Aldwick pensioner's epic bike ride to honour fallen

But not 76-year-old Colin Crouch from Aldwick, who rode to Germany on a motorbike to raise money for the memorial of the 55,000 men who died during the second world war in Bomber Command.

Colin, an RAF pilot in the 1950s, raised 3,000 from the trip, which began in Bognor Regis and ended in the Reichswald war cemetery in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

The trip, he said, was about paying tribute to the many men in Bomber Command whose lives had been lost during the war.

"This is not political. This is to remember the 55,000 young men who died in the most horrible way," he said.

The journey was not without its difficulties, as Colin had originally planned to ride to Stalag Luft Three in Poland before he was forced to change his final destination to Germany.

"I realised I would have to go across Holland and Germany and that I wouldn't be able to make it," said the former pilot.

After a trip full of challenges, Colin arrived at the cemetery where 400 men from Bomber Command had been buried.

"I didn't know of the cemetery's existence until I researched the trip. I spent two hours walking among the graves. It was a most astonishing moment," he said.

Colin, who joined the RAF as an 18-year-old, traces back his own interest with the military to when he was an eight-year-old child.

"I can remember standing on my dad's shoulder when I saw London burning in the blitz. It was a terrible moment, but as a child, it was exciting."

Colin joined the RAF in 1951 and it was there he learned to ride a motorbike. After marrying and having four children, he retired his motorbike to be 'safe and sensible' before taking up his former hobby again as a 47-year-old.

"I ended up making it a means of getting from Bognor to Midhurst in the most enjoyable way," he said.

Combining his love of riding his motorbike with raising money for the memorial was an easy decision for Colin, but he was surprised by the number of donations received.

"People were delighted to donate. I was amazed by the reaction and how much was raised. The people who gave were aware of the sacrifice these men had made and felt they should be remembered for their bravery."

The former RAF man handed the cheque for 3,000 to an 84-year-old former Bomber Command pilot at the RAF Bomber Command Association in Hendon, London last week.

"He was very emotional and delighted by the response. He made me feel like a kid," Colin said.

The 3,000 raised is part of the 2m needed to build a new memorial.

Those who would like to donate should send their donations to: The Bomber Command Association, The Royal Airforce Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London, NW9 5LL.

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