Our 617 Sqn friend Sqn Ldr Tom Hill is now in the thick of it in Afghanistan after meeting up with dambusters 2012 and WW2 dambusters hero Sqn Ldr George 'Johnny' Johnson DFM earlier in the month. Here is Tom at the end of a 5 hour sortie over Afghanistan earlier today in contrast to the Tom we saw at the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre, Filton. Top bloke all round!! Give him your support.
The picture shows Sqn Ldr Tom Hill on the right and his WSO F/L Tim Colebrooke after a mission this morning. 

... and below is a reminder of Tom when we met Sqn Ldr 'Johnny' Johnson DFM at Filton.

Todays desparate news of another death in Afghanistan is a terrible reminder of why Dambusters2012 is raising money for Help for Heroes. The danger and the hurt to our service men and women is very real indeed and it is our obligation to look after them should they need it. Please show your support for them by donating on line to Help for Heroes today at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 . We owe them all a huge debt of thanks and honour.

Happy Days!!! More pictures of the Help for Heroes 'Bears on a Mission' have returned from active service with 617 Sqdn, the Dambusters, in Afghanistan.

Both Bears arrived home safely complete with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the Pilot and Weapons System Operator of the Tornado GR4 in which the Bear flew over Afghanistan and a CD full of photos from their time on active duty!

More details to follow ... and more pictures too.

Start saving as these 'Bears on a Mission' will be coming up for sale to the highest bidder with all the proceeds of the sale going to Help for Heroes. How can you 'bear' to miss out?

My sincere thanks to the team at 617 Sqdn and particularly to Flt Sgt Paul Peden who has supported Dambusters 2012 throughout his time in Afghanistan. What a top bloke!

If you can't wait that long please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and show your appreciation for what Flt Sgt Peden and all his forces colleagues are doing on our behalf by donating on-line to Help for Heroes. Thank you.

Dambusters 2012 bikers Gary Dougan and Mark Ryan will be at Loomies Cafe on either Saturady or Sunday this coming weekend (whichever is the better!!) 28/29th April with the Help for Heroes collection bucket. If you a biker and anywhere near them make sure you get in there and chuck some cash in the bucket! 

You can find Loomies at Loomies Cafe, A272 (West Meon Hut), Hampshire, GU32 1JX on the crossroads next to the filling station, where the A272 crosses the A32.

If you cannot get there in person to fill their bucket make sure you get to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make your contribution to Help for Heroes on line.

Thank you.

Very late last night (24th April) I received an email from Dambusters 2012 friends at 617 Sqdn in Afghanistan. Attached to the email were four really interesting photo's. Three show a 'Tonka' on the ground, wings swept - not something you see very often. The other is a really atmospheric shot of the airbase at night. Enjoy - and then remember the service men and women out there laying life and limb on the line for all of us.

Please show your support for them by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to our appeal for Help for Heroes. Thank you.

A reminder for those that are new to the Dambusters 2012 blog that Dambusters2012 rider Simon Dufton will be at the Touratech Travel Event 2012 on the weekend of 12th / 13th May 2012.

Check out details of this cracking event at www.touratech.co.uk or on the event's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/events/261676833891072/?ref=nf

I will be there with my bucket collecting for Help for Heroes and plan to make a short presentation about the Dambusters 2012 Charity Motorcycle Ride, Help for Heroes and why we are supporting them!

I have to say that the team at Touratech are brilliant. Really friendly, passionate about what they do and the stuff they sell, .... if you into motorcycle travel it is top notch!! Why not give them a call?

The Touratech Travel Event 2012. 12th/13th May 2012.
See you there!!

This weekend coming (28/29 April) you can catch Dambusters 2012 biker Victor Chevens who will be rattling the collections bucket for Help for Heroes at the Squires Bikers Cafe (http://squires-cafe.co.uk/about_us/index.asp) which you can be found on the B1222 at Newthorpe near Sherburn in Elmet in West Yorkshire. Postcode for your Sat Navs is LS25 5LX.

If you cannot get out to see Victor you can still support Help for Heroes by visiting our on-line donations page at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 .
Thank you.

Just spoke with my fellow Dambusters2012 rider, Victor. He is just back from taking his son Ben on a weekend Rugby tour and collected £150 from other parents on the trip. Quality!!
If you want to make a donation to help our fund-raising for Help for Heroes please visit www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 . Thank you.

A days collecting at Trentham Gardens today (www.trentham.co.uk) - result is another £245 for Help for Heroes!! Here is us just before the location opened for business this morning.

