A COUPLE from Melksham have completed a 21-mile Run of Remembrance in Normandy, France, raising over £3,000 for The Spirit of Normandy Trust (SONT).
Major General Darren Crook CBE and Sheila Thayer ran in memory of local veteran Allan Gullis, who died recently, and in honour of all those who took part in D-Day and the Normandy Campaign; this included Trooper Charles David Townshend of Melksham who was killed in action on 11th June 1944.
The couple had been in France supporting nine D-Day veterans and attended services in Caen, Bayeux, Colville-Montgomery, Arromanches, and the British Normandy Memorial before undertaking their run on Friday 7th June.
Their run saw them start from the famous D-Day landmark, Pegasus Bridge, and cover the ground that many of the veterans would recognise; this included the length of Sword, Juno, and Gold Beaches, before finishing at The British Normandy Memorial, with the couple conducting an Act of Remembrance at each British memorial as they ran. They were met at their finishing line, The British Normandy Memorial, by D-Day veteran Stan Ford, a resident of Bath, and Richard Palusinski, the chair of SONT.
Having supported the veterans in the five days previously, Darren said, “It was a hugely emotional undertaking. We owe a great debt to those who secured the freedom of Europe and having spent so much time with the veterans, the challenge was an emotional one as well as one requiring physical endurance. The temperatures were high and we chose to complete the run ‘unsupported’; we carried all the water and nutrition we would need ourselves to complete the run”.
Sheila added, “We received such good wishes from the veterans and supporters, including a heartwarming message from Henry Montgomery, the grandson of Bernard Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein with the words ‘May the indomitable spirit of the veterans keep you going every step of the way’. That certainly helped us during the more energy-sapping sections of the sandy landing beaches. It was incredibly humbling to think of what had happened on those beaches 80 years before.”
Messages of support came to the couple from across Melksham and beyond. These included the Gullis family who were aware that Darren was carrying a stone from Sword Beach throughout the run so that Allan was with them in spirit. “I know how proud Allan would have been, and his wonderful wife Edna; I also know that he would say the real heroes are still lying in Normandy’s soil.
“Whilst I have conducted my Run of Remembrance every year for a while now, this one was the most meaningful and emotional of my runs given Allan’s recent passing and the significance of D-Day 80.
“There were so many exceptional moments. Being cheered on by French Army soldiers was very special, as was each act of remembrance. Seeing Stan at the finish line probably pushed us all over the edge: seeing his pride in what we had done to honour Allan and all those in the campaign resulted in some ‘dust in the eyes’. Ultimately, Sheila and I, and all those who have supported us, have shown that we do and we will – always – remember them”.
Darren and Sheila’s JustGiving page is still open for donations to the charity SONT. “It is a wonderful charity that supports Normandy veterans across the country and one that had done much to support Allan and his family over the years,” explained Darren.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/darren-crook-1717015706371
