0:00:42 > 0:00:46'For seven months, they've been training for this moment -
0:00:46 > 0:00:50'a dusk departure for a 200-mile trek across cruel country
0:00:50 > 0:00:54'under conditions that would prevail behind enemy lines.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Best of luck.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10This is it, then. How important is this for them?
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Oh, very important, yeah. It is for me. I hope it goes right.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19I hope they come up to expectations. I'm sure they will.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23- What can go wrong on this? - Everything, really.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31With the weather closing in like it is now, failing to make their objectives
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and losing them.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40That's the main thing. Losing them. That's my biggest worry, it's losing them, I suppose.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42So...
0:01:47 > 0:01:52I don't know who's more nervous, them or me. Let's hope it works.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11Exercise Nordic Finale is the culmination of an ML2 Arctic training phase.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16It is designed to test the ML2 course on the following subjects:
0:02:16 > 0:02:19helicopter insertion, deep penetration patrolling,
0:02:19 > 0:02:26post-target reconnaissance, agent contact drills, communications, mountain movement and safety,
0:02:26 > 0:02:31the use of caches, agent pipeline routine, observation posts
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and limited arctic survival.
0:02:44 > 0:02:51The exercise will take place in the area from Grotli across to Dombas, south of Hjerkinn through Grimsdalen,
0:02:51 > 0:02:59down here and then carrying on down here to Lillehammer, Nordseter and Sjusjoen.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03'Total distance, about 270 kilometres.'
0:03:16 > 0:03:21The Royal Naval Sea King helicopters dump them in a place so godforsaken that it has no name,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26only a grid reference on a military map. It is 100 miles from anywhere
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and the temperature is a brisk minus 40.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33They will travel on skis in teams of four.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Each man carries almost one hundredweight of equipment.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It is more now than a mere thesis in survival.
0:04:01 > 0:04:08It is a fully operational mission in which information, all coded, is continually fed back to base.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10CRACKLY RADIO MESSAGE
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'..Alpha November Foxtrot.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'November Romeo.'
0:04:23 > 0:04:29Surreptitiously, they're shadowed by the ubiquitous and also mechanised Sergeant MacLean.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43The nearer pylon is their first objective. Interred close by under freshly fallen snow
0:04:43 > 0:04:49are their first rations for three days, but here when you've seen one pylon, you've seen them all
0:04:49 > 0:04:54and Norway has several hundred thousand. By map reference only,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57they must pin down an area of 20 square feet.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05They've done great with the weather conditions. You know what it was.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Tell us what it was.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It's 25-knot winds, temperature minus 20,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17which probably gives them minus 35-40 temperatures.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Complete whiteout conditions.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22So they've now skied 50k.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- How crucial is it that they hit these food caches? - For them, very crucial.
0:06:03 > 0:06:10If they don't hit them now, they'll have a lack of food for the next three days. That's the next one.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12So it's crucial that they hit them.
0:06:12 > 0:06:19They'll have emergency rations, but you can't live on emergency rations and ski these distances.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23'War conditions are strictly observed. A sentry is posted.'
0:06:41 > 0:06:46It seems they're trying to tell us he had blue-nosed last night.
0:06:46 > 0:06:52'Only the avalanche probes can now confirm whether they've found the correct pylon
0:06:52 > 0:06:56'across thousands of square miles of wilderness.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41'Bearing the treasure that brings a whole new meaning to frozen food,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45'they ski on to their next assignment, two full days away.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58'This task requires timing as well as navigation.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04'A rendezvous with an agent, a member of Norwegian Special Forces, on a lonely bridge.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10'They're to hand over photographs they've taken for use in future sabotage.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:17This is the agent contact point. Now what's going to happen is
0:08:17 > 0:08:23that they're going to meet an agent to give them orders for them to be put in agent pipeline.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29They've carried out their task and done all their OPs and close-target recognition.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35They'll pass on all that information to this agent. He'll then give them another location to ski to
0:08:35 > 0:08:41where they'll meet probably another agent and then go on through the pipeline for three or four days.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- To be frank, isn't that a bit James Bond-ish?- No.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50It sounds it. In actual fact, that is the way you would operate
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and we have operated that way before, for real.
