Tornado Tribute Tour of England in aid of the Royal Air Force Association
UPDATED March 2021:
With the virtual part now complete Martin and Mal are still hoping to do the physical rides and hope to start at St Eval Church in Cornwall, in memory of Flt Lt Steve Hicks XV Sqn, on 18th of June. As a branch we hope to support them along with Padre Andrew Turner and local Vicar Helen Baber.
Padre Andrew and local Vicar Helen joined Steve’s widow at his graveside back on the 14th February to say prayers and to light a candle whilst Chris was completing the virtual cycle along with some members of the local reserve squadron, No 505 Wessex Sqn RAF Reserves.
Locally Chris raised £ 895.00 to go towards the £17k + that Martin and Mal have raised so far. So thanks to all that sponsored him.
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Two veterans are riding 670 miles across England for The RAF Association (RAFA) because they want to remember their fallen comrades.
Local Links ….
On the 14th February Mal and Martin will be riding 15 miles, sadly now virtually due to COVID Restrictions, in memory of Flt Lt Stevie Hicks who lost his life while on a mission in a XV Sqn Tornado on 14th February 1991. Formally a ‘wet man’ on 42 Sqn on Mk 1 Nimrod, Stevie was one of the last two ‘wet men’ that converted to Mk 2 Nimrod. He then applied for a commission and became a Navigator on the Tornado. Flt Lt Hicks was laid to rest at St Eval Church, abutting the former RAF Station St Eval near Newquay in Cornwall. The hope is to do the real cycling in April so perhaps you can physically join them.
Story
2021 will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Gulf War. The Royal Air Force deployed a large force of Tornado GR1 attack and reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East for Op Granby, and not all of the aircrew came home.
Two Gulf War veterans – Mal Craghill and Martin Wintermeyer – are taking on the challenge of cycling from Cornwall to Tyne and Wear in memory of their fallen comrades (this should have been in February 2021 but has now been delayed to April due to Covid-19). Along their route they will visit and lay wreaths at the English grave sites of the Tornado aircrew lost in the Middle East thirty years ago. The ride will also take them to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to pay their respects at the Gulf War Memorial and the Armed Forces Memorial. The latter commemorates not just the seven Tornado aircrew killed on deployed operations, but also those lost in training accidents in the UK. They will also remember the two pilots from the RAF Jaguar force who were killed, one in the UK and one on deployed operations. In total they will be honouring the memory of 13 RAF and 1 USAF aircrew.
They remarked “Our ride should have finished at the final grave site on Sunday 28th February 2021, thirty years on to the day from the ceasefire at the end of the war (this has now been delayed to 18th April). We will have covered 670 miles (well over 1,000 km) and over 25,000 feet of climbing over the ten days of the Tour. We will be raising funds along the way for the Royal Air Forces Association. RAFA is a welfare organization which supports serving and former members of our Air Forces and their families, and your donation will help RAFA to provide friendship, welfare and support to those in need who have served our country. With your help we hope to raise £10,000. Wish us well! “
Local RAFA RAF St Mawgan Branch MCO Chris Cox said “Perhaps you might like to join in by doing a virtual cycle on the 14th February to support Mal and Martin and cover 15 miles if you can, we would love to see any photos if you do. If you would like to donate to the cause, then follow the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ttte
For more information on the Royal Air Forces Association locally at RAF St Mawgan please visit our website rafastmawgan.org or our Facebook page @rafastmawganbranch
Images Courtesy Martin Wintermeyer, Facebook / Skytoons Aviation Art www.skytoons.co.uk
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