{"id":239321,"date":"2025-07-05T05:42:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T05:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/239321\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T05:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T05:42:15","slug":"bristol-friends-cycle-282-miles-to-honour-d-day-hero-and-his-forgotten-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/239321\/","title":{"rendered":"Bristol friends cycle 282 miles to honour D-Day hero and his forgotten legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

What began as a boozy promise turned into a cross-country tribute to David Cottrell, a Royal Navy veteran whose D-Day story inspired a 282-mile cycling fundraiserThe cycle to D-Day and arriving in Normandy (Credit : MARK T GODDARD)<\/p>\n

On a cold beer and a promise made over New Year’s drinks, a 282-mile mission was born\u2014one that would end not only in Normandy, but in deep reverence for a story too often untold.<\/p>\n

Josh Doherty, 39, from Bedminster<\/a>, is not a professional cyclist. In fact, before this journey, he hadn’t really trained at all. \u201cPersonally\u2014nothing,\u201d he admits when asked about preparation. But that didn\u2019t stop him and a small team of friends and colleagues from setting out on an ambitious ride from Bristol to Sword Beach on June 6. This wasn\u2019t just about endurance. It was about legacy\u2014more precisely, the legacy of David Cottrell, a Royal Navy veteran of D-Day whose story changed all of them.<\/p>\n

David Cotterill<\/p>\n

A New Year\u2019s Pact and an Unexpected Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt all started with getting incredibly drunk over New Year’s,\u201d Josh confesses. \u201cTruthfully, I’d totally forgotten we spoke about it.\u201d But his friend and team captain Alex Parsons didn\u2019t forget. That casual conversation soon transformed into a serious commitment. Together, they assembled what Josh affectionately calls their \u201cmotley crew\u201d: Alex, Ben Howcroft, Darren Brice-Taylor, Mary Woodall (driving the support vehicle), Dr Matthew Smith, Mark Goddard (photographer), and Joe Prosser (bike mechanic).<\/p>\n

While they may come from varied professional backgrounds\u2014Josh runs YourwayBristol, a support agency for vulnerable people, while others work for the MOD or in creative and medical fields\u2014they were united by a singular cause: to honour David Cottrell and raise funds for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.<\/p>\n

The Man Who Made a Memorial<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Cotterill<\/p>\n

David\u2019s story is both harrowing and inspiring. A sailor on HMS Swift during the Second World War, David was aboard when the ship was sunk off Sword Beach just days after the initial D-Day landings. Remarkably, upon revisiting Normandy years later, he noticed a startling absence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were over 5,000 memorials,\u201d Josh says, \u201cbut not one for the Navy.\u201d<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t sit right with David. Incredibly, he took matters into his own hands\u2014literally. He built a memorial in his garden, then, with help from contacts in Normandy, arranged for it to be placed on Sword Beach\u2014the very sand where his ship went down in 1944.<\/p>\n

David\u2019s story stuck with Alex and Ben ever since they met him over pints at The Hill, a local Bristol pub. \u201cHe\u2019d come in every day for four pints and bring his son Richard,\u201d Josh says. \u201cHe told them about D-Day, his experiences, and even took them to Normandy 15 years ago to show them where it all happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

This ride wasn\u2019t just a fundraiser. It was a pilgrimage.<\/p>\n

The cycle to D-Day and arriving in Normandy (Credit : MARK T GODDARD)<\/p>\n

The Road to Remembrance<\/strong><\/p>\n

The team\u2019s journey spanned over 282 miles, crossing country lines, time zones, and physical limits. \u201cThe ride was Darren\u2019s first time on a bike in years,\u201d Josh notes. \u201cIt was great\u2014he\u2019s now joined a cycling club.\u201d Each rider came with different levels of experience: Dr Matt, a keen cyclist; Joe, a veteran of over 30 years in the saddle; and Josh, learning as he went.<\/p>\n

Despite varying levels of readiness, they made it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most memorable moment?\u201d Josh says, \u201cA cold beer at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the real highlight came not in refreshment, but reflection\u2014specifically in Normandy, where the commemorations brought the team face to face with history. \u201cHaving dinner with David\u2019s son Rich, hearing his father\u2019s stories\u2026 one of them was about a party on the Norwegian king\u2019s yacht. Honestly, stuff you\u2019d think came out of James Bond.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t all nostalgia either. \u201cWe\u2019ve already planned next year,\u201d Josh reveals. \u201cThis time, we\u2019ll start from the French end, go a longer distance, and double the elevation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cycle to D-Day and arriving in Normandy (Credit : MARK T GODDARD)<\/p>\n

From \u00a31,000 to Over \u00a34,000<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fundraiser exceeded expectations. Originally hoping to raise \u00a31,000, the team has already pulled in over \u00a34,000. The generosity has been humbling. \u201cWe\u2019ve received support from old friends, new friends, and most of all, family,\u201d Josh says.<\/p>\n

Some contributions stood out: Mark\u2019s father, Paul Goddard, gave \u00a3200. Rob Smart chipped in \u00a3155 to push the total over the \u00a33,000 mark. Darren\u2019s wife Claire not only donated \u00a3100 but also completed a course to qualify as a nurse prescriber\u2014her way of honouring the effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a GoFundMe page,\u201d Josh adds, \u201cand anything to add on top of our goal would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lessons from a Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

David Cottrell\u2019s legacy wasn\u2019t just about survival\u2014it was about remembrance. And for Josh, Alex, and the others, this journey underscored how ordinary people can live extraordinary lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I hope people take away?\u201d Josh reflects. \u201cThat anyone can do this. David\u2019s story is one of a kind. If you\u2019ve got the time, speak to Rich\u2014he tells it best.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the end either. Far from it. This ride will be annual, Josh insists, and they want to keep it accessible for all. \u201cWith a few months’ training, anyone can do it. That\u2019s important to us\u2014to pass on David\u2019s story and those of other veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cycle to D-Day and arriving in Normandy (Credit : MARK T GODDARD)<\/p>\n

As for how it\u2019s changed him?<\/p>\n

Josh doesn\u2019t offer a grand, sweeping statement. Instead, his reply is simple, grounded, and fitting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re just a bunch of ordinary people doing our best to remember someone who shouldn\u2019t be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/cycle-to-normandy-dday-6th-june-2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What began as a boozy promise turned into a cross-country tribute to David Cottrell, a Royal Navy veteran…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":239322,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8818],"tags":[17542,10139,381,10648,748,4230,393,4884,11740,14995,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-239321","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bristol","8":"tag-armed-forces","9":"tag-bedminster","10":"tag-bristol","11":"tag-bristol-live","12":"tag-britain","13":"tag-cycling","14":"tag-england","15":"tag-great-britain","16":"tag-ministry-of-defence","17":"tag-sailing","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114799034254625560","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}