Royal Marines train US Marines in Arctic survival/Norway
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Chesty was a driving force, hard hard hard man. My father knew him and greatly admired him.
Did I say Chesty was a hard man
Chesty was a driving force, hard hard hard man. My father knew him and greatly admired him.
Did I say Chesty was a hard man
I envy your father. Have you ever read Chesty's biography? MARINE! One out-take tells of him leading his men on a training hike. They hiked out about 10 to 15 miles and stopped for a field lunch (C-Rats) after the break he ordered them to take off their boots and put them in their rucks. They were supposed to put on the spare boots they had been ordered to ALWAYS carry. Many of them had left said spares back at the barracks despite the orders, to save weight. They had to march back barefooted.In the interests of balanced reporting, the BBC also have this article on their website showing US armed forces training in Alaska.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-35727383
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-35727383
Isn't that enough of this US vs Brits, my dad can beat up your dad stuff. My dad was just PBI and he served in the desert, but then again the beer was ice cold in Alex (probably)
To be honest, I haven't heard much of that on this tread. I expect that the forces involved used a spirit of competition to enhance the training; but I also suspect the purpose o sad training was mostly so that allies know what to expect of each other when they fight side by side for real.
Just what I was thinking.....Royal Marine ML's are recognised as some of, if not the best arctic warefare specialists in the world, the USMC are benefiting from their training and experience, seemingly with good humour and a fair degree of grit.
Thanks for the link, made interesting viewing
Back in the 'easier' days of the cold war part of the UK's commitment to NATO was to assist Norway in defending her northerly frontier. To that end we used to send a 'Commando' (then just 40 Cdo, 42 Cdo, 45 Cdo) reinforced with logistics and guns up to Norway every year, Exercise Cold Winter. As well as working and training with the Norgies the Dutch Marines trained and exercise alongside too. One element of the close military relationships with the Dutch and UK.
The naval part of the exercise was to force through and defend the amphibious shipping to make an unopposed landing. 'Royal' then shouldered his bergen and ski's and went for a jolly ashore. I always try to keep my kit to a minimum but am always reassured that my bergen isn't any where near the size theirs was nor as heavy! The guys went ashore and learnt/reinforced their cold weather warfare skills. I served in HMS ARK ROYAL '87 - '90, we took 42 Cdo up to Norway and brought back 45 Cdo in '89. I picked up my Blue Nose Certificate along the way for entering the Arctic Circle. 42 drank our beer on the way up and 45 slept like babies in our warm mess decks on the way back.
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The older BBC series that was mentioned, training of Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Cadre, 'Behind the Lines'.
That's avail on YouTube too.
Jules
That's avail on YouTube too.
Jules
After WW2 the Norwegian army used the British Commando training as a model to train their Marines, it has become a dual enterprise where both countries train together and learn more as a result.
This is not a marine only situation, other cadres do similar joint training (one of the best known outcomes was the 1977 hijacking of a Lufthansa flight 737 where the SAS assisted GSG9 as a result of the joint training)
British and American units often train together to mutual benefit, the only issue with the OP's video is that it is too short and it does not show how well the guys improved over the course, for some this might have been the first experience of snow let alone freezing cold.
Rob.
This is not a marine only situation, other cadres do similar joint training (one of the best known outcomes was the 1977 hijacking of a Lufthansa flight 737 where the SAS assisted GSG9 as a result of the joint training)
British and American units often train together to mutual benefit, the only issue with the OP's video is that it is too short and it does not show how well the guys improved over the course, for some this might have been the first experience of snow let alone freezing cold.
Rob.
