The guarding firm Corps Security is among sponsors of a 50-mile Normandy Beach fundraising challenge. It’s to support the limbless veterans charity Blesma. Begun on Tuesday, June 3, the challenge aims to raise £5,000 and has covered each of the five 1944 beachheads, once codenamed Utah (pictured, courtesy of the Corps), Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
George Bromley, a Serving Officer in the Royal Engineers, will take part in the coastal swimming and walking challenge to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day. He will place a Corps and Blesma wooden cross on each of the five beaches to commemorate those fallen in the battle. Bromley will be accompanied by partner Micol Flegenheimer, and supported by a team of volunteers, including historian Peter Jones and Nadège Anturo, organiser of the 81st D-Day events on Sword Beach.
At the end of the challenge, his team was serenaded by the Military Wives Choir, and elements of the 77 (Armoured) Engineer Squadron will also receive Bromley and Flegenheimer with RAF Spitfires flying overhead. Celebrations continued at the D-Day Swing Festival on Saturday, June 7.
Bromley hosts yearly D-Day fundraisers and has taken part in commemorative events in Normandy since 2015. In 2024, Bromley was the first person to swim from Portsmouth to Sword Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
George Bromley said: “There are lots of D-Day celebrations and events in landmark years such as the 75th or 80th anniversaries, but attention fades in the intervening years. I believe strongly that it is important to recognise what it means every year and I try my best to uphold the stories and memories of the greatest generation.”
“Our aim is to pay homage to the soldiers and officers who took part and to raise funds for Blesma, which provides lifelong support to veterans who lost limbs or the use of limbs. Blesma was crucial in the aftermath of WW2 looking after injured veterans and continues to play a vital role for injured service personnel.”
Andrew Topp, sales and marketing director at Corps Security, said: “We are incredibly proud to support George’s D-Day challenge, raising vital funds for Blesma. As a company founded to provide employment for ex-servicemen this cause is close to our hearts. Sponsoring George’s walking and swimming challenge is our way of honouring the sacrifices of the past while helping to improve the lives of those who live with the impact of their service today. The endurance and resilience this challenge demands are a powerful tribute to the strength and determination of our soldiers and veterans across our armed forces.”
About Blesma
The charity provides for serving and ex-service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss, lost the use of a limb, an eye or vision loss, in the honourable service of the United Kingdom.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/.
