The HELP for HEROES 4x4 EUROPEAN RALLY 2012 follows the path and tells the story of the Allied Invasion through Europe and includes parts fabled bythe Band of Brothers book and television series. As young men, who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear, the Allied Forces landed in France early on D-Day morning – 6th June 1944. The liberation of Europe had commenced. That history will unfold as your journey progresses; some parts of the route will also include areas of the 'Western Front' of WWI.

The event will start at 11:30am on Saturday 16th June 2012 at Littlecote House Hotel in North Wiltshire. After using byways on Salisbury Plain we will then travel to Portsmouth to embark on the ferry over to France. This 2000mile / 3200km expedition will encompass 6 European countries over a period of 13 days; concluding in Bavaria, Germany. This non-speed touring assembly, with a maximum entry of 45 teams, will be part military history tour (including museums etc), fun activities, part off-road driving and part club-type social, open to road-legal 4x4 vehicles. The whole focus is the raising of funds for the event’s chosen charity, HELP for HEROES.

In addition to Normandy, the H4H 4x4 Rally route will visit The Somme, Ypres, the 'Market Garden' and 'Rhine' offensives at Arnhem; where on 17 September 1944, in the largest airborne operation ever seen, thousands of paratroopers descended from the sky by parachute or glider up to 150 km behind enemy lines. Our route moves south, to Bastogne in Belgium where in the coldest winter for decades, the Germans made a final push – 'The Battle of the Bulge'. Towards Germany, the rally routing is via the Alsace region of France and its Maginot Line fortifications, then onto Dachau and its horrors of war. We end our journey at Hitler's "impenetrable" Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden.

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2012 Itinerary

Saturday 16th June 2012 - Day 1 - England,
'Prelude to Invasion' – 235Km (146 Miles)
At 1130hrs we leave Littlecote House Hotel, North Wiltshire and engage 4-wheel drive to traverse the roads and byways of Salisbury Plain (a WWII training area – still in use by today’s armed forces as a major military training ground). We then make our way on towards Portsmouth, where we will board the overnight cross-channel ferry to Caen.
Overnight - Brittany Ferries 'Portsmouth-Caen' Route

Sunday 17th June 2012 - Day 2 -
'Fortress Europe' - 67Km (42 Miles)
Near Caen we visit Pegasus Bridge and its museum, followed by a‘green-lane’ drive to Arromanches. Situated on the Normandy coast, famous for the D-Day landings, Arromanches is not only perfectly located to visit other battlefield sites of Normandy but is home to a fascinating museum and impressive 360 degree, 9 screen cinema, showing wartime footage. A visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer will also form part of the day’s route. An early finish; a rare event !A BBQ for the entire rally is planned for 1830hrs and is being organised by the campsite.
Overnight - Arromanches

Monday 18th June 2012 - Day 3 -
'Moving Inland' - 305km (190 Miles)
To St-Marie du Pont, Utah Beach then St. Mere Eglise – the first town liberated by allied forces. Then on to Carentan, the Norman town that was one of the Allies’ earliest objectives. In the afternoon we head to an off-road centre and return, via places of WWII historical significance, to the coastal area early evening.
Overnight - Arromanches

Tuesday 19th June 2012 - Day 4 -
'WW1' – 498Km (310 Miles)
To Ypres in Belgium via the Somme; the Western Front – with its many WW1 cemeteries and memorials. We will attend the Menin Gate in Ypres at 2000hrs to hear the Last Post being played and pay our respect for the fallen of the First World War.
Overnight - Ypres

Wednesday 20th June 2012 - Day 5 –
'Remember September' – 391km (243 Miles)
We start the day touring some of the WW1 sites around Ypres. Then to the Belgian/Dutch border; and the first part of “Hell’s Highway,” the route followed by the British XXX Corps as it attempted to reach its embattled 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem.
Overnight - Arnhem

Thursday 21st June 2012 - Day 6 -
'Operation Market Garden' – 215Km (134 Miles)
We will visit the Airborne Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Oosterbeek to pay homage to those who fought in Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation of the war. After crossing ‘A Bridge Too Far’, a 4x4 scenario is planned for the afternoon routing back along Hell’s Highway and‘The Island’.
Overnight - Arnhem

Friday 22nd June 2012 – Day 7
'The Battle of the Bulge' - 391Km (243 Miles)
Onwards towards Belgium, then a scenic run through the Ardennes to our destination: Bastogne, the site of an epic eight-day stand against the Germans in December 1944.
Overnight - Bastogne

Saturday 23rd June 2012 - Day 8 -
'The Bois Jacques and Beyond' – 240Km (149 Miles)
The day involves a circuitous but historic loop around Bastogne and includes a visit to the La Roche museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge. Late in the day you will pass Bois Jacques and Easy Company’s foxholes overlooking the village of Foy.
We conclude our WWII tour of the Bulge.
Overnight – Bastogne

Sunday 24th June 2012 - Day 9 –
'The Last Patrol' – 423Km (263 Miles)
From Bastogne we head south into Alsace, France; an area famed for its wine and Maginot Line fortifications. After that, the journey passes through Haguenau, the site of some of Easy Company’s final battles and several daring patrols thence into Germany and the beautiful scenery of the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest).
Overnight - Calw-Altburg in the Black Forest

Monday 25th June 2012 - Day 10 –
A rest day in the Black Forest
Overnight - Calw-Altburg in the Black Forest

Tuesday 26th June 2012 - Day 11 -
'The Atrocity of War'' – 452Km (281 Miles)
We move on from the Black Forest. On April 29, 1945, as they advanced towards the Bavarian Alps, the allies liberated a satellite of the Dachau concentration camp at Landsberg. We will visit Dachau, site of some of the most nefarious acts against humankind during the war. Our goal approaches as we travel south-east through Bavaria routing along the vistas of the Alpenstrasse and arrive at our destination – Berchtesgaden.
Overnight - Berchtesgaden

Wednesday 27th June 2012 - Day 12 –
'The Eagle's Nest' - 15.6Km (9.7 Miles)
Our final motoring day of the rally ends at Adolf Hitler’s Alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden, where (weather permitting) we will visit the Eagle’s Nest and the remains of the vast Nazi Party complex liberated by American Forces in May 1945. The afternoon is free. Evening: 1800hrs for 1830hrs; Meal, prize giving.
Overnight – Berchtesgaden

For more information please visit the Help for Help 4x4 European Rally website: www.h4hrally.co.uk
To make a donation please visit: http://www.bmycharity.com/H4H4X4Rally2012