No. 3 RAF Police Reserves Exercise Winter March 23

An RAF Police reservist from No 3 RAF Police (Reserve)

Squadron recently joined thirty-four other reserves from around the UK, on Exercise Winter March ’23 in Norway.

Winter March is a long-standing joint exercise between the UK and the Norwegian Officers Reserve Association, commemorating the links between the two nations and the pivotal sabotage raid on the Vemork heavy water plant at Rjukan in 1943 – dramatised in the film, The Heroes of Telemark.

The days consisted of a mix of theory lessons on managing the cold environment and key aspects of operating in the extreme environments and skiing – with all levels catered for in various groups based on experience. They were physically demanding and long days, with fitness, determination, and an ability to fall over in style key to success.

The Norwegian instructors, all reservists, were true specialists in their fields; from a consultant trauma and pre-hospital care surgeon and the NATO lead for hypothermia, to a survival expert used to working with and training special forces from all over the world. “It was an honour to have them give up their time for us and their willingness to impart their knowledge and experience, with the passion and commitment they did”.

A mix of weather was experienced from glorious blue skies and sunshine to full blown snowstorms but that made the achievements and experiences all the more indelible.

The group managed to ski up to one of the mountain huts in the Hardangervidda region used by the saboteurs and pushed on to a memorial stone on the high plateau to acknowledge some of the fallen following the raid. They built snow shelters, fires and learnt to survive in that environment, and were rewarded with a stunning show of the www.gordons.school

Northern Lights in the evening. Naturally, as is the way, there is always a bit of competition with a little ski race on the morning of last day for the UK detachment and Norwegians, with Cpl Susca being the first Brit back over the line, having narrowly lost out to the winning Norwegian.

On the afternoon of last day following a significant snowstorm, the group were treated, on behalf of the Norwegian hosts, to visit the Vemork plant and museum, to hear the true story of the Heroes of Telemark, which was “a truly humbling experience with our Norwegian colleagues who hold those heroic acts by the saboteurs with huge national pride”.

“Ex. Winter March has been a truly humbling and incredible experience and I would highly recommend anyone attend. It has been filled with learning, development, challenges, reflection, and a lot of fun”.

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