by Cherry Wilson cherry.wilson@essnmedia.co.uk

For ex-serviceman Bill Allan, riding from Croydon to Iraq on a 15-year-old motorcycle is a small task compared to risking your life for your country.

The 53-year-old from Selsdon has experienced first hand the difficulties of adjusting to life outside of the army, after serving as a soldier for nearly 15 years.

Bill lives by the motto "once a soldier, always a soldier" and is preparing to take on a mammoth fundraising task to show his appreciation for his comrades.

He will be travelling more than 6,000 miles from Selsdon to the Iraq border on his 1995 Yamaha TDM 850 motorcycle to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund, which recently became ABF The Soldiers' Charity.

By completing his epic adventure, he hopes to move closer towards his target of raising £50,000 for the charity, which supports serving soldiers and veterans.

"Servicemen and women have given us the right and freedom to do as we want," said Bill.

"We have a country with people who volunteer to put their life on the line for those who can't.

"When I joined the forces I lived with the guys, I ate with them and we slept in the same room.

"You trust them to protect your life. It's a different kind of friendship.

"If I could still be in the army at my age I would be – once a soldier, always a soldier. I've always kept that in my heart.

"I'm doing it for the guys who fought in Iraq, the Falklands and those who are still in Afghanistan."

Bill, who now works in sales for the AA membership, was in the marines for nearly ten years before he joined the army in the 1980s.

The dad-of-two came up with the fundraising challenge after watching a TV programme that highlighted the plight of ex-servicemen who were homeless after returning from war.

His mammoth journey kicks off on May 29 and will take him through 13 countries, including Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria, in just 21 days.

Bill aims to complete 350 miles a day on his motorcycle and will be sleeping in roadside camp sites along the way.

He chose to ride to Iraq because many UK troops lost their lives in the country and he wants to visit the war cemeteries in places like France to lay a poppy wreath in remembrance.

"I can't wait to get started," he said. "It's an adventure. You've got to grab these things and run with them. I won't stop until I reach my fundraising target.

"At the end of the day, young men and women are putting their lives on the line every day. I want to give something back – to say thanks for what they're doing."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Bill is asked to visit www.justgiving.com/Express-Insurance-Bill-Allan