ABOUT US

 John's diverse background in the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service has undoubtedly influenced his adventurous spirit and love for the outdoors. His extensive training in mountain and arctic warfare, combat diving, skydiving, tracking, and sniper skills has equipped him with a unique set of abilities to thrive in challenging environments.

Living in the French Alps has provided John with ample opportunities to pursue his outdoor passions. His love for telemark skiing, climbing, and mountaineering has taken him to numerous peaks throughout Europe, where he has showcased his skills and competed in local telemark competitions.

Even after leaving the military, John remains committed to maintaining his physical fitness and endurance. Owning and coaching two CrossFit gyms in Geneva and Chamonix has allowed him to stay in peak condition while also pushing his limits in various sporting events.

During his spare time in Sweden, John continues to seek out new adventures. Whether it's exploring local lakes by canoe, practising jujitsu and Muay Thai, hiking in the Italian Dolomites, embarking on expeditions, or telemark skiing during the winter months, he consistently pushes himself to new heights and embraces the challenges of outdoor exploration.

An avid outdoorsman from a young age, Matt was born and raised on the rugged west coast of Scotland. His early years were spent exploring the same wild landscapes used by Independant Commando Companies and the SAS during WW2 trained. From the mountains of Arran to remote coastal islands and the untamed moorlands of Ayrshire. 

That passion for challenge and discovery led Matt to join the British Army in June 1994, beginning a 23 year career defined by endurance, adaptability, and exploration. Matt successfully completed Airborne Parachute Selection, Army Commando Selection, during this time, he also qualified as a Survival, Escape and Evasion and Ski Instructor.

His expertise grew further during six years of training in Norway with the Royal Marines, developing advanced Arctic Survival and Ski Touring skills. Over the years, he completed two six-month tours in Bosnia, followed by deployments to Macedonia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and two six-month tours in Afghanistan.

Today, he holds over 30 years of global experience in adventure leadership, survival instruction, and expedition planning from deserts and jungles to the frozen north.

 Having met some of the original Op Gunnerside heroes Matt formed SOE Expeditions upon leaving the militray. He continues to connect people to history, wilderness, and the spirit of adventure walking in the footsteps of legends while inspiring others to discover their own resilience.

 Jonnie is a qualified International Mountain Leader and experienced expedition guide. After serving eight years with the Royal Marines Commandos, he transitioned his operational experience, leadership skills and passion for the outdoors into a career guiding in some of Europe’s most challenging mountain environments.

During his time in the Royal Marines, Jonnie demonstrated a high degree of professionalism, resilience and teamwork. His military training included cold weather warfare in Norway, parachute training, survival instruction and escape and evasion techniques skills that now translate directly into his work as a mountain guide and expedition leader.

As an instructor and guide with SOE Expeditions, Jonnie leads groups through the historic landscapes where WWII Special Operations unfolded. Guiding expeditions in both Norway and the Pyrenees, helping participants retrace the routes taken by Allied Commandos, resistance fighters and escape networks during the war. 

His experience of operating in remote environments, combined with a deep respect for the history of these missions, brings an authentic perspective to these journeys.

Jonnie continues to develop his expertise in the mountains, guiding on historic escape routes across the Pyrenees while studying the local history through native French speakers and visiting the sites and museums that commemorate the sacrifices made there during the Second World War.

Our American cousin Mitch is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier with a lifelong appreciation for the mind’s ability to motivate the body to accomplish the impossible. During his military service, he trained in winter, mountain, and desert warfare, waterborne operations, and unconventional warfare.

Mitch was one of the first Americans to take up the sport of adventure racing in the 1990s, and has competed in and finished the Raid Gauloises in Argentina, as well as the Eco-Challenge in Utah, British Columbia, and Australia. He was the lead instructor at the Eco-Challenge Adventure School in Malibu, California, and operated his own corporate adventure team building program in San Diego, California and Aspen, Colorado.

Honouring the veterans and history of WWII special operations is very important to Mitch. He is an astute student of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and has counted American Jedburghs as his friends and “Army buddies.” It is only fitting that we have recruited him to serve as our American Ambassador for SOE Expeditions.

 Stein, a native of Trøndelag in the heart of Norway, has always been captivated by the outdoors, drawn to its ever-changing beauty throughout the seasons. While most of his adult life unfolded in the southern and eastern regions of Norway, his passion for winter, snow, and skiing remained unwavering. 

From his childhood, he actively engaged in cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and telemark skiing, finding joy and fulfilment in the exhilarating winter activities.

