Retracing World War II’s
greatest survival story: History in the making
Have you ever heard of “Operartion Martin”? Well,
it was one of the many Shetland Bus Operations that took place during the war,
but it has the distinction of being the most incredible act of strength of
human will in the face of extreme circumstances - it is legendary in Norway and
was even made into a 1957 Oscar nominated film.
Picture a mission destined for Bardufoss and
sabotage, a group of Norwegian Commandos and Sailors sent into the hornets nest
under the cover of secrecy posing as fishermen. The mission goes fubar when
intel lets them down and their cover is blown, a German patrol ship arrives in
the sound and attempts to sink their boat. Abandoning ship into row boats, the
fuses on the explosives aboard are and boat scuttled - attempting to row to the
shore behind the explosion.
Picture yourself in that situation; You don't get
that far before being thrown into the Arctic ocean at 70N inside Toftefjord on Rebbenesoya, Norway and swim to shore - of 12
men on that boat only 1 manages to get away.
You can reach freedom in Sweden 245km
away, but not before;
·
You swim two arctic sounds and almost die there and then
·
Have your big toe of the right foot shot off
·
Traverse the Lyngen alps for days becoming snowblind and delirious,
frostbitten and paralysed in the legs due to the cold
·
Falling at the mercy of a local Norwegian, you must then endure weeks in a
barn and incredible pain in your feet and legs
·
Cut off from the world hidden in a hut on the opposite side of the fjord
you then must suffer cutting out the gangrene from the remaining nine toes -
using only a small knife and no anesthesia – all by yourself
·
Hidden in a cave for a month after some unsuccessful attempts to bring you
to Sweden you lie in wait
for a pair of Lapps that will take you by Reindeer to Sweden instead.
·
You spend a while in a snow dome on a plateau awaiting these men in the
open air of the Arctic plains and there you must actually amputate your toes before they kill you completely - you weigh just
35kg at this stage.
Your
name is Jan Baalsrud and you reach the safety of neutral Sweden after
your own countrymen put their lives on the line to save just one life!
How
the hell did this man endure and survive all of that?
This
is the question we will ask and answer in our seriously intimate and factual
documentary and Adventure Series delving into the deepest depths of this story
and bring it to life through modern eyes.
We will retrace history, to make history.
The
aim is to make
1. an exclusive online adventure series and
2.
a cinematic theatrical release 2.5hrs long that showcases my script in its
greatest potential.
To
finance the project, I have to fundraise, and it’s no small sum that is needed.
The funds will cover two years’ work, employing over 30 people and will retrace
this truly astounding story of survival and strength of human will in one of
our darkest periods in human history.
Selecting
20 people from a pool of applicants, the top best suited candidates will
compete over five months to earn one of ten spots on an expedition to Northern
Norway, 300+ miles inside the Arctic Circle and retrace this incredible story
as authentically as possible on foot, over 245km, after we have sailed from the
Shetland Islands on the same course taken by the original Linge Company
Operation Martin Commandos and Sailors.
Over
the five months we will train using similar methods to the 1940’s commandos and
delve deep into the mindset that makes a person ready to tackle the missions
these brave men accepted to help liberate and create the free world!
I
and my team have been building teams commercially via elite methodologies used
by the military with the last 5 years, most of us have twenty or more years in uniformed
service behind us and we are extremely dedicated and hard workers that love
nothing more than helping people reach their full potential.
In
these dark and hard times, we aim to show that there are many lessons we can
learn from this story to inspire us to create a better history for humanity.
If
you are interested in being part of the adventure or know someone that you
think this would be perfect for, spread the word! Apply! Compete! Earn!
Succeed…
