They did it – and in style!

Martin Shorey and Monty Byrne – with more than 42 years of military service between them – successfully completed their continuous 24-hour stretcher walk at the weekend.

Trekking back and forth along the promenade from Sandbanks to Southbourne, carrying a HM Forces medical stretcher with a mannequin.

A total of 52.2 miles ending at 8am yesterday, Sunday August 8.

As reported on Dorset Biz News, the duo were raising money for the NHS veterans’ mental health and wellbeing service, Operation Courage.

So far £2,513 has been raised of the £3,000 target.

Donations are still welcome by clicking here.

Martin, 41, served in the Royal Navy for more than 23 years, while Monty, 36, is still in the Armed Forces.

They go under the name ‘Pop Smoke Pipes’ described as ‘two military guys on an adventure whilst smoking a pipe’.

Martin said: “We knew this was going to be a tough challenge especially when we realised the weather was not looking favourable.

“We started well and had some great support from friends joining us for parts of the walk.

“It was when we hit around midnight on Saturday that things definitely became more difficult as the wind increased and we had naturally started to fatigue with some pains starting to surface in our feet, joints and shoulders.

“With this said, two main factors had instilled in an almost unbreakable confidence that failure was not an option.

“Firstly when we launched the JustGiving page, and started to receive donations, we were extremely aware that this was people’s hard earned money and they had decided to donate to us and Op Courage.

“Secondly we both have friends from the Armed Forces currently using the NHS service and have been told first-hand what a life changing support lifeline it is.

“We are currently slightly short of our £3k target and would be over the moon if we could hit it these next few days for this amazing cause.”

• justgiving.com/fundraising/Op-Courage