0:08:54 > 0:09:01For them to operate as they are, in four-man teams, it's no good flying a helicopter in to re-supply them.
0:09:01 > 0:09:07If they will be operating this far forward, as the exercise is and they would operate anyway,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14they would have to go through a pipeline to get them out of it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24The handover is to take place at night and once again our pictures are from image intensifiers.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39The first Marines group win few marks for an unimaginative contact.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43They send a man with a rifle, conspicuously a soldier.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Cream peaches for breakfast.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49SPEAKS IN NORWEGIAN
0:10:55 > 0:11:01Half an hour later, an apparent civilian arrives, speaking excellent Norwegian.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06THEY SPEAK IN NORWEGIAN
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Cream peaches for breakfast.
0:11:19 > 0:11:26'When I saw this civilian coming towards us, he asked about the way to Lillehammer.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30'I was a little surprised. He looked like men I know from the area here.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33'I really thought he was a civilian.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38- 'He was speaking in Norwegian? - He was partly speaking in English,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42'but at last he spoke very good Norwegian, yes.'
0:11:42 > 0:11:43OK.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55'And I asked everyone in Norwegian if they had problems. They said yes, they had problems.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00'It was only two of them here. The others were seven kilometres from here.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- 'Did they say what the problems were?- A problem with the radio.
0:12:04 > 0:12:12'They had been to a telephone kiosk and made a call to get a new radio. I had a new radio for him here.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17'But he was speaking very good Norwegian, so it was no problem for me.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:22- How do you know it's for me? How...?- Yes, yes.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- 'That was a pretty good performance, wasn't it?- Yeah. It was textbook.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:47They did everything they should do and it was more or less perfect.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Were you surprised that he was in civilian clothes?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Normally I would, until I saw who it was.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- What do you mean by that? - Well, he used a lot of initiative.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04I think for an area like this, with a lot of people knocking about,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and also the problems he had earlier on in the day,
0:13:08 > 0:13:15for him to ski about in uniform, he's got to try to get hold of some civilian clothing. He did do.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21'The photographs and sketches that the departing Lt Smith has delivered to the agent
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'go back to HQ for analysis.
0:13:24 > 0:13:30'They contain explicit details of how to blow up an integral part of the Norwegian railroad system,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34'an exercise which never goes further than the theoretical stage!'
0:13:34 > 0:13:40What we discovered was along here, yards from the railway line, there was a sheer cliff
0:13:40 > 0:13:46going down to the gorge which your bridge goes over, in fact. One Section's bridge.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51And my first thought was if you could crater that there, you could block the line completely
0:13:51 > 0:13:58and they'd be stumped. We recommend that the western end is attacked. The eastern end is easier to approach
0:13:58 > 0:14:03and they've got more equipment to bear to fix the damage.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08The actual tunnel itself starts off with a concrete surround at the front.
0:14:08 > 0:14:15It's about seven metres in height, six metres wide. I've got all the dimensions. Just to give an idea.
0:14:15 > 0:14:1914 metres into the tunnel is reinforced concrete.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24It then ends abruptly. There's a recess on each side, about half a metre,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29a little over half a metre, then you've got bare rock.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Anyone laying charges would have to move at least 20 metres into it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:39Those two black dots there are the two tunnels. We put our OP in just above them, up here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:47When they actually did the CTR, they looked back from the station and could not see our position.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51I won't go in to train times. It's in the pack we handed to the agent.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Suffice to say, this gives us passenger and goods times.
0:14:55 > 0:15:03We also managed to pull a line off a friendly agent - an actual civilian train timetable,
0:15:03 > 0:15:11which, if you were going to blow the tunnel, you don't want to do it with a civilian train in the vicinity.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12OK?
0:15:14 > 0:15:18I'll now cover the CTR for Three Section on the actual junction.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22We'll show you the view in two parts.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27To orientate you, this here is the road that leads to Dombas.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31This is the footpath that we keep talking about.
0:15:31 > 0:15:38It goes up quite steep ground, up back here, and eventually joins onto the E6.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45'Ostensibly, their graduation examination is coming to a close.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51'They have 40 miles to go and all four teams have been ordered to link up for the final phase.'
0:15:51 > 0:15:54You don't need it any more, do you?
