Today, I am proud to share that I have completed a personal goal I set on January 1st of this year: to walk 1,071 miles, a distance that represents the total number of miles covered across all of Michael’s sorties (averaging it across the 28 missions he participated in), and to raise £1 for every mile walked. This morning, my wife and I were blessed with a beautiful day and thoughtfully planned our journey to Durnbach War Cemetery. We found a bus that brought us near the site, and from there, we walked the remainder of the way.

Although the cemetery lies adjacent to a relatively busy road, it exudes a sense of peace and tranquillity. The view of the mountains, paired with the meticulously maintained plots, serves as a testament to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the dedicated gardeners who tend to them. It was truly moving to be there.

Completing these miles has not been easy, and at times it has been a challenge to balance this journey with everyday life. However, the struggles I faced pale in comparison to those endured by the brave men and women of the war. Tragically, only one of Michael’s crew survived that fateful mission, and in just a few hours, Michael’s family – like so many others – would lose a son, a brother, and a grandson. Their lives, as well as countless others, were changed forever.

This is why I chose to raise funds for the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincoln. If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it. It is a deeply moving place, and after your visit, you can enjoy some excellent food at the on-site café. Without institutions like the IBCC, so many stories of bravery would be lost, and the sacrifices made by those in Bomber Command might be forgotten.

Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has offered their encouragement, support, and generous donations. I could not have completed this challenge without you.

My JustGiving page will remain open for a while longer, and any contributions, no matter the size, are greatly appreciated.

As my great uncle used to sign off his letters to my Grampy… Cheerio for now.

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Tommy Turner was my father and Sgt Pilot with 582 Pathfinders. He passed 30 years ago but instilled in me a deep love for flight and I’ve recently retired from 40 years in defence aerospace. Like many RAF siblings, all we have is a few photos in a drawer, a reminiscence or two, but no real appreciation of what they did or where they did it. We’d give much for an hour with them now, to ask questions about what, where, and when, but that time, alas, is past.

A burning desire to understand led to an interest in flight simulation. I decided to create the airfields dad flew from, so I could ‘fly’ – virtually – what he flew, where he flew from. This, combined with a copy of his Service Record, laid the breadcrumb trail so work could begin.

It’s been an amazing research project and given me a whole new appreciation of his journey, his skills. My first project, published last year, was to recreate Caron, 33EFTS in Saskatchewan. The video tells that story. Churchill reckoned BCATP – the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan – was possibly the decisive factor of the war.

Next, and currently work in progress, is Little Staughton, a major project to build the world’s most accurate simulation of a WW2 Bomber Command airfield – over 150 buildings currently modelled, based on a synthesis of Air Ministry Site Plans, LIDAR imaging, aerial photographs of the period, help from the Airfield research Group, the villagers and an ever-growing library of books. Once complete it will be made generally available so others can experience what it was like to fly a mission, day or night.

The plan then is to create a series of short videos to explain, 80 years later, exactly how RAF Little Staughton operated. We must honour them all, air and ground crew, never forgetting the price they paid.

The post Little Staughton – 582 and 109 Pathfinders – Airfield Simulation appeared first on International Bomber Command Centre.

To catch up on the rest of trip visit the below:  

Day one: https://internationalbcc.co.uk/about-ibcc/news/day-one-blog-of-the-dinghy-young-cycle-trip-to-holland/ 

Day two: https://internationalbcc.co.uk/about-ibcc/news/making-steady-progress-day-two-of-the-dinghy-young-cycle-trip-to-holland/ 

The end was in sight as the seven RAF cyclists set off yesterday morning, renewing their spirits as they set out to cover the final 30 miles to the final resting places of Dinghy Young and his crew. 

The day’s route took them through more of the Netherlands’ beautiful wildlife and scenery as they continued to enjoy the sunny weather their friends and family back home had been missing. However, with the end close in sight the team rarely stopped to enjoy their surroundings as they continued to push their physical limit after two days of solid cycling. 

Meanwhile, our chief executive Nicky van der Drift also made the journey over to meet with Jan van Dalen, president of the 617 Squadron Memorial Foundation to make the final preparations before the ceremony the next day where he, Nicky, the mayor of Castricum aan Zee, the RAF, and living relatives of the Dinghy Young’s crew will be speaking and remembering the crew’s braveness.  

Finally, the cyclists arrived at the end of their 300-mile journey having left the International Bomber Command Centre only around 60 hours earlier. To reward their efforts, they and the wider team enjoyed a well deserved round of drinks.

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While much of the UK had rain, for the RAF Cyclists it was nothing but sunshine as they completed the first leg of their journey on Netherlands soil.  

Having taken the evening before to recover from the previous day’s cycling, all seven of the cyclists were once again ready and waiting to set off in the early morning to make some good progress on the day’s journey ahead.  

Yesterday’s route saw the team start in Rotterdam’s beautiful old town. The team spent most of the day on coastal paths as they travelled north toward Castricum aan Zee, where the memorial ceremony will take place to remember Dinghy Young and his crew’s sacrifice during the Möhne Dam raid where they were shot down only 200 yards from safety. 

