Dunkirk is a place name that resonates very strongly in the British psyche. Just a mention of the port is enough to evoke emotion and thoughts of the miraculous rescue of hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers in World War II.
So it was a fitting choice as the destination for this year’s Big Battlefield Bike Ride, a huge cycling fundraiser organised by Help For Heroes which takes in some of the key sites and memorials of the two World Wars. Last year, our Director Jane Beeley (below, left) took on the challenge as part of the Battlefield Belles foursome but earlier this month she headed out solo from Étretat in Northern France for the five-day ride over 350 miles.
As it does every year, the 2023 ride took in some of the region’s most significant battle sites, including Dieppe and Ypres, before following in the footsteps of the British Expeditionary Force to Dunkirk. En-route, participants paid their respects at the many memorials and cemeteries, and visited other points of interest along the way.
The route of the five-day ride was as follows:
Day 1: Étretat – Dieppe
Day 2: Dieppe – Le Touquet
Day 3: Le Touquet – Béthune
Day 4: Béthune – Ypres
Day 5: Ypres – Dunkirk
We caught up with Jane on her return home to ask her thoughts on this year’s ride and what she would say to anyone considering taking on the Big Battlefield Bike Ride in 2024.
Jane said: “I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was very well organised. You didn’t have to think about anything other than sitting on your bike and pedalling. However, it was much harder than last year. It was more miles and an awful lot more climbing.
“Monday was cold and wet but the rest of the week was lovely. The highest it got up to was 33 degrees but it was mostly in the high 20s which was nice. I’m not a cold weather fiend at all so that was good for me.”
How was it emotionally?
“What had the most impact on me was on the Friday one of the stops was a little barn. We were told a story of about 90 to 100 British soldiers who were captured by the SS and basically they were lined up in fives and executed. When the remaining soldiers saw what was happening, they refused to leave the barn. The commanding officer threw in two hand grenades. Two British officers jumped on top of the grenades to try to reduce the death toll but then the SS machine-gunned the rest. Two managed to escape by playing dead. Word got out about the SS officer and he was found to have done the same to more British soldiers.
“It was so upsetting. So unnecessary and evil.
“The other thing was riding to the beach at Dunkirk and envisaging what you see in films with all the boats arriving and the troops wading out to them. That was really special.”
What would you say to someone considering doing it?
“You do need a level of fitness to do it. This year being tougher than last year, it did find out some people. I couldn’t believe how hard it was compared to last year. Having said that, it isn’t racing. It’s all about challenging yourself to a certain extent.
“You can do it on your own because you soon start talking to people. When you set off in the morning, there’s a group of you and as you stop off at different points of interest, you might set off with someone else. Occasionally you’ll be on your own but then someone will catch up with you or you will catch up with someone else.”
Jane added: “If you’re thinking of doing the Big Battlefield Bike Ride, it’s definitely something you won’t regret. Certainly you will always remember it.
“It’s educational. It’s informative and you feel the whole gamut of emotions but it’s fun, friendly and it’s so well organised. I’m already planning on doing it next year.”
To find out more about the 2024 challenge, visit Help For Heroes Big Battlefield Bike Ride page.
