'Incredible' support for fundraising D-Day trek

Jay Campbell, from Bournemouth, walked from Cherbourg to Pegasus Bridge in aid of the WithYou charity.

A man whose father and grandfather struggled with alcohol after leaving the armed forces has completed a fundraising trek across D-Day beaches in France.

Jay Campbell, from Bournemouth, Dorset, said both men died prematurely after battling with addiction and becoming homeless.

The addiction support worker said he also "went off the rails" as a teenager before entering the criminal justice system and getting help.

He marked the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings by walking 270km (168 miles) from Cherbourg to Pegasus Bridge in aid of the WithYou charity.

Mr Campbell, who finished his walk on Saturday, admitted that on the first day he had "completely underestimated" how difficult the challenge would be, because of how hard the sand and shale terrain was to walk on.

He said in the days leading up to D-Day there were an "incredible" number of people there to mark the occasion.

However in the days after the anniversary the beaches became quiet and "it was really quite moving and that was the first time I got upset".

'Help available'

Mr Campbell said: "The support I received along the walk was incredible."

He said he especially wanted to mention the team onboard HMS Cattistock, who sent messages of support and also met him at Pegasus Bridge when he finished.

They also took him on to the vessel and gave him blister plasters and a cup of tea, before taking him to a hotel for a shower and some sleep.

Mr Campbell said his grandfather, who served in the army in World War Two, ended up sleeping rough in Glasgow, and his father, a submariner who was promoted to chief petty officer, lived on the streets for the last 15 years of his life.

He said: "In the time of my grandfather, it was seen as the done thing not to show any kind of weakness and that's why he... self-medicated with alcohol. And the same with my father.

"I believe it's not weakness. You have to find a way to decompress from what you've seen."

His trek, which finished on Saturday, was also to raise awareness of the work WithYou does to support military families.

He said: "It's really important that the message continues that there is help available for anyone, not just for people who have served but for their families as well."