During the Winter War, he fought battles at Lake Ladoga. His courage was noticed by his commanders. At the end of the war, he received officer training. Then he was commissioned a Vänrikki (2nd lieutenant) in the reserves. After the Winter War, in June 1941, Törni went to Vienna, Austria. In Vienna, he received 7 weeks of training with the Waffen SS. Then he returned to Finland in July. Because he was a Finnish officer, he was recognized as a German Untersturmfuhrer.