On Tuesday 20 September Dudley Giles, the Deputy Provost Marshal (Army) who retires from the Army next March after 32 years service, (but better known to us as Badge No 26!) will be setting off from Brackley, Northamptonshire on a solo cycle ride around the United Kingdom on what is a personal pilgrimage to the graves and especial places of remembrance of the 22 members of the Royal Military Police (RMP) who have died on operations during his Army service. This pilgrimage will take him to all four constituent parts of the United Kingdom (as well as the Isle of Man) and will finish in Colchester, Essex on 21 October at which time he is likely to have completed in excess of 2000 miles of cycling. And he’ll be spending one night in Bovington, the location of this year’s GBG AGM weekend.
Dudley is undertaking the ride to give meaning and substance to the phrase ‘We Will Remember Them’ and will be meeting members of the families of the fallen as he cycles around the country. He will also be joined on various stages of the route by other serving members of the RMP – both regular and territorial army – who will cycle with him for short distances and, at each place of remembrance, he will lead short ceremonies of remembrance attended by serving and retired members of RMP. The ride is primarily a pilgrimage but it is also being used as a vehicle for a number of fund-raising activities which are being undertaken by RMP personnel world-wide to boost funds for their benevolent fund.
You can follow Dudley’s progress on his blog www.redcapremembrance2011.wordpress.com
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