Dambusters artwork at Kandahar Airbase....

This is the first of two posts today. This one to share two pieces of artwork created by the men of 617 sqdn at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan along with a photo of a few of the ground crew that keep the 617 Sqdn Tornado GR4s ready for action.

Yesterday was Armed Forces Day here in the UK and it was wonderful to see the current men and women of our armed services along with all our veterans receiving the aclaim they so rightly deserve. We should also pause to remember and thank those currently on active service too. RESPECT.

Please take this moment to visit www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and show your support for our armed forces by making a donation to Help for Heroes. Thanks you.

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 Thank you.

Reminder - Teddies to be sold at Birmingham Help for Heroes Ball...

If you had seen this news before then here it is again! Dambusters2012's two famous Help for Heroes teddies, flown on active service over Afghanistan by 617 sqdn, will be auctioned as part of the Birmingham Help for Heroes Ball. Brilliant event which will be held on 3rd November at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel. All the proceeds from the bears will go directly to Help for Heroes - quality!!

If you want to own one of these amazing, never to be repeated H4H teddies then you have to be there. Just 'google' Birmingham Help for Heroes Ball.

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

Getting the 'Tonka' ready for action ....

Superb set of 'fly on the wall' photos of the 617 ground team getting one of the 617 sqdn Tornado GR4 aircraft ready to fly in support of coalition troops on the ground in Afghanistan. These photos were taken a few days ago and show clearly that the pilots are simply at the sharp end of a complex logistics process run by a hugely dedicated band of people. It is a good reminder of just how many service men and women we still have serving our country in Afghanistan day after day.

Dambusters 2012 exists to raise awareness and cash for Help for Heroes.

The charity Help for Heroes was launched in October 2007 in order to provide direct, practical support to those wounded, sick or injured in the line of duty since 9/11. All the funds raised to date are either allocated or spent on the direct, practical support of those wounded in the current conflicts. To date, H4H has funded a variety of projects including the £8m Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court, a new £3.5m treatment centre for Combat Stress, adaptive adventure training through the Battle Back programme and the creation of a £6m Quick Reaction Fund to support individuals in need.

Don't let them down. Go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 right now and make your donation. It is vital that the fund-raising continues as the needs of our wounded goes on into the future! Thank you.

At the end of the day ....

Just one photo on today's blog entry. A wonderfully moody shot of a 617 sqdn Tornado GR4 in its hanger in the dark at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan. I think it captures the purposeful, almost agressive look of the 'Tonka'.



Dambusters2012 was started to raise money for Help for Heroes by following the route of Dambusters Lancaster AJ-J to and from the Mohne Dam back in May on our motorcycles but has grown into this blog and more.

Help for Heroes was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded Servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The message of the charity is simple: They are strictly non political and non critical and simply want to help. Help for Heroes believe that anyone who volunteers to serve in time of war, knowing that they may risk all, is a hero. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them are living with the consequences of their service for life. We may not be able to prevent our soldiers from being wounded, but together we can help them get better.

Support our cause by going to the dambusters2012 webiste at www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation on line to Help for Heroes today - right now whilst you are on line anyway!! Thank you.

Waiting their turn to go ....

Pictures tonight that give a little flavour of the scene as two 617 Sqdn Tornados take their place in the line waiting to take off from Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan. In themselves the photos are not 'spectacular' - but what the pilots, WSOs and all the rest of the 617 Sqdn team that keep them flying do every day that turns over is!
PLEASE - take out 5 minutes of your day to do something amazing in return. Go to www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes. Do it today. Not tomorrow, today. Right now even!

This weeks 617 sqdn operations ...

Easy to forget that as we get on with our lives and watch the football that our servicemen and women continue to live and fight on all our behalf in Afghanistan. Please do not forget to spend a bit of time thinking about them and also to visit www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a small donation to Help for Heroes, real heroes making the world a safer place and not just kicking a ball around!

That said, C'mon England!!!

This week the Tornados of 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron operating from Kandahar Airfield have undertaken reconnaissance missions in Regional Command (North), Regional Command (Central) Regional Command (Southwest) and Regional Command (West) providing vital intelligence to International Security Assistance Force personnel involved in ground operations. There were three Shows of Force, a high speed low level flight over insurgent positions, all of which were to dissuade insurgents from continuing to fire at Coalition and Afghan Army patrols. All of the Shows of Force were successful.

Tia & Allana - with and without Teddies!

Post which focuses upon the people of 617 Sqdn! Two pictures, both of the same two ladies but carrying very different things from one shot to the next!! Both photos taken at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan.

It is a really good reminder that Dambusters2012 is all about; raising money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.

The terrible toll on our 'troops' makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - why I do not know!

 

Please show them, all of them including Tia and Allana, that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.

 

 

The power of the Tornado!!

Short post today from the men and women of 617 sqdn at Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan. Two spectacular photo's from an engine run taken from behind one of their Tornado GR4 aircraft through the heathaze of the afterburner!! Quality!



