207946 Sgt. Ted "Lad " Cachart Royal Air Force 49th Squadron Warrant Officer. E.B. (Ted) Cachart. Wop/Ag, 49th Squadron (Lancaster) RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire - otherwise known as 'Ted the Lad' - was UK’s youngest ever Bomber Command crew member. He managed to enlist at the age of fifteen and, by the age of 18, had been promoted to Sgt. Wop/Ag.
In January 1944, Ted and his crew, two of whom were Royal Canadian Air Force, survived a mid-air collision near Berlin, only to become prisoners of war. All crew members of the second Lancaster tragically perished.
At the age of 86, Ted Cachart is on a mission to help other WW2 veterans access lottery funding before the Heroes Return 2 programme ends in January 2012. World War II veterans, their wives, husbands, widows or widowers and, in some cases, accompanying carers are eligible to apply for lottery funding that enables them to visit the countries where they or their loved ones once served. Funds of between £150 and £5,500 are available, depending on the number of people taking part and the destination. There are still many people who are unaware of this programme. It is not just ex-Army, Air Force and Navy personnel who can apply; Merchant Navy, Auxiliary Territorial Service, Navy Wrens and, in some cases, members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force may also be eligible.
The 'Heroes Return 2' programme was first launched by The Big Lottery Fund in 2004 and has already provided over 50,000 veterans with funding, affording them to travel to places such as France, Holland, Italy, Greece, Malta, India, America, the Far East and North Africa. The scheme was extended by 12 months to allow more veterans to participate, with closing date for applications now being 31st January 2012.
Time is fast running out and Ted Cachart desperately wants to spread the word and help as many people as possible access the funds before it is too late. Having been through the successful application process himself, Ted is offering to help others do likewise. Based on his personal experience, he is offering general advice and free help with the associated form filling.
Ted Cachart knows only too well the bravery shown by the men and women who saw active service during World War II. He experienced the terrors himself, from the exceptionally young age of 15 (he 'embellished' his age in order to enlist), and is now appealing to everyone to spread the word that the 'Heroes Return 2' programme is ending in January 2012. It is hoped that many more people can benefit from this opportunity to travel and pay their final and fitting respects, revisit old battlefields and/or visit the sites where their loved ones fought.
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