Shropshire Soldier takes on Arctic adventure with Finnish forces
A Shrewsbury soldier is swapping the West Midlands for the icy extremes of Finland as he takes part in a demanding winter training exercise with the Finnish Army.
Rifleman James Whittingham, 30, has joined Finland’s Kainuu Brigade for Exercise Northern Axe, one of the first major training operations since Finland became a NATO member in 2023.
Set in the snow-covered Vuosanka training area, just 30 miles from the Russian border, the exercise is pushing James and his comrades from 3 Rifles C-Company to their limits.
Alongside 3,000 personnel, James is sharpening his skills in live firing attacks, defensive tactics, and Arctic survival, all while enduring temperatures that can plunge to a staggering -40°C.
Speaking about the experience, James said: “The Finnish are well prepared and professional, I think. The training areas are in very good form for what they need to train in, in case of a wartime situation.
“We’ve had a lot of interaction with them and enjoy the conversations – we’ve even been trading patches [Shoulder Sleeve Insignias] with them.”
The exercise is designed to prepare soldiers for the challenges of Arctic warfare, ensuring they are ready to operate in some of the world’s harshest conditions.
For James, the freezing temperatures have been a stark contrast to his recent deployments.
“I’ve just done Kenya and Morocco, so it’s a bit of a contrast going from that climate to this. In the hot, you can’t cool yourself down, and in the cold, you can’t heat yourself up – so it’s very different,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, James is embracing the opportunity to learn from his Finnish counterparts.
“The Finns have also helped us with our skiing skills. Being based in the UK, we don’t often get the chance to enhance our skills in this area, so they’ve been giving us some pointers as they are the professionals when it comes to cold weather capability,” he said.
James also reflected on the physical demands of the exercise: “Being on exercise is good – it’s challenging and cold. It’s about -2°C here, but we just did some training further north where it was -28°C, so we’re a bit used to it now.
We have a bit of extra kit to help us acclimatise in cold conditions, so it’s challenging, but good.”
Major Henry Wootton, James’ Company Commander, underlined how vital this training is.
He said: “We’re out here in Finland cooperating with our newest NATO partners in order to show solidarity against potential threats.
“This is important because we have lots to learn from each other. We learn how to manage the cold weather, bring in new skills and capabilities, and develop our overall operational capacity.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to work with a new nation.”
James, part of a 50-strong team from 3 Rifles, is expected to complete his winterisation training by mid-December before returning to the UK.
This unique experience is not only equipping James with specialist Arctic warfare skills but also strengthening ties with NATO’s newest member, highlighting the value of international collaboration in tackling global challenges.
