24 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2010
● Marines, sailors and soldiers from the Commando Logistic
Regiment head into the hills of the training area
● Ski-borne and gun-bearing, the fi ght phase of the Cold Weather
Warfare Course for the men of the UK Landing Force Command
Support Group
T
HERE’S a Tugg cartoon “You pay a hard price for a buddy-buddy system, watching a local Sami tribesman on how sk
which features two cheery
mistake up here.” over each other for the telltale to slaughter a reindeer, which he
matelots basking in the
signs of cold weather injuries like included a chance to drink its still aw
sun being bathed in a storm of
T
HIS Lupus stint saw the
recently set-up Logistic Task
frostbite and hypothermia. warm blood.” co
invective from a Royal Marine.
Group of CLR head north – this
But Lt Pearson admitted: “Once Although the finale is without
doubt a scene to be envied: “To
One Jack turns to the other
team is made up of some 100
we were inside the tent though, re
life was actually quite pleasant top it all off that night, the natural le
and says: “What’samatter wiv
people all ready to deploy in less
when scran and hot wets had phenomenon of the Northern d
‘im!?” The reply: “You know
than five days to provide second-
line support to smaller operations
been put on and the cookers had Lights danced in the sky overhead m
what they’re like... It’s becos
worldwide.
warmed up the tents.” to congratulate us on passing the th
‘e’s not up in Norway buried
Lt Bobby Pearson, the
After days of yomping and nights Cold Weather Survival Course.”
under ten feet of snow.” Regimental Education Officer,
of camping, the Logistic Task
And it is indeed the season brought a fresh approach to the
Group (LTG) team encountered
F
ROM survival the training
le
moved into its second warrior
jo
of Royal Marines up to their cold but not overly snowy land
the final phase of the course –
phase – the Cold Weather Warfare
necks in Norwegian snow, plus of Norway – unfortunately just a
basic survival skills.
Course (CWWC)...
ha
assorted others connected with few days before their arrival at
Stripped of everything but the
In Lt Pearson’s words: “The aim
w
3 Commando Brigade who have Harstad on RFA Largs Bay the
clothes they stood up in, they set
of cold weather training is to exist,
a
ventured into the green berets’ weather thawed, it rained, and the
to with a will to build shelters from
move and fight.”
su
frozen area of expertise. snow was washed away...
nearby trees and wood.
Movement did rely on some
d
Exercise Lupus II has drawn “The first step for most of us
Lt Pearson picks up the story:
usage of those well-known
into the Arctic Circle the green was to complete a Cold Weather
“For our hard work we were
‘Pusser’s planks’ and the logistics
m
berets of 45 Commando for their Survival Course, which is the
presented with a live chicken,
team headed further north to
th
harsh winter training along with minimum qualification for anyone
and Sgt ‘Bertie’ Basset rolled up
Bardufoss to a civilian ski slope.
en
personnel from 29 Commando to operate safetly in the harsh and
his sleeves and demonstrated
“On arrival we erected our
h
Royal Artillery, 24 Commando unforgiving arctic environment.
how to kill the chicken humanely,
salubrious accommodation ten
Engineering Regiment, 539 “Although there was little snow, then use every piece in a survival metres from the piste, allowing fr
Assault Squadron RM, the the damp and cold conditions situation. us to literally ski in and out of our eq
Command Support Group and the made the course even more “Even at minus 20˚, as the self-catered abode – something –
Commando Logistic Regiment challenging.” temperature dropped following you would pay a fortune for in ad
(CLR). Mountain Leader Sgt Law made the sun, with a roaring fire and a Chamonix or Courchavel.
45 Commando’s Commanding sure his charges were put through freshly stewed chicken, the inside “The next three days was mostly eq
Officer Lt Col Oliver Lee summed their paces to get the most from of the brushwood shelter was spent on our behinds – although sk
up the value of this exercise in their training. relatively cosy.” not through choice – as we tried st
extreme cold weather skills: “The His words were obviously taken Some may not consider the next to master the snowplough stop, w
biggest challenge for the men to heart, with the first night in the event as lucky as Lt Pearson... the side step, herring boning and ha
here is coping with what are very field in ten-man tents seeing the “We were also fortunate enough snowplough turns.” P
demanding conditions. CLR team pull together with the to witness a demonstration from The team spent three days on the
● Section attack and contact drills on the Cold Weather Warfare
Course for the UK Command Support Group
● The men of 539 Assault Squadron are grilled on name, rank and number amid icebreaking drills ● And 539 ASRM shift from boats and landing craft to pusser’s planks
Photographs: PO(Phot) Dave Husbands
0024-025_NN_mar10.indd 124-025_NN_mar10.indd 1 119/2/10 17:13:269/2/10 17:13:26
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