0:16:18 > 0:16:24'Their last rendezvous is with the helicopter they assume is to fly them out to warmth, a bath,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27'fillet steak, a phone call to their wives and sleep.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'One helicopter, but no marines.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46'So enthusiastic is their commanding officer John Lear to see them again, he lands before the helicopter.'
0:16:54 > 0:16:58- Aren't you annoyed that they're not here?- I'm not annoyed.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03I'm perhaps a little...a little sorry they didn't make the last 6km.
0:17:03 > 0:17:10They've skied, I would say, just under or just over 200km in the last 10 days. Good going
0:17:10 > 0:17:16for what they had to do. And they spent two days on an operation doing nothing but sitting still.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22- Do you want them really rock bottom when they come in?- No, I want them to still have the ability
0:17:22 > 0:17:28to go on and do something else, but I want them to know what their limits are.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33I believe that they will be close to their limit at the moment.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39'They do make it, an hour late, hanging on to the single acronym that will mean it's over.'
0:17:39 > 0:17:41ENDEX!
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'ENDEX - Marine-speak for "end of exercise".
0:17:44 > 0:17:49'But it's not quite that simple to qualify for this elite unit.
0:17:49 > 0:17:55'They're ordered into the helicopter for a reception and a destination they've never dreamed of.'
0:17:55 > 0:18:02We had an idea that there was something happening, so we arranged that we wouldn't go without a fight.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07So what we planned on, when we embarked on the helicopter,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11was to leave George and Jan, the big Dutch officer,
0:18:11 > 0:18:18in the last two seats, so they'd be first out. They could handle anybody who was there.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Then we'd all pile out any door we could and have a go at it.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28'At their lowest physical ebb, they've been set up for capture to test if they'll resist. They do.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:34They were all standing there. We piled out. "What's going on?" They realised we were running for it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38The ones that didn't get far enough had to stand and fight.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42That's when people started getting hurt. It escalated.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56I mean, you imagine trying to hold someone like big Jan.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01They did it, but it took six of the buggers to do it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And they were using everything.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07So, consequently, we reacted in the same way.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It becomes the law of the jungle.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Do unto others, but do the bugger first, otherwise you'll get hurt.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And we all got hurt, them and us.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27Obviously on a course, someone's got to be in charge of it, they've got to have rules,
0:19:27 > 0:19:34but what we call spirit is a way of getting back at them without breaking those rules.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39It's a way of, like, hitting back at who's hitting you.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Go for it, boys!
0:19:42 > 0:19:47'What occurred in the final 48 hours of their little odyssey was sufficiently unrelaxing
0:19:47 > 0:19:51'to become subject to the Official Secrets Act.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56'But at last, after seven and a half months, it's over.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02'The only remaining strain is the waiting to learn whether they've failed or passed.
0:20:07 > 0:20:14'If their home base in Plymouth tends to look more like Cruft's than a military establishment,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19'it's a timely reminder that Royal Marine Commandos are kindly, sentimental men
0:20:19 > 0:20:25- 'who have been pining for their mascot.'- Still as vicious as ever. Just give it...
0:20:25 > 0:20:27PARROT SQUAWKS
0:20:27 > 0:20:32- One of the best fighters in the service.- If they trained him up
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and the next course could take him, he'd be quite a benefit.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41I've seen him stalking the rabbits and screaming down from the sky.
0:20:42 > 0:20:48We'll all find out today exactly how well or how badly we've done
0:20:48 > 0:20:53and whether you've passed or not. Hopefully, everyone will have passed.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58I can't really see any reason for anyone to have failed,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02but, like we always keep saying, you never really know.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's up to them, what they decide.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10I don't think you should get this far and fail, but it does happen.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So we'll have to wait and see.
0:21:46 > 0:21:53'It's worse than waiting for your 'O' Levels. Anyone who failed is sent straight back to his unit.'
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Craig, Mills, the Sergeant Major wants you. Now.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Just shut the door, please.
0:22:13 > 0:22:19As soon as you had the results, those that failed were to come here. Why haven't you started?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Nobody said anything, sir.
