A MAN has driven 3,000 miles in a van to bring crucial medical supplies to Ukraine.
Historian Guy Walters, 52, from Broad Chalke, travelled through Europe for six days in a van stocked with important medical aid alongside his friend Simon Walker.
Their journey, working with the charity World Extreme Medicine, which trains medics to work in extreme situations such as earthquakes and warzones, took the pair through continental Europe, where they faced their own issues.
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Guy told the Journal: "It was pretty tough driving, there's no doubt about it. Driving through Eastern Europe is monotonous, especially in Poland, it just kept getting flatter and flatter.
"Luckily the pair of us are complete gas bags so we tapped away the whole time.
"I was very worried about the security of the van. There was the concern that something might happen to it - aid convoys are often sabotaged.
"When we got to Belgium, we faced a bit of trouble."
Travelling through Belgium, their rental van containing equipment such as hospital beds, winches, various drugs and medical gloves suddenly broke down on the motorway.
Guy said: "Never break down on a Belgian motorway. Roadside cover does not cover it. We had to call the police who arranged for us to be towed. It cost £400 and delayed us for a day and a half.
"Thankfully, Enterprise Salisbury did a great job sorting a replacement, so thank you to them."
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Once the new van was loaded up, Guy and Simon were able to complete their journey and deliver the equipment to a building in a Polish town on the Ukrainian border.
"There was lots of kit which I didn't understand, but I know it must have been helpful. When we delivered the equipment, we had a look around and briefly crossed the border to have a drink in Ukraine."
The pair crossed the border into Ukraine and purchased Ukrainian vodka, drinking it to symbolically mark the end of their journey. Guy reflected on his time in the war-torn country: "Funnily enough the rental company don't like you taking their vans into active war zones, so we had to make our way there without it.
"When we got into Ukraine it was grim. It was chilling knowing that some of the people we met might not even be alive a week later.
"It felt serious, seeing soldiers walking around with Kalashnikov [assault rifles] and full uniforms, it hit home. The whole experience was very sombre. Very moving."
Guy wanted to reiterate the significance of the work of the charity, and the fact that the war is still ongoing two years later.
He said: "It is important that the war is not forgotten about, the war is very much still going on and I would encourage anybody who can spare a few quid, or anyone who has time to drive, to help.
"There were a few moments where I thought to myself 'what the hell am I doing' but then I'd remember it was for a good cause, it was gratifying when we delivered the supplies, they were all very grateful.
"I'm proud we did it, it feels like a drop in the ocean, but all oceans need drops to fill them. I will 100 per cent do it again."
A fundraiser has been set up to help raise money for World Extreme Medicine in Ukraine. Readers can find it here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/medics4ukraine
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