Get set Doha

AIR FORCE athletes put in an early shift at the Doha marathon to beat the searing midday 40°C Gulf heat.

The team of runners with 83 Expeditionary Air Group joined more than 8,000 other competitors on the start line at 6.30am for the annual endurance event.

One said: “Working shifts has made it difficult to form any sort of routine with my training, so I’ve been running at all sorts of weird and wonderful times so this was no problem.” l See sport, p27.

Sub-zero hero

LOSSIEMOUTH POSEIDON crews have joined Nato antisubmarine training missions in the North Atlantic.

CXX Sqn personnel on board ZP804, christened Spirit of Reykjavik, are operating from Keflavik air base in Iceland alongside the US Navy.

auction bid placed by an overseas buyer and is calling on the public’s support.

It hopes to raise £250,000 in donations with the rest coming from its own funds and a potential grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Museum Historian and Head of Collections Dr Harry Raffal said: “This unique medal is part of our nation’s heritage, and a significant element to a decisive moment in British history.

“There is an imminent risk of it leaving the UK, but we’re hopeful that with public support we can prevent this from happening, and for the medal to remain on our shores. If we’re successful, the medal will be displayed at the Museum, in the heart of our collection, helping us to share the stories of all those RAF personnel who fought, lived and died in the conflict.” l To support the campaign, go to gofundme.com/f/save-the-scarfvc

Turtle recall

TURTLES ARE returning to the seas around military sites in Cyprus in record numbers thanks to a Defence and civilian conservation programme.

More than 170 loggerhead and green turtle nests were recorded in the coastal waters around Akrotiri, Episkopi and Dhekelia.

The surge in numbers follows a conservation programme to help protect the environment by reporting damage and illegal activity near the breeding sites.