Help for Heroes 4x4 European Rally

Birchington-based John Marshall-Redding and GWOA member is taking part in the Help for Heroes 4x4 European Rally 2010 in June to raise money for Help for Heroes. The charity raises money for a cause close to all our hearts. He and the rest of Team Cobra will raise £10k by June and are already 95% of the way there.

Local companies have sponsored his Mercedes G Wagen 4x4, donating to have their name or company displayed on his vehicle's bodywork. So far fifteen pre-event charity fundraisers have been held, including raffles, auctions, pub quizzes, weekend extravaganzas (standing out in the cold, rattling donation boxes on busy shopping days). The next one is 29-30 May 2010 at the Powell Arms & Belfry Restaurant, Birchington, Kent. Some of the rally's other 4x4s will be there and a Ferret Scout that kids can sit on for photos. The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment will also be there showing their support. John has organised another pre-event at Whitefriars Canterbury 11-12th June.
The rally to date has raised over £60,000 for Help for Heroes.

Team Cobra is made up of John Driver, Nick Greene Co-Driver, Rob Marshall IT Support and Mo Hu Logistics.

We are leaving Birchington on Friday 18th June, as we have been invited to Wootten Bassett to meet the Mayor and lay a wreath at their war memorial. The rally starts on the 19th June and after about 3,000 miles and 14 days in Europe, we will be back at Leeds Castle promoting the open air concert and raising more funds.

For more info, contact John Marshall-Redding on 01843 843638 and visit his fundraising website http://teamcobra.co.uk or follow them on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=228020083573

Thanks loads for any support.

She is ready apart from packing the equipment.

We are running a blog of the adventure on Facebook.

We are following the 101st Airborne route Band of Brothers.

Saturday 19th June 2010 - Day 1 - England, 'Prelude to Invasion' – 160Km (100 Miles)

1200hrs at a secret location in North Wiltshire we engage 4-wheel drive and traverse the off road byways of Salisbury Plain (a WWII training area – and still in use by today’s armed forces as a major military training ground). We then make our way on a journey towards Portsmouth, where we will board the overnight cross-channel ferry to Caen.

Overnight - Brittany Ferries 'Portsmouth-Caen' Route

Sunday 20th June 2010 - Day 2 - 'Fortress Europe' - 130Km (81 Miles)

At Caen we visit Pegasus Bridge and its museum, followed by a coastal drive to Arromanches. Situated on the Normandy coast, famous for the D-Day landings, Arromanches is not only perfectly located to visit other battlefield sites of Normandy but is home to a fascinating museum and impressive 360 degree, 9 screen cinema, showing wartime footage.

An early finish today – with an option to visit the 360 degree museum.

Overnight - Arromanches

Monday 21st June 2010 - Day 3 - 'Moving Inland' – 286km (178 Miles)

To St-Marie du Pont, Utah Beach then St. Mere Eglise – the first town liberated by allied forces. Then on to Carentan, the Norman town that was one of the Allies’ earliest objectives. We will see the site of Easy’s battle as they entered the town on June 12 and the square from which General Maxwell Taylor presented awards to his men for their performance during the invasion. In the afternoon we head to an off-road centre and return to Arromanches early evening.

Overnight - Arromanches

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 - Day 4 - 'Remember September' – 735Km (457 Miles)

An early start and a drive to Eindhoven, Holland after which we follow “Hell’s Highway,” the route followed by the British XXX Corps as it attempted to reach its embattled 1st Airborne Division, Arnhem,

Overnight - Arnhem

Wednesday 23rd June 2010 - Day 5 – 'Operation Market Garden' – 204km (127 Miles)

We will visit the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek to pay homage to the men who fought in Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation of the war.

A 4x4 scenario is planned for the afternoon after which we will visit the famous bridge over the Rhine; the objective of Operation Market Garden.

Overnight - Arnhem

Thursday 24th June 2010 - Day 6 - 'The Battle of the Bulge' – 334Km (208 Miles)

Onwards towards Belgium, then a scenic run to our destination: Bastogne, the site of an epic eight-day stand against the Germans in December 1944. Late in the day you will pass Bois Jacques, Halt Station and Easy Company’s foxholes overlooking the village of Foy.

Overnight - Bastogne

Friday 25th June 2010 – Day 7 - 'The Bois Jacques and Beyond' – 240Km (149 Miles)

Friday starts with a visit to the Battle of the Bulge Museum and General Anthony McAuliffe’s headquarters during the siege then a route to the Francorchamps Spa Museum. The latter part of the day involves a circuitous journey back to Bastogne. We conclude our WWII tour of the Bulge.

Overnight - Bastogne

Saturday 26th June 2010 Day 8 - 'The Last Patrol' – 422Km (263 Miles)

From Bastogne we head south into Alsace, France; an area famed for its wine and Maginot Line fortifications.

After that, the journey passes through Haguenau, the site of some of Easy Company’s final battles and several daring patrols thence into Germany and the beautiful Schwarzwald (the Black Forest).

Overnight – Calw-Altburg in the Black Forest

Sunday 27th June 2010 - Day 9 – 'The Atrocity of War' – 456Km (285 Miles)

We move on from the Black Forest. On April 29, 1945, as they advanced towards the Bavarian Alps, the allies liberated a satellite of the Dachau concentration camp at Landsberg.

We will visit Dachau, site of some of the most nefarious acts against humankind during the war. Our goal approaches as we travel south-east through Bavaria routing along the scenic Alpenstrasse and arrive at our destination – Berchtesgaden.

Overnight - Berchtesgaden

Monday 28th June - Day 10 - 'The Eagle’s Nest' – 48Km (30 Miles)

Our final day of the rally ends at Adolf Hitler’s Alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden, where we will visit the Eagle’s Nest and the remains of the vast Nazi Party complex liberated by American Forces in May 1945.

Evening – Meal, prize giving and farewells

Overnight - Berchtesgaden

Tuesday 29th June 2010 - Day 11 – Decamp and onward travel

H4H 4x4 Rally 2010 Event Distances:

Overall from UK to Berchtesgaden = 1800 miles

Return options:

Berchtesgaden – Calais = 1141Km (713 Miles) - 10hr 9min