Along the way the team also stopped at the International Court of Justice to visit the World Peace Flame. 

The final rendezvous for the day was in Katwijk-aan-zee where the cyclists enjoyed some well-earned down time and well-earned drinks. Reporting back to us, they said they had a brilliant day with many people stopping them to find out more about the challenge, why they’re doing it, and the history behind their jerseys – each of which represent one of the lost crew. 

Some photos from the day below: 

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Starting the day at the IBCC, the cyclists set off on their journey at around 8am, donning their specially made jerseys to each represent a member of Dinghy Young’s crew as they embark on this challenge.

The trip itself commemorates the seven members of Dinghy Young’s aircraft as they sacrificed their lives during the legendary Dambusters raid in 1943. Dinghy Young’s crew were the first to breach the Möhne Dam during the raid but were shot down on their return journey only 200 yards from safety.

A memorial now stands in Holland where their bodies were recovered and is the ultimate destination for this multi day cycling challenge.

After setting off from the IBCC, swift time was made as the cyclists journeyed through the Lincolnshire countryside stopping regularly to take in the sites as they go. The team took time to visit the home of the Dambusters – the Petwood Hotel – which was where 617 Squadron Officers spent their downtime in the months leading up to the night of the raid. Today, the Squadron Bar hosts a range of memorabilia and tributes which our cyclists took the time to admire.

As well as the Petwood Hotel, the cyclists also visited the 617 Squadron memorial at Woodhall Spa and Scampton Church where a stain glass window immortalises the Dambusters formation. A Typhoon flypast over the Humber Bridge marked the challenge and spurred the team on.

Recounting the day’s cycling, the cyclists were understandably tired, but in high spirits to carry on after they reach the continent the following day via overnight ferry.

Some photos from the day’s cycling below:

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There were escape attempts from many PoW camps but The Great Escape is most well-known because it was the largest mass escape and because Hitler ordered the execution of 50 of those recaptured.

The plan was to get 200 POWs out through a tunnel over 100 metres long and this was planned for 24 March 1944.   It is thought that there were about 600 involved in the many parts of the preparation for this escape, digging, disposing of the soil, preparing documents and clothing, scrouging equipment and other tasks.   The Germans discovered the tunnel after 76 PoWs had escaped to make their attempt to return to UK.  Of these, only 3 were successful 2 Norwegians and one Dutchman, 73 were recaptured and fifty of those were murdered.

There were 13 nations among those murdered 20 British, 6 Canadian,  6 Polish, 5 Australian, 3 S African, 2 NZ, 2 Norwegian, 1 Argentinian, 1 Belgian, 1 Czech, 1 French, 1 Greek, 1 Lithuanian.

The nationalities of the 23 who were recaptured and return to captivity were 14-British, 3-Canadian, 2-Czech, 2-New Zealander, 1-French, 1-South African.

On the memorial walls of the IBCC  the 28 Bomber Command aircrew are remembered.  There is one panel with two of them, Flt Lt Gordon Kidder, Canadian navigator, and Sqn Ldr Thomas Kirby-Green, British pilot.  They escaped together, were recaptured together, murdered together and are now remembered together. They are remembered together not only at the IBCC but also in the small town of Hrubuvka near Ostrava in Czech Republic.  That town placed a small memorial to remember these two men who died fighting for the freedom of Europe.  Thomas had a son, Colin who was eight when his father was killed.  In 2011 Colin visited Hrubuvka for the first time, was hosted by a local family and saw the memorial.  He returned to Hrubuvka again in 2019, on the 75^th anniversary of his father’s execution.  The town invited him as a guest of honour as they held a church service and civic reception in honour of Gordon and Thomas and those who had been killed from their town.

Colin has a close connection with one of the escapers who survived, Roy Langlois.  Roy and Thomas became close friends while in captivity and when Roy was repatriated at the end of the war he visited Thomas’s widow, Maria to pass on his condolences but they got on very well and some two years later were married.  Colin is grateful that he was blessed with two amazing loving fathers.

All of the Fifty were cremated and their urns were placed in a Mausoleum that the POWs were allowed to build at Stalag Luft 3.  They were subsequently moved to Poznan cemetery, but Flt Lt Denys Street was moved to the Berlin Commonwealth War grave site and Lt Nils Fuglesang was repatriated to his home village of Rasvag in the Southern part of Norway.

To mark the 80th anniversary, a group of about 50 RAF personnel are visiting Poland on a force development trip which is centred on commemoration events for the Great Escape.  On Saturday 23 March there will be a formal commemoration service at the Old Military Cemetery Poznan.  RAF officers will also visit the graves of Denys Street and Nils Fuglesang to place wreaths at their final resting places.

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Monday started off with me waking up with terrible back pain, resulting in me calling my doctor who prescribed some painkillers. This didn’t have the desired effect and as such I had to have 2 days off work for a rest. I managed to get in 3 walks this week with one being particularly memorable.

