AN RAF pilot has signed up to take part in a bike ride to honour those who fought in the Battle of Britain.

Flt Lt Andrew McMaster will ride from Paris to London to commemorate the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots who took on the German Luftwaffe in the skies during the Second World War.

A survey commissioned by the RAF Benevolent Fund revealed 40 per cent of 1,000 people questioned did not know what the Battle of Britain was, with seven per cent of Londoners thinking it applied to the recent General Election.

This prompted the 31-year-old to sign up for the Battle of Britain Paris to London Brompton bike ride in September to mark the battle’s 75th anniversary.

The helicopter pilot, who lives in Bicester and is based at RAF Benson, near Wallingford, has completed tours of Afghanistan, Kenya and Northern Ireland during his 10-year career.

He said: “I had been looking for a way to memorialise the 75th anniversary.

“The chance to ride across the same landscape that the Battle of Britain was fought over and to share that with 74 colleagues, while also supporting the RAF Benevolent Fund, was an unmissable opportunity.”

It is hoped 75 riders will take part in the ride with each looking to raise £1,000 to support the Fund’s work in providing emotional, practical and financial support to RAF servicemen and women and their families.

The cyclists will tackle the 240-mile course over four days on Brompton bikes – the iconic folding bicycle which was created in 1976.

Flt Lt McMaster is part of 33 Squadron, which fought in Greece and Crete during the Second World War.

The married pilot has started to find out more about the men who fought in the skies.

He added: “I just wanted to add some motivation for myself. Finding a particular person or event will put the villages and fields that I will be riding through into context.

“It gives me something to focus on when the riding gets tough. I have found more of a connection than I thought I would.”

There were nearly 3,000 aircrew who fought in the Battle of Britain from more than 70 squadrons. The cost of the battle was high – 544 lost their lives and a further 814 died before the end of the Second World War.

Flt Lt McMaster added: “As I have learnt more about the characters and personal lives of the Battle of Britain pilots I’ve found I, and my fellow squadron mates, are more and more relatable to them.

“There is a unique humour, confidence and personality type that it takes to be a military aviator. That is as true today as it was in 1940.”

Mike Neville, RAF Benevolent Fund director of fundraising, said: “It is rather fitting that an icon of British design such as the Brompton bike should be involved in our commemoration. It would be incredible if the riders raised £75,000 to help fund the work which the fund does to help the RAF community.”

Todonate, see justgiving.com/Andrew-McMaster