Greater Manchester soldier training just 70 miles from Russian border in -30C conditions

Kingsman Jayden Warburton, a soldier from Leigh in Wigan, recently marked his 20th birthday in rural Estonia while training in sub-zero conditions. His regiment, the Duke of Lancaster’s, has been in the area, just 70 miles from the Russian border, for five weeks, with daytime temperatures hovering around minus 30 at night. Despite the chilly weather, Warburton sees it as a valuable training opportunity, admitting that being back home for his birthday would’ve been nice but noting that the freezing temperatures aren’t as bad as expected. Major Joshua McWilliam emphasised the importance of adapting to these conditions, as soldiers in the UK don’t usually train in such cold. Platoon Commander Freddie Dunn added that the extreme temperatures have ranged from minus 23 to minus two, and the training includes a course on surviving in freezing conditions, ending with an ice plunge that was quite a shock. Overall, it’s a tough but beneficial experience for the troops from the north west.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News