Beyond his love for the natural world, Stein is deeply committed to the history of World War II, particularly the individuals who made a significant impact in the fight for their country. His interests range from well-known figures in Kompani Linge to the lesser-known heroes whose contributions played a vital role in Norway's wartime struggles. 

Stein's dedication extends to researching routes and tracks of historical events, with a special focus on World War II stories. His guiding motto, "We must never forget," underscores the importance of passing on historical knowledge to the younger generations.

A trained physical education teacher, Stein has continuously sought to push his own physical limits. His background in the Norwegian Army, where he served in a Field Artillery battery, and subsequent education as an Intelligent Officer in the Norwegian Home Guard over the past 25 years, has provided him with invaluable experience in planning operations.

 This diverse background, combined with his passion for outdoor life and civilian education, has equipped Stein with skills and experiences in survival training, both in summer and winter conditions.

Driven by his unwavering enthusiasm for preserving and sharing the rich history of his homeland Stein is passionate about exploring the historic events on Norwegian soil.

 Jana Raila Hlavsová is a writer, historian and storyteller born in Most, Northwest Bohemia. She spent a decade as Warden and Lecturer at the National Memorial for the Heroes of Heydrich's Terror, the very site where seven Czech and Slovak paratroopers made their last stand. 

She now works at the Vítkov National Memorial, Prague, continuing her mission to keep these stories alive.

Jana is author of Diaries from the Crypt, chronicling the final days of the paratroopers after the Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, and has published studies on the architectural history of St. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Resslova Street—the battleground where those seven men fought to the last bullet on 18 June 1942.

She specialises in the Heydrich assassination, Czech resistance during the terror that followed, and the siege of the cathedral crypt that ended Operation Anthropoid. 

For SOE Expeditions, she brings unmatched access to the human stories behind the mission: the paratroopers' training, their insertion by SOE, the betrayal that led to their discovery, and the defiance of the last stand.

Ross Cable has pursued a lifelong interest in military history. He spent 26 years in the Australian Regular Army, then Reserve and moved to Europe after ‘retirement.’ Ross’ final role in the Army was as the staff officer in charge of military staff rides. 

Tours in that role included: Okinawa, Papua New Guinea, Borneo and Malaysia / Singapore. Ross also co-authored a battlefield guidebook for the Malayan Campaign with WO2 Paul Knapp, RAR.  Ross’s operational service was limited to UN observer duties in Syria and Lebanon. 

This allowed extensive historical travel throughout these countries and to Israel. He has also visited and reconnoitred battlefields across the Asia-Pacific, Russia, Eastern and Western Europe and the US Civil War.  

Ross is an Academy Graduate (ADFA) with a honours degree in history. His thesis on the command of the 1st Australian Task Force in Vietnam was published in 2000.  

Commando Historian at SOE Expeditions Ed Wilson. Ed brings a wealth of experience from his distinguished career as a former Commando and International Expedition Leader.

Ed Wilson brings a wealth of experience and deep expertise in Commando history to our team. Serving in the Royal Marines from 1980 to 2004, Ed was part of several distinguished units, including 42 Commando and Commachio Group. 

He currently holds leadership roles as Chairman of the Highland Branch RMA and Vice Chairman of the Scotland & Northern Ireland Region RMA, and is an active member of the Commando Association.

Ed is also the founder of The Scott Sutherland Project & Trail and The International Commando Heritage Trust & Trail, demonstrating his commitment to preserving and honouring Commando history. 

As a member of the Royal Marines Historical Society and an approved Achnacarry CBTC Tour Guide, his extensive knowledge and passion in this field are unmatched.

 Paul Macdonald is dedicated to researching and reviving the original close-combat techniques and disciplines taught to Allied Commandos and Special Forces during the Second World War. 

His work focuses particularly on the combative systems developed for the British Commandos and agents of the Special Operations Executive, where silent killing techniques, knife fighting and close-quarter combat formed an essential part of clandestine warfare training.

Paul is also widely recognised for crafting the iconic Fairbairn–Sykes Fighting Knife, the legendary dagger carried by Commandos, airborne forces and SOE operatives during the war. 

His work honours the legacy of the original designers, William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, whose close-combat system became the foundation of modern special forces combatives.

Through workshops, demonstrations and lectures, Paul brings to life the fighting methods, weapons and mindset of wartime Special Operations. 

His presentations explore the development of commando knife fighting, the role of the FS knife in clandestine warfare, and the brutal realities of close combat during the Second World War.

Today Paul continues to share his expertise through historical interpretation, specialist training and collaboration with organisations such as SOE Expeditions, helping bring the history of wartime special operations and commando combat training vividly to life.