However please don't forget that the whole idea behind this website and the whole Dambusters2012 effort is to raise money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.

The terrible toll on our 'troops' makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - why I do not know! Please show them that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.

My good friend Daryl Fulls ......

This is Dambusters2012's good friend Daryl Fulls setting off from outside my wife's Moshulu shop at Trentham on the next leg of his cycle ride to Scotland from his home near Exeter! It will take 15 days - and take in the following towns - Yeovil, Bristol, Cheltenham, Walsall, Stoke (Trentham), Warrington, Leyland, Skipton, Harrogate, Richmond, Consett, Alnwick finishing in Coldstream on Sunday 24th June!

He is raising money for friends of his in Zimbabwe - Mark and Dorcas Nicholson. Mark's story is incredible - from sleeping rough on the streets of Exmouth - to missionary in Zimbabwe fostering/adopting 14 kids - together with his incredible wife Dorcas they are a truly amazing family.

More information and a couple of brilliant videos are available on his Virgin Money Giving page which you can find at : http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=darylfulls

Have a look - you know what you need to do!!

Keeping the Tornado ready for action...

Here are some great 'fly on the wall' photo's of the 617 Sqdn ground team looking after one of the Tornado GR4 fast jets at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan.

I was really pleased to receive these shots as it reminded me of just how many men and women are needed to keep just one Tornado ready for action to support our and other nation's coalition troops when they need it most.

Don't forget though - the whole idea of this website and Dambusters2012 is to raise money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose sole purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.

The terrible toll makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - show them that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.

617 Sqdn Tornado roars into action ....

A series of cracking shots as a 617 sqdn Tornado GR4 roars into the air on anothet fast jet air support mission over Afghanistan. What an awesome plane the Tornado still is even in today's air environment!! Credit for all these wonderful photo's of 617 sqdn in action in Afghanistan goes to the photographers who are out there too - it is nothing to do with me. I am just happy to be able to share with you all the fantastic job they are doing on all our behalf!

.... and then a shot which is just wonderful - what a beautiful world we live in.

A reminder too - the whole purpose of this website and Dambusters2012 is to raise money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose sole purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.
The terrible toll makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - show them that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.

Dambusters2012 H4H Teddies to be sold at ....

I am absolutely chuffed to announce that our two 'Dambusters2012' Help for Heroes teddies flown in their Tornado GR4 fast jets over Afghanistan by 617 sqdn, the Dambusters, will be auctioned at the Birmingham Help for Heroes Ball, an annual charity event in aid of Help for Heroes. http://www.helpforheroesballbirmingham.org.uk/

The Ball is a night to remember with a formal dinner dance and an auction sale held every year on the weekend before Armistice Day as a tribute to our men and women who have fought, fallen and been wounded in war. http://www.helpforheroesballbirmingham.org.uk/

Auctioning our unique H4H teddies at such a prestigious event means that we will realise the value we should for teddies that have flown on active service with one of the RAF's premier and most famous squadrons! Every penny raised from the sale will be donated to Help for Heroes.

More details as they become available!

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012

...and finally for today!

We now know where the Dambusters2012 Help for Heroes teddies will be auctioned .... but I can't tell you yet!!

Full details to be on this blog in the next couple of days - but it is somewhere that will let them achieve the value they should have given they are the only Teddies to have flown on active service over Afghanistan with 617 sqdn, the Dambusters!!!

Keep coming back to the blog for details....

www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 - donate on line today!!

It's about the men and women of 617 sqdn ....

Some more pic's from 617 sqdn in Afghanistan. This time capturing some of the day to day life supporting the Tornado GR4 aircraft of 617 sqdn, the Dambusters!

A reminder too - the whole purpose of this website and Dambusters2012 is to raise money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose sole purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.
The terrible toll makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - show them that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.

Getting it just right:

 Tia and Allana on patrol:

 Getting things ready:

 Due for a service:

 A rightly proud man:

617 sqdn in Afghanistan

First of two posts today with some terrific pic's from Dambusters2012's friends in 617 sqdn. In this post are some scenic shots taken at Kandahar airbase a couple of days ago which are posted to give you a sense of the place, a feel for the atmosphere and so on. It is easy to forget sometimes that there are so many of our service men and women still out in Afghanistan fighting a determined enemy on behalf of all of us and the free world. Even amongst this, the world can still be an amazing beautiful place .....

A reminder too - the whole purpose of this website and Dambusters2012 is to raise money for Help for Heroes - www.helpforheroes.org.uk - whose sole purpose is to provide support and help to our servicemen and women injured in the course of their duties.
The terrible toll makes the headlines when one of our soldiers is killed. The many more who are injured and maimed do not even make the news anyore - show them that you do still care and value their work by visiting www.bmycharity.com/dambusters2012 and make a donation to Help for Heroes today. Thank you.
In the dark:

 Dawn breaks:

 Helicopters heading out:

 First light in the hanger of 617 sqdn:

 Recconaisance:

 Another airbase inhabitant: