'WAGS' are more accustomed to strolling the nation's shopping districts in high heels rather than tearing across muddy Dartmoor in trainers.

But trekking over moorland is exactly what a group of Royal Marine wives and girlfriends (WAGS) will be doing in October, in memory of a Plymouth-based serviceman who died last month.

The Royal Marine WAGS Team Essence group is planning to take part in the gruelling seven-mile Commando Challenge in aid of the Help for Heroes charity.

During the feat all 23 team members – including Royal Marine wives, girlfriends, fiances, and a ex-girlfriends from across Plymouth and the rest of the country – will wear the name of Marine Jamie Hutton from Bickleigh-based 42 Commando on their running tops.

Mne Hutton died last month in Dorset on a military training exercise in preparation for his forthcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Eighteen-year-old Gen Odoni, from South Brent – who is engaged to Shaun Vaughey, a 42 Cdo marine who served in the same company as Mne Hutton, said: "Last year a few of us did the three-mile challenge and we really enjoyed it.

"We had all talked about doing the seven-mile challenge, and as we talked to more WAGS on facebook more and more wanted to join in.

"Running in memory of Jamie just seemed to be an appropriate thing to do. We just want to do it to make our partners proud and ultimately we want to support our lads."

Gen, a former Totnes schoolgirl, added: "It has changed my life completely being with somebody in the armed forces.

"Just recently we have had to get personal accident insurance and life insurance and write Shaun's will. It's an unspeakable thing to have to do."

Charlotte Herd Smith, an ex-girlfriend of Mne Hutton, said he was the love of her life.

"I am doing this for his family, and because I love all the girls for all we've been through together," said the 23-year-old, who lives in London.

"Jamie and I were together for about a year and-a-half. He was the love of my life.

"We split in September last year, but we were still very close. He was just amazing.

"Jamie used to give me a lot of stick, especially over the fact that the girls ran in the last challenge and I decided not too.

"I want to prove to Jamie that I can do it. His father (Brigadier Jim Hutton) used to say I was too precious to get muddy, so I'll prove something to him too.

"It will be tough, but an awful lot of fun."

The girls will also run in memory of Trooper Robert Pearson of the Queens Royal Lancers, who died in Afghanistan in April.

The team originally planned to raise £2,000 for the Help for Heroes charity which supports servicemen injured in conflict.

But within weeks of setting up a fundraising webpage, the team has already raised £1,400.

On the fundraising website the team states: "The Commando Challenge is a particularly special event for us to take part in because it is essentially what brought us together in the first place; our other halves and the Royal Marines.

"We love our men, and want to make them proud of us, but at the same time, we want to show how proud we are of them and what they do.

"The British Armed Forces are some of the best in the world; we have the utmost respect for them all, and know that they deserve better.

"This is why we are taking part in the challenge together and raising money for the Help for Heroes charity."

The Royal Marine Commando Challenge is the civilian fundraising version of the Royal Marines Endurance Course – one of the four punishing Commando tests each recruit must endure to complete their training.

It has been recognised internationally as part of one of the toughest military training regimes in the world, and was recently featured on Gordon Ramsay's The F Word.

If you want to sponsor Team Essence visit www.justgiving.com/team_essence.