Met some cracking people today too including the Fat Belly Biker Club - quality. Here is a link to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Belly-Bikers-Club/156525224412192

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

Dambusters 2012 is all about supporting our troops which is exactly what 617 sqdn have been doing! One particular sortie this week showed the versatility of the Tornado. Having provided three hours of support to UK ground forces in Helmand Province, the flight of two aircraft was tasked to provide overwatch for a United States Marine Corps (USMC) unit near Sangin. Whilst carrying out this task, they received an urgent call to fly 300 nautical miles North West to an area near the Turkmenistan border to provide support to a joint United States and Afghan National Security Forces patrol that was coming under repeated small arms fire. One of the GR4s conducted a Show of Force to cover the patrol’s withdrawal. The insurgents scattered to the cover of various buildings as the Tornado roared overhead at 100 feet and 500 knots allowing the patrol to withdraw to safety. OC 617 Sqn, Wing Commander Taylor, said of the marathon 7 hr 45 min flight:”Flying for that long requires a lot of fuel. We had to air refuel 4 times and took on in excess of 20000 litres of fuel each. Once again a Show of Force has deterred the insurgents from further aggression and allowed Coalition Forces to extract to safety.”

617 sqdn, the Dambusters are firm supporters of the Dambusters 2012 Charity Motorcycle Ride for help for Heroes. We need you to join them and support Help for Heroes and the amazing work they do for our wounded service men and women by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donating to the appeal on line. Please don't delay. Do it this evening!

Picking up on the last blog entry, here is the top of the Daily Mail article from 17th April 2012 which described the meeting of 1943 Dambuster Sqn Ldr George 'Johnny' Johnson and current Dambuster Sqn Ldr Tom Hill. They came together at the Rolls Royce Heritage Centre, Bristol to support Dambusters2012 and their charity ride for Help for Heroes. It was a privilege to meet them both and to have their support for our efforts to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Please join them - we NEED your donations for Help for Heroes. www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 - it really is easy and completely safe to donate on-line. Thank you.

Quick post tonight with a link to the Daily Mail who picked up on the meeting between Original Dambuster Sqn Ldr George Johnny Johnson and current Dambuster Sqn Ldr Tom Hill. Check it out at :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2130661/Pictured-The-Dambuster-meets-modern-day-airmen-squadron-helped-immortalised-69-years-ago.html

We are doing all of this to raise cash for Help for Heroes. Please support us and go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate something on-line today!!!

Thank you!

Dambusters 2012's Help for Heroes Teddies have completed their tour fo duty in Afghanistan with 617 Sqdn and are on their way back to the UK!! Both completed operational missions in the back seat of a 617 sqn Tornado GR4, one with the Sqn 'boss' Wg Cdr Taylor. Both are returning to the UK with Certificates of Authenticity from 617 Sqn and a photo CD full of shots from their exploits in theatre!

Both the bears will be sold to raise money for the Dambusters 2012 Charity Event for Help for Heroes. Have you started saving yet??

Not only are these bears enormously cute and cuddly, but they are a unique piece of 617 sqdn history - the first teddy bears flying on active service with the RAF over Afghanistan! How can you resist? More importantly, how impressed will your son, daughter or other half be if you buy one of these wonderful bears for them as a gift?? Come on!!! Full details of how you can bid for the bears will be published shortly - watch this blog for details.

To show your support for Help for Heroes and the fantastic work they do for our wounded service men and women please go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012. It is safe, secure and easy to make your donation. Go on! Do it today! Thank you.

1943 Dambuster meets 2012 Dambuster! 10th April 2012 and Sqn Ldr George 'Johnny' Johnson, bomb aimer on Joe Macarthy's Lancaster attacking the Sorpe Dam in 1943 meets Sqn Ldr Tom Hill of the current 617 Sqn. The meeting took place at the Rolls Royce Aero Engines Heritage Centre at Filton. I am only posting a taster photo' of lower quality here as a full high picture quality press release is being put together by top notch photographer Ken Lennox to publicise the Dambusters 2012 Motorcycle Ride in support of Help for Heroes - I must not steal the proper press release's thunder after all! Thank you to all who were part of putting this together - Amazing support shown for 'Dambusters 2012' and 'Help for Heroes'. Truly humbling.

Visit www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate to support Help for Heroes.

First of two posts on dambusters 2012 today! Here we have the latest Office Notice Board poster in a handy A3 size, now including one of the latest pictures received from Afghanistan featuring one of our Help for Heroes Teddies in the back seat of a 617 Sqn Tornado GR4.
Email Dambusters2012@gmail.com for your .pdf copy and then please stick these up around your office building and anywhere else you can think of!!!
At the same time, feel free to follow the instructions and go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate to our cause on line. Thank you.

Our second H4H Teddy has flown his operational mission over Afghanistan!

My thanks to the 617 Sqdn team in Afghanistan for these wonderful new photographs which show Teddy No. 2, the boy teddy apparently, with his Tornado GR4 crew setting out on and returning from a night mission. I counted the teddies out and I counted the teddies back ....

Remember - both H4H teddies flown on operations in Afghanistan by 617 Sqdn, the famous Dambusters, will be returning to the UK with a Certficate of Authenticity, and a full photo CD of their exploits. This is a one off chance for you to own one of these unique Help for Heroes Teddies. Start saving now - more details on how you can place you bids will be available on this blog in the coming few days.

In the meantime please show your support for the H4H Teddies, 617 Sqdn and all our troops in Afghanistan by going to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and give a donation to Help for Heroes. Thank you.

