I'll run route of the D-Day glider heroes
A navy diver is preparing to take part in a gruelling 65-mile challenge to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
Chief Petty Officer Ian Fleming, from Segensworth, is taking part in Project 65, which aims to recreate the route of the gliders which took part in the Pegasus Bridge operation on foot and raise more than 500,000 for veterans in the process.
As the navy's only representative alongside about 200 soldiers and civilians, CPO Fleming, a diving instructor at the defence diving school, Portsmouth, will be leaving Tarrant Rushton Airfield in Dorset on June 4.
The runners will then make their way along the coast to catch a ferry from Portsmouth and aim to arrive at Pegasus Bridge in Caen shortly after midnight on June 6 – the same time as the British gliders arrived there in 1944.
CPO Fleming, 44, said: 'I heard about the run on TV last week, but I thought to myself: "I could give that a bit of a go". As a result I haven't done much training yet.'
But CPO Fleming is no stranger to making life difficult when fundraising. In 2006 he took part in the London Marathon dressed as Monty the Duck for the Meningitis Trust, and last year he completed the Great South Run in full diving gear weighing a whopping 100lbs.
He added: 'There's no doubt about it, it will be the biggest challenge I've ever tried. But as the only one from the navy doing it I can't give up, even if the body says no.
'I did a 16-mile run yesterday which was all right, but I'm a bit achy today. I'm going to slowly build it up and I'm planning to do a 40-miler the week before the actual race.
'I'm under no illusions it's going to be easy.'
And the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt has agreed to unveil a new memorial at the bridge on June 6, in commemoration of the soldiers who took part in the operation
'There will be a ceremony at the bridge which we'll be taking part in,' said CPO Fleming. 'And I've never done anything like that before, so that in itself will be a great honour and really interesting.'
He hopes to raise 2,000 for the cause.
PROJECT 65 AIMS TO RAISE 500,000
Project 65 is a new charity aiming to raise 500,000, a small part of which will be used to build a simple but lasting memorial to the men of the Coup de Main force, the name given to the original operation, and those directly associated with the operation 65 years ago.
The memorial will be put up directly in front of the original bridge within the grounds of the Memorial Pegasus Museum and will be unveiled on June 6.
The remainder of the money raised will be split between several other charities helping the armed forces:
- The Royal British Legion
- BLESMA
- St Dunstan's
- RAF Benevolent Fund
- Army Benevolent Fund
- Help for Heroes
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
