Somme battlefield blindfold trek for Blind Veterans UK

The team of four from North Wales Audi consist of former Royal Navy Petty Officer Matthew Losing; former 3rd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers’ Corporal Jack Allred; Jordan Irving who will be documenting their journey and Shaian Sanati who is Head of Business at North Wales Audi.

The Memorial to the 38th(Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood. Picture: Allan George

The challenge will commence on Friday November 8 and conclude on Remembrance Sunday November 11. The team has the aim of raising £3,000 for Blind Veterans UK, and will trek over two days across northern France and reach the Somme in time for Remembrance Sunday. Their route will retrace the steps made by troops on the Somme and also at Ypres in Belgium.

One of the sites they will visit is Mametz Wood where the 38th (Welsh) Division fought a bloody battle to take the wood from the Germans who were well dug in with many machine guns and heavily protected by wire. The Division suffered more than 4,000 casualties in capturing the wood. Many soldiers from North Wales fought in the battle. The action is commemorated with a stone plinth topped with a Red Dragon.

The Memorial to the 39th(Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood. Picture: Allan George

Matthew said: “It is completely different to anything anyone of us has done before, I know it is certainly alien to me. This is our small way of saying thank you to all those brave souls who gave their lives for our freedom. Blind Veterans UK continues to support veterans with visual impairments and we want to raise funds for them to provide support veterans to overcome sight loss.” The team's vehicle has space available for sponsorship.

Donations can be made at the the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/northwalesaudi-walkingthesommeblindfolded?utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_content=NorthWalesAudi-walkingthesommeblindfolded&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_source=Sharethis&utm_term=qRBZq22Gj