A team of determined Paratroopers are taking on a marathon charity challenge across seven countries in memory of one of their close friends and colleagues.

Lieutenant Bob Barrows, Corporal Eddie Walton, Master Sergeant Josh Geery, Lance Corporal Mike Wynne, Corporal Ian Greenslade and Lance Corporal Andy Hutton set off on their bikes from Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.

Their journey will take them through Croatia and Slovakia, west into Austria before heading across Germany, into Holland then ending in the UK.

Along the way, they’ll travel 1,100 miles, collecting money for Support Our Paras in honour of colleague Will Plant, who died this year.

Major Andrew Fox leads the team’s C Company Three Para, which is based at Colchester’s Merville Barracks.

He said: “This is Paras’ first real outing since returning from deployment in Afghanistan.

“We wanted to mark the end of it with something special.

“Will Plant passed away earlier this year and we wanted to do something to remember him.

“It all came together and I suggested we do something.

“He was hit by a car in 2017 and was in hospital from that point onwards.

“He was a very young man in the prime of his life and he fought on longer than anyone expected him to.

“He showed the true Para spirit.”

Planning a suitably challenging route was the team’s first job, and L Cpl Hutton certainly delivered.

After leaving their Balkan base, they’ll be taking on some of Europe’s most difficult terrain on their bikes.

Major Fox said: “They wanted to avoid having to go through the peaks in the Alps.

“They are still going to ascend 26,000 metres, but it is not quite as horrendous as it could have been.

“As part of the deployment we have been in different parts of Bosnia and they have taken the opportunity to get in some practice and cycle between our bases during out vehicle movements.

“They are a fit bunch of lads and they have put the work in as well as the planning.

“But there are so many little factors which could go wrong - it could be a mechanical problem or a bad day on the mountains.”

The group hopes to raise £8,000 for Support Our Paras, a charity Major Fox says is an essential part of the unit member’s lives.

“The regiment is a family and Support Our Paras is one of the ways we look after each other,” he said.

“I think the whole company is really proud of them.

“We have held a fundraising march in Sarajevo for them already and collected 500 euros.

“What they are doing shows the adventurous spirit which we like to see in paras.”

Gazette:

The team with their commanding officers before setting off

Donate at mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/maroonmemorial.