A 10-man Royal Navy team are planning to walk the 680-mile Western Front Way in April next year in memory of those who gave their lives in WWI and to raise money for a number of charities, including Winston’s Wish. Team leader, LS (MW) Stephen Richardson, explains why they decided to take on the challenge.
Why did you decide to take on this challenge?
One day I was looking up my family history and came across the story of 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Douglas Gillespie from the Argyll and Southern Highlanders, who was killed in action in 1915. Just before he died he wrote a letter home in which he proposed the idea of a sacred road stretching along the length of the Western Front. This letter was discovered 100 years later and inspired the creation of the Western Front Way, a 680-mile route from the French Alps to the Belgian coast. On reading about this, I instantly know this was the challenge I had been looking for. I suggested it to the rest of the crew and they jumped at the chance.
Why did you decide to raise money for Winston’s Wish?
In 2008 I was serving in the army and, shortly before being deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, a close friend of mine was killed in action. He left behind a young daughter. More and more I would hear of friends with young families being killed in action and every year I would see young children marching with their parent’s medals who had died while on active service. This made me realise what these children had to face and how hard it must be for them. I wanted to give something back, not just for service children but also for all who have to face these challenges in life. So, I looked for a charity that helped bereaved children and Winston’s Wish stuck out above all to me.
What are you looking forward to most about the challenge?
Actually setting off on the first day because then it will feel so real and I know there will be friends and family cheering us on and following our progress. I’m also looking forward to seeing all the famous battlefields where history was made. We’re camping the whole way so sleeping under the stars on these battle sites will be an amazing experience.
What do you think will be the most challenging part?
I think the longer stages when we are on flat roads will be the most challenging, especially the last day which is 26 miles mostly on long flat roads. This is when our moral will take a hit but we just need to keep pushing and remember why we are doing this.
What training are you planning to do?
After our Christmas leave, the training will start with our physical training instructors putting the team through their paces with circuit and strength training. We also plan to get plenty of miles under our feet, walking the Jurassic coast and the South Downs, and breaking in our footwear – no one wants blisters!
You can follow the team’s progress via their Instagram and Facebook pages and donate here.