Once again thank you to everyone who has supported and donated, I keep saying this but without you I wouldn’t be able to do this.

This week my walks included:

When researching Michael I received a document that had acronyms from his journey throughout the RAF. On this document, you can see the following:

13th/14th May 1943 – volunteered for the RAF Reserves in Oxford

30th August 1943 – called up to Air Crew Receiving Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground

23rd October 1943 – RAF Stormy Down (no 1 elementary gunnery school)

20th November 1943 – RAF Stormy Down (no 7 air gunnery school)

22nd February 1944 – no 14 operational training unit, where he would have joined his crew and learned how to fly together

8th August 1944 – joined up with 50 squadron

17th December 1944 – killed in action

This week, i have been lucky enough to go to Lord’s Cricket Ground. I started the day off with a journey to Oxford, to catch a bus to London Victoria. From here I walked to the Imperial War Museum, which is where my research/interest began in 1999 when my father and I emailed them for info.

Here I was welcomed (at Grace’s Gate) by Jeff Cards who is the Head of Ground Operations. I had a fantastic tour with Jeff and was able to see many historical areas of the grounds, as well as the plaque to commemorate the RAF personnel who used this area as a reception in the Second World War. A fantastic tribute to so many!

I would like to personally thank Jeff for arranging and facilitating a great afternoon, that will be remembered by me for a long time.

Michael and I share a love of cricket, so I’m sure he felt just as awed by the ground back then as I do now.

I took with me a photo of my Grampy and Michael playing cricket as young boys in Meysey Hampton in July 1930 (see below image, with Grampy batting and Michael as wicket keeper).

As of today, I have walked 205.03 miles and have raised £450 of £1071. Here is my JustGiving page for anyone interested:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/george-cook-1703791904243#eyJkb25hdGlvbklkIjoiMTEyMDQxMTI5NCIsImN1cnJlbmN5Q29kZSI6IkdCUCIsImRvbmF0aW9uVmFsdWUiOiIxMCJ9.

I look forward to the longer evenings in just over 3 weeks but not to losing an hour in bed!

Until next time, cheerio for now. George

The post A Walk for Michael – Part 8 appeared first on International Bomber Command Centre.

This week, I have had a couple of days off walking due to a sore back from my slip last week. However I am still on track, as I have made up the miles on other days.

As of today, I have walked 189.44 miles and raised £440.

My walks this week included the following:

This week, I have come up with a way to remember this memory walk and the kind people who have donated (see attached picture). Thank you to my wife, who drew this out for me.

On my rest days, I have been scouring ancestry.co.uk. Although I am walking in memory of Michael, Michael is only one part of a very brave bomber crew. The crew relied on everyone to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I only have a couple of photos of Michael, however I would like to find photos of other members who he flew with. On records, Michael is remembered with 5 other members who sadly died alongside him. There was only one survivor from the fatal night in December 1944, who was a Sgt. F Livesey.

My research has found out the following information. Fred Livesey was born in Hyde, Cheshire on the 30th May 1924 to parents Wilfred and Mary. He had 2 brothers, Edward and Benjamin. On a document that I have found, it was reported that Fred had injuries to his left radius, a fractured wrist, abrasions on his thighs and burns to his right hand. After he recovered he became a POW. If my research is correct, Fred passed away in 2003 aged 79 (as with any research, there is room for error).

This week, my first surprise walk will be completed, look out for my update next Sunday!

Cheerio for now, George

The post A Walk for Michael – Part 7 appeared first on International Bomber Command Centre.

I am now only 1 week away from my first century of walks and don’t my feet know it. Once again thank you to everyone who has supported and donated, I have now raised £400 which is amazing. THANK YOU!

As of today, I have walked 165.12 miles. Here are my walks from the last 7 days:

44: walk around Fairford, photo taken outside former tannery

45: walk around Fairford, photo taken by the River Coln once again

For some reason my knee is fine but my back isn’t so great (that could just be getting older though!)

49: walk around Fairford, photo taken with the bridge over the River Coln

This week has been a busy week for me personally, so I am pleased to have gotten the 7 walks in. The weather for the next week is not looking great and with less things planned, I am going to get a story/information ready for this time next week.

Until we meet again, cheerio for now.

The post A Walk for Michael – Part 6 appeared first on International Bomber Command Centre.

A few weeks ago I was asked how much I was looking to raise, to which I said I wasn’t sure but I was happy with any amount. This is still true today, however I have decided I would like to set myself the target of £1 per mile of the 1071 miles I will be walking.

I keep telling myself that maybe I should have a day off from walking, however this never seems to happen and again this week I have completed 7 walks. They are as follows:

As of today, I have completed 142.7 miles.

On my 40th walk I walked around Bristol’s Festival of Light 2024, with one of the light installations at Temple Church. This attraction was called the unfolding. The church was bombed during the Bristol Blitz and was more or less destroyed. During the Bristol Blitz 1299 people were killed and 1303 were injured, with four of Bristol’s churches being damaged. This was my favourite of the Festival of Light’s attractions as it resembled search lights.

You can donate here 

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