My Frontline Walk 2023

For all those serving and all the veterans.

For my late father John, who endured 3 years in a Japanese POW camp and saw the detonation of the 2nd atomic bomb in 1945: for my friend Andrew, who was killed by the IRA in 1973: for all the men and women I had the privilege to serve with between 1969 - 1987 and for all my fellow veterans, who continue to honour the memory of those since departed.

For my late father John, who endured 3 years in a Japanese POW camp and saw the detonation of the 2nd atomic bomb in 1945: for my friend Andrew, who was killed by the IRA in 1973: for all the men and women I had the privilege to serve with between 1969 - 1987 and for all my fellow veterans, who continue to honour the memory of those since departed.

In memory of my dad who served as part of the forgotten army in Burma

Cpl Roland Le Folet Hoffmann Aust INT CORPS (Born: 26 Jan 1907, Perth WA, Died: 03 Aug 1945, London UK) A lifelong journalist and author, who having served in North Africa and Greece, was captured in Crete. He survived four years as a prisoner in various German POW camps. Liberated by the US Army in 1945, he resumed his journalist career reporting on the liberation of the Channel islands for "The Argus", a well known Melbourne newspaper. He also found time to write a well received novel "George and Margo". He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.

I didnt know my relatives but im very proud of them and being involved in the Great War. Both survived the war but my grandfather was killed in the blitz in 1940 for the ARP and my uncle was gassed at Arras but lived into the 1960s. My father also lost his mother in 1944 when the flat she lived in with my Dad was hit by a V1. Being involved in this walk and raising money for veterans and their family's makes me fill im also helping not just my ancestors but everyone in the military and their family's to cope in tough times

I will be walking to honour the memory of my Great Grandfather: Rifleman JOHN JAMES CORKISH, 5th Bn. King's Liverpool Regiment. Who was killed in action 20th September 1917 at the Battle of Menin Ridge Road, aged 39

As an Army veteran and serving member of RAF Reserves I was helped to rehabilitate after a serious traumatic injury and wish to support others and pay back the second chance I have had in life

Proud Army wife and Army Mum

My grandad served on the Russian convoys between 1941/1943, then transferred to Royal Navy in preparation for the D Day landings, surviving the war, then enlisted into the Coldstream Guards, where he served in Palestine,

We will REMEMBER THEM 🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Cpl Roland Hoffmann died on 03 Aug 1945 after four long hard years as a POW of the Germans. He had resurrected his career as a journalist and was in the process of writing his first novel. I am trying to understand the man, his motivations and recognise the legacy he left behind.

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Best wishes from Germany.

The BROOKWOOD 1939-1945 MEMORIAL commemorates nearly 3,500 men and women of the land forces of the Commonwealth who died during the Second World War and have no known grave, the circumstances of their death being such that they could not appropriately be commemorated on any of the campaign memorials in the various theatres of war. They died in the campaign in Norway in 1940, or in the various raids on enemy occupied territory in Europe such as Dieppe and St Nazaire. Others were special agents who died as prisoners or while working with Allied underground movements. Some died at sea, in hospital ships and troop transports, in waters not associated with the major campaigns, and a few were killed in flying accidents or in aerial combat. The Memorial was designed by Ralph Hobday and unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 25 October 1958. The Memorial stands in BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY which is owned by the Commission and is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the United Kingdom, covering approximately 37 acres.

Thank you to all who kept and continue to keep this country of ours safe, especially those who have lost their lives during active duty.

To My Great, Great Uncles who fought in the BATTLE OF THE SOMME. Also to My Dad who fought in the 2nd World War.

TO ALL FALLEN ONES TO ALL WHO HAS LOST THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, TO ALL WHO COULDNT RETURN HOME. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

I’m doing it for all my ancestors that put their lives on the line for our country but particularly William Kendrick, Bertie March and George March who both lost their lives, William who took his own life and George who was killed in action and Bertie who was wounded in action and succumbed to his injuries some years later.

I’m doing it for all my ancestors that put their lives on the line for our country but particularly William Kendrick, Bertie March and George March who both lost their lives, William who took his own life and George who was killed in action and Bertie who was wounded in action and succumbed to his injuries some years later.

I was told about the story of McCrae's Battalion as a youngster by my Grandad who was a Heart of Midlothian fan and I've since done quite a bit of research on the topic. I'd like to dedicate my virtual frontline walk to the memory of those brave men who enlisted together and fought alongside each other in some of the worst fighting during World War I including the Somme. Throughout the walk I will be visiting various local War Memorials to me in Moray where I am currently based. Between August and November 1914, sixteen Heart of Midlothian Football Club players enlisted to fight in World War I. In doing so, they became the first British team to sign up en masse. The majority joined the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Scots, otherwise known as McCrae's Battalion. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the British Army lost nearly 20,000 men, including three of Hearts footballers who had signed up. The war ended up claiming the lives of seven of the Hearts players who had enlisted, with several others returning so severely wounded they were unable to play football again. Lest We Forget.

RIP Robert

I am doing this challenge as away to remember my fallen comrades.

I am continuing into a second year of undertaking short 10km "pilgrimage" walks to and from Commonwealth War Grave Commission sites of members of the Intelligence Corps. This year I will be concentrating my efforts on grave sites in Devon & Cornwall, South Wales and Central London. My objective over a four year period is to have visited all the CWGC graves in the UK associated with the Intelligence Corps.