - to pay respects at the Crouy British Cemetery Crouy-sur-Somme, where nearly 800 casualties from the First World War were laid to rest.

The weary cyclists will land at Dover on Sunday 30 May.

If you would like to help Fr Dawson reach his target of £2,200 for Help for Heroes, follow the 'Pedalling Padre' link below.


 Help for Heroes

 Pedalling Padre