In memory of the thirty-two young Dutchmen who tried to escape from Holland to England by kayak during World War II to join the allied forces, Olly Hicks joined a team of three other young Suffolk men to re-create the journey. Of those who attempted this crossing during the war only eight survived the voyage to reach the English coast, and only three survived the war.

Throughout World War II young Dutchmen embarked on perilous journeys from the Netherlands to England in the hope to escape their Nazi occupiers and to fight for the allied forces. It is estimated that more than 1,700 men attempted this journey, many through occupied Belgium, France and Spain, and others across the Pyrenees.

A handful attempted the direct crossing of the North Sea, from the coast of the Netherlands, to landfall on the East Coast of England. In the Summer of 2009, an isolated monument was erected on the beach at Sizewell to
mark the bravery of these men, and the overwhelming determination to fight against the occupation of Holland.

Olly joined a team of 4 Suffolk men, with Alec Greenwell, Ed Cooper and Harry Franks. The team planned  to kayak the same route taken by the Engelandvaarders 70 years earlier. The route they followed was that of
a pair of brothers, Henri and William Peteri, who departed from Katwijk, several miles north of The Hague, and landed on the beach at Sizewell in Suffolk 56 hours later.

The route, as the crow flies, is approximately 118 miles across open water. With the natural current and prevailing winds against the direction of travel, this makes for a physically demanding journey.

The North Sea is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with the Dover Straits alone seeing more that 400 commercial ships per day. The direct route will involve crossing four main shipping lanes, involving traffic
from Rotterdam, Zeebrugge and Harwich. It is estimated that the crossing will take approximately 40-50 hours. Kayaking in individual boats, the crossing will be non-stop.

Olly was the only one of the 4 man Suffolk team to complete the crossing, arriving on Sizewell beach 43 hours after departing from Katwijk. Olly arrived on the beach with the two Dutch marines who had joined the UK team for the gruelling journey.