Photo 1 = Teddy 2 does his pre-flight checks!



Photo 2 = Teddy 2 taxis into the Afghan' night ....

Photo 3 = Teddy 2 returns to base. Mission accomplished!

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

A day stood collecting in person for Help for Heroes at Trentham Gardens today, wonderfully supported by my better half Jo and my 21 year old son Nick who took the pictures too! Weather not the best but at least not raining!! However, the good people of Stoke on Trent support their troops and more than £400 went into the bucket including three £10 notes! Thank you so much to the people of Stoke!! What a result.

Please join the good folks of Stoke on Trent and add your contribution by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate on line today!

Brilliant photos! If you ever meet this man in a pub I insist you buy his drinks! This is Paul Peden, my contact in 617 Sqdn. His support for Dambusters2012 is legend and I know from tweeting with other members of the 617 Sqdn community at RAF Lossie' that he does much more beyond that too. A top bloke to whom we, and the whole nation owes a huge debt of gratitude. 'nuff said!

Pictures taken this morning at Kandahar, 07.15am. Paul and the H4H Teddies in front of the Dambusters monument at the airbase. Absolute quality. Bear on the right as you look at the photo is the 'girl' bear who has already flown on Op's with 617 sqdn boss, Wg Cdr Taylor. 'Boy' bear to fly shortly. Remember - start saving to buy one of these at auction on their return. We need to raise a shedload of cash with them as they are a unique pair of H4H Bears!

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 Please show your support for Paul and everyone of our forces men and women serving their country in Afghanistan by donating on line. Thank you.

Stunning photo taken at 03:00am this morning at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan. 617 sqdn Tornado GR4 sits ready for the call that our troops on the ground need air support to keep them safe in the face of Taliban fire. In short, a Tonka at the ready. Beautiful and moody shot. Why don't you support our troops too by going to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make an online donation to Help for Heroes. It doesn't matter how large or small - just make a donation!! Thank you.

617 Sqdn Op's Update from Afghanistan:
The Tornado GR4s of 617 ‘The Dambusters’ Sqn have continued to deliver their key capabilities in support of coalition ground forces. 617 sqn's Tornado GR4s have been focused upon reconnaissance missions using the RAPTOR pod to provide essential intelligence data in support of ground commanders.

During one reconnaissance mission this week, to the Southwest of Kandahar city, the crew found evidence of the placement of some Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and passed this information on so that the ground patrol were aware of the threat. Later on the same mission, they saw a Taliban in the process of laying IEDs. Having told ground forces of the threat, the Tornado GR4 of 617 Sqdn requested permission to attack the insurgent but before this could be done the insurgent hid in a local village. The 617 Sqdn crew decided not to attack as the risk to civilians in the area was too great.

Later in the week, the Sqn was tasked on two occasions to provide support to patrols that were under attack from insurgents. In both cases, the Tornado provided a Show of Force, which was sufficient to cause the insurgents to break off the attack.

Info taken from the weekly official on-line RAF Operational Update.

Please show your support for the amazing job 617 Sqdn and all our service men and women are doing on our behalf in Afghanistan by donating on line at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

Dambusters2012 made the Lincolnshire Echo today - and despite the terrible picture - all publicity will help us raise cash for Help for Heroes!!! Thanks to Sam at the Lincolnshire Echo - top bloke! Check it out at :
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Bikers-ride-original-flight-path-Dambusters-RAF/story-15666508-detail/story.html

This is our most exciting post yet!! First photos of Dambusters2012's H4H Teddy Bears on their exciting Afghanistan mission!

Three pictures so far with more to come when the bears make their triumphant return. The photo's show the 'female' H4H teddy bear (less of a stomach!!) first with 617 Sqdn boss, Wg Cdr Taylor, and then a second photo with Flight Leuitenant Jane Pickersgill the Weapon Systems Operator (no longer call them Navs) on the Tornado GR4.

This teddy is identified differently from the other by a Dambusters Tornado patch which has been sown on to her rugby shirt and she will be the only one flown by the 'Boss'.

The third photo shows our H4H teddy high over the Kajaki Dam. There are other pictures of the teddy with the aircraft in-flight refuelling at 23,500 feet altitude from a KC10 tanker! How cool will those be????

The honour of flying with the 'boss' of the famous 617 'Dambusters' must make the value of this bear at auction something special so start saving ahead of the auction to be held when the teddies get back to the UK. Certificate to confirm the flight etc. has been done and all will be posted back to the UK when the other teddy has been flown.

In the meantime please match the obvious support of 617 Sqdn, the Dambusters, for our cause by going to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donating on-line to Help for Heroes. It really doesn't matter if it only a small donation - they all add up!! Thank you very much.

Sunny Sunday morning here and we are feeling good - but don't forget that out there in the real world our service men and women are 'doing it' for all of us in Afghanistan, whatever your political views!
So at some point today, take the time to visit www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and donate something on-line to Help for Heroes to show that you do care and do appreciate their bravery and sacrifice! Thank you.