On the 10th October a group of remarkable people (the First Allied Airborne Association and the Screaming Eagles Living History Group) and I participated in what turned out to be a nearly 13 mile march in aid of Help for Heroes. The money raised by those doing the march will be going towards helping those who have put themselves in the front line abroad and at home. Those who have volunteered for this did the 13 miles in full kit. We were dressed in WWII U.S. Airborne and other uniforms and marching the 13 mile route that the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne would have taken. The march started at Littlecote House and finished back at Littlecote House via the town of Aldbourne.
This was a mean feat and by the end of it I was fit for nothing. Unlike our troops of today and the past when they would have been expected to then fight or tend to the wounded. I have the utmost respect for them. So I have a sense of achievement that I completed this march and didn’t die, although I felt like it at numerous points.
The day started off overcast and cool, we were all in high spirits. Luckily it wasn’t such an early start as himself and I stayed at our fab friends Rachel and Mike’s place the night before. We arrived on site at Littlecote house at 07:10am, for a much needed coffee and bacon roll. After making sure everyone in our group (FAAA) had arrived and we were all in the right kit, the ladies struggled into their leggings with some help from the guys and we were all ready to roll. We joined the others at the front of Littlecote House and started the march off at 09:00am.
We reached our first ten minute break at Ramsbury where we congregated on the village square, put our feet up and made sure we all drank plenty and refilled our water bottles. Not quite yet feeling the burn, morale was still high and we were up and raring to go again, on we marched to Aldbourne.
On arriving at Aldbourne at Midday we were met by a village fete, to which we did a small parade for and the Screaming Eagles group sang their Army marching songs, collecting some donations as we went. We sat down on the green for a well deserved rest and a spot of lunch; there were also some lovely doughnuts with tea and coffee put on for us. We had done six miles and were half way through. The burn was starting to kick in and many of us were feeling we might have blisters starting to form. Himself was carrying a 19lb BAR, and was slightly regretting the decision but was determined to carry it all the way to the end. As we all got back into formation to start off again we could all feel the brum beneath our feet.
The way back seemed harder with endless hills, people were starting to suffer but we pulled together as a group and kept our spirits high encouraging each other on and helping each other out. With a couple more breaks along the way. We eventually made it to Ramsbury where we were resting once again on the village green for short break and a couple of photos. Thinking we had only about 3 miles left and not too many more hills. How wrong we were. Just before our final stretch down to Littlecote house they decided to add an extra mile onto the course by taking us up a hill with about a 17% gradient, which when I laid eyes on it I almost cried. The purpose of this was to see if we could find some carvings in the trees done by 101st Airborne. Generally the thought of this would be one of wonder and excitement however after so much walking today already not many people cared as much as they normally would have done. Even one of the jeeps gave up on the way up the hill and had to catch us up later on.
After a short break and a quick glug of water we were making our descent down the other side and the home stretch to Littlecote house. I naively thought we would take the path down passed the chickens, how silly of me, no we went up yet more hills to come down the main avenue into the house. One of the lads from the Screaming Eagles almost didn’t make it up this last hill and had to stop for a bit, the rest of us carried on, I could feel every muscle in my body and the burn of my feet begging me to stop. I was not giving up now.
Hurrah!!! We arrived at the front of Littlecote House, but then endured some speeches before collapsing in a heap on the grass outside the entrance. We eventually moved slowly inside and collapsed on some lovely comfortable chairs with some nice cool water. We had made it. I am so proud of everyone in the group for their determination and keeping morale high.
There are a number of photos from the march around on facebook etc. this one is courtesy of Ade Pitman.
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