2 minute read
The Tommy 10,000 Step Dunkirk Challenge
NEIL STOREY Award-winning social historian and Tommy Club Founding Patron
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Thank you to all who braved the rain and snow to take part in Tommy 10,000 Step Challenge in January – it kicked our year off to a great start.
As many of you know, this challenge had symbolic significance: the 10,000 steps, over 31 days, totalled 155 miles, which was the distance travelled by our Tommies during the fighting retreat to Dunkirk.
The challenge gave us an opportunity to collaborate with Tommy Club Founding Patron and social historian, Neil Storey.
Neil helped us share the experiences of two sergeants who travelled this immense distance, one of whom was Neil’s great uncle, Verdun who was serving with 2nd Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment.
Their stories come straight from the men’s war diaries and along the way we heard from each of their families.
We also featured other heroes, demonstrating not only the courage of the time, but also showcasing the very best of humanity. Dunkirk is an example of the strength and courage humans can possess when called upon to do so, and shows what we can achieve when we work together in the face of adversity.
Neil Storey said of his great uncle and the other men, “Verdun and indeed all the veterans I knew very seldom if ever spoke about their experiences in the teeth of battle, but they would often reminisce about the comradeship in their battalion and how they helped each other get through, often with a bit of humour.
I believe I saw some of that special shared humour and support during the challenge in the messages and stories in our group and the money raised has been absolutely brilliant. I think it is something you can all be very proud of.”
Over £100K raised
Over Tommy Champions took part, and gained their silver medals as a result!
Over fundraisers took part. That’s over SIX MILLION steps!
TABBING FOR TOMMY CLUB: THE GRANDADS
Tommy Club Founding Patrons, Peter Ketley and Neil Young, (known collectively as ‘The Grandads’), started raising money for RBLI in 2018, when they set a world record as the oldest pair to row across the Atlantic.
Peter and Neil, who both served in the Parachute Regiment, dug out their old bergens and took on the ‘Paratrooper’ version of the 10,000 step challenge – tabbing five miles every day with 40lb backpacks.
Peter said: “It’s been many years since I tabbed and the old bones complained a bit at first!
But every time I went out, I thought about my grandfather who was at Dunkirk as a 53-year-old padre with 1/6th East Surrey Regiment.
I found myself making comparisons with my own experiences in the Falklands and still cannot imagine the relentless hardship he endured.”
The Grandads raised just over £2,100.
Tabbing abbev. (army)
From TAB – Tactical Advance to Battle. A forced march carrying a heavy backpack over a long distance. The Royal Marines liken it to a ‘Yomp’ but the Paras claim tabbing is much faster... We’ll stay clear of that debate!
Parachute Regiment veterans and Guinness World Record holders, Peter Ketley (top) and Neil Young (bottom)