0:22:21 > 0:22:28I heard Sgt MacLean say it to you this morning. Those of you who failed were to come here.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34- We haven't had the results yet, sir. I don't know nothing about it.- Oh.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38All right, my apologies. I thought you had the results.
0:22:38 > 0:22:46All right, that's your replacement underwear items. They should have come three months ago. Wait outside.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Come on, Mills.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56- There's your CPAC to go on leave. Why haven't you been here before? - No one told us anything, sir.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01I heard Sgt MacLean tell you this morning on the parade.
0:23:02 > 0:23:08- You were to come here immediately you had your result.- I don't know it, sir.- Oh. I've jumped the gun.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Go downstairs again.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15See me as soon as you come out the boss's office.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21'Corporals Craig and Mills failed, only to be immediately reinstated.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25'The Sergeant Major will have his little joke.'
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I was put up to that, you two!
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Did you twig it, did you? Or what?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35My underpants are full!
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Adrenaline is brown.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41I've got brown adrenaline running down my leg!
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- Well, see you call the Sergeant Major for that.- I will, sir.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Corporal Mills,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Corporal Clayton,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Corporal Miller, Corporal Johnson,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Corporal Dicks,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Corporal Thompson,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Corporal Prior.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19Quick march. Halt in front of the boss's desk and salute.
0:24:20 > 0:24:26Corporal Craig, stand at ease, stand easy. I've got your final course report
0:24:26 > 0:24:30after seven and a half months. I'll read it to you.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35"Lance Corporal Craig is a fit, determined, junior NCO. He always gives his best.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39"He reached an above average climbing standard.
0:24:39 > 0:24:45"As a novice in the Arctic, he found some of the skiing hard going, however his grit made him cope well.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51"A little shabby with his practical demonstrations at times, but produced an above average final one.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56"A likeable man who should be an asset to the branch."
0:24:57 > 0:25:03No need to stand at attention to shake my hand. That's it. Hang on - sign this bastard.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Sign there.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Jan just chucked him out...
0:25:20 > 0:25:26I'll read the bottom bit to you. "Matthews is the top student and will receive the Thompson trophy.
0:25:26 > 0:25:32"He approached the course with a sensible, mature attitude as expected of a senior NCO.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37"He will do well in whatsoever job he is employed, giving 100% effort.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40"He is awarded a superior pass."
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Congratulations.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52I'm looking forward to getting to a unit now and doing the job.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57It's something I've wanted to do for quite a while. I'm glad it's over.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01In Norway, you said you'd leave if you failed. Did you mean that?
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Yeah, I did. If I'd failed the course.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09I've spent the last three years trying to get a career in the Corps.
0:26:09 > 0:26:15This is the career I chose. If I'd failed this course, I'd have to start again,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19start from scratch. So I'd have got out.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22But as it is now, I'll probably sign on!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Well done.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29- Good luck. - Cheers.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31All the best.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42Lads, don't go anywhere yet. I want someone to get the key for the lecture room.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I want a final word for you before you go and have your scran.
0:26:46 > 0:26:52You've got the details for this afternoon. There's just one or two words I want to say.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Don't amble!
0:26:59 > 0:27:05We've got work out there. I was going to say let's go to the boozer. We'll make that tonight.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10When all the formalities are finished, then we'll get together.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15The boss doesn't want it to turn into a hoolie. I'm not sure if it will!
0:27:15 > 0:27:21Just so you don't disappoint him on the last thing you do. Don't anybody let me down tonight.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25You're singled out. You'll find that now wherever you go.
0:27:25 > 0:27:32Whatever course you do, you get treated that little bit better. And you're expected to be better,
0:27:32 > 0:27:37combat sigs, para course, combat survival or what have you.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42You've had a good set of classes and a good course. It's been a pleasure.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I'll see you tonight. Let's go.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Don't take them away. Can I have them back?
0:27:55 > 0:28:01- SIREN WAILS - A fanfare and a police escort for those who have made it.
0:28:01 > 0:28:08Eight months ago, 26 men set out to become members of the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre.
0:28:08 > 0:28:1113 fell off rocks or by the wayside.
0:28:11 > 0:28:1313 came through.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21They are men of style, men of a very special Special Forces unit.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24That's nice. That's good.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29I'll run through a few now. That's it.