Veterans follow Heroes of Telemark trek for charity

Former marine Jay Hogg, 52, was part of the 12-man team who followed in the tracks of the Heroes of Telemark of the raid by commandos, in order to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.

Heros of Telemark Expedition (Image: Jay Hogg)

The Heroes of Telemark is a 1965 British war film directed by Anthony Mann based on the true story of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage during the Second World War, taking place from 1940 to 1944.

Mr Hogg said: “Day one of the expedition came around and after an in-depth brief, we mounted skidoos for a 90-minute trip to the Op Grouse parachute drop the original Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents landed on. Unloading pulks, which are large sledges with around 70kg of equipment on them, and shaking out our equipment including skis, we started our ski at around 12.30pm in the wind and heavy snow.

Heros of Telemark Expedition - dragging a pulk (Image: Jay Hogg)

“During the following few days, temperatures plummeted to -21. The snow across one of the Fjords was very deep making breaking trails and pulling the lead pulk very laborious, I had to remind myself to look up and take in the view.”

He explained that whenever they ‘came into the sun’ it was ‘always a gift.’

Heros of Telemark Expedition - Cold dip (Image: Jay Hogg)

The veteran moved to Weymouth while in the Marines in 1998, then going to work as a fireman and eventually moving over to the Navy as an EOD clearance diver and now a commercial diver, as well as working in bomb disposal.

At the end of the trek, they also met with a French TV company who were making a documentary re-enactment on Second World War commando raids.

Mr Hogg, who has done some work as an extra in films before said: “We completed our 100km ski, but the journey wasn’t over, we went straight to the hotel and into briefing for filming Op Muskertoon raid with Galaxy Press a French film company making a four-part documentary of different SOE raids over the war.

Filming (Image: Jay Hogg)

 “Dressing up as WW2 Commandos was cool, guns toggle rope and commando knives, but what wasn’t cool was shooting retakes, standing in the cold in WW2 boots and working long hours.

“But having the right people on set to laugh, sing, joke and dance around was priceless. I think the French thought we were nuts. I would I do it all again though.”

At the time of writing, the team have raised £2,120 of a £5,000 target for the Royal British Legion and you can donate to their fundraiser here: https://trib.al/b07v7H7.