Hello! We are Chris, Nat, Martin and Mike, part time volunteer reservists in 611 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. We're undertaking an 86 mile cycle ride for charity on Saturday 6th September and we'd love you to sponsor us.

We're riding from Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, to our home base of RAF Woodvale, near Southport. We're riding to raise money for Veterans in Sefton CIO, which supports veterans and their families throughout Sefton and Merseyside, close to our home at RAF Woodvale. Established in 2014, Veterans in Sefton offer a huge range of services, including a mentoring and befriending service, health and wellbeing advice, financial advice, employment support, early intervention psychological support and more.

Bayston Hill is the birthplace of Eric Lock DSO, DFC & Bar, one of 611 Sqn's most decorated members. He joined the RAF in 1939 and after completing his training in 1940, was posted to No. 41 Squadron RAF in time for the Battle of Britain. Lock became the RAF's most successful Allied pilot during the battle, shooting down 21 German aircraft and sharing in the destruction of one. After the Battle of Britain, Lock joined 611 Sqn and served on the Channel Front, flying offensive sweeps over France. Lock went on to bring his overall total to 26 aerial victories, one shared destroyed and eight probable in 25 weeks of operational sorties over a one-year period, during which time he was hospitalised for six months. On 3rd August 1941, he disappeared after strafing German troops in his Supermarine Spitfire, presumably shot down by ground-fire. Lock was posted missing in action and was never seen again.

611 Squadron is a general service support squadron in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, which is part of the Royal Air Force (RAF). We provide fully trained personnel to the wider air force in a wide range of professions, including chefs, drivers, engineers and personnel support.