37:
94:
76:
58:
286:. He called for specially trained troops who would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast". At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids in enemy-occupied territory, but by 1943 their role had changed and they had become lightly equipped assault infantry specialising in spearheading amphibious landings.
1129:
1357:
592:
1494:
1499:
1122:
1489:
1484:
1115:
340:
in the
Scottish Highlands, which concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations, and demolitions both by day and by night.
1514:
414:
MC, managed to reach France and eventually made his way to Spain, but was betrayed by a French double agent and handed to the
Germans. After nine months' solitary confinement in
437:
attached. After the raid a number of dead and wounded
Germans were found tied up (they had been shot while trying to escape), which resulted in the prisoners captured in the
1509:
1268:
310:
263:
1504:
1097:
1046:
985:
928:
848:
283:
1381:
890:
347:
of assault infantry to spearhead future Allied landing operations. Three units were left unbrigaded to carry out smaller-scale raids.
1074:
1023:
1004:
966:
947:
360:
153:
567:
557:
1293:
1288:
1283:
1273:
1197:
448:
In early 1943 No. 62 Commando was disbanded and its members were dispersed among other formations. A number went to the
356:
267:
157:
1386:
1376:
1371:
410:, resulted in the loss of all the men involved, including March-Phillipps. One member of the raiding party, Captain
812:
336:
and remained on their regimental rolls for pay. All volunteers went through a six-week intensive commando course at
1391:
1202:
403:
374:, was in January 1942, when March-Phillipps led the seizure of an Italian liner, a German tanker and a yacht from
1330:
652:
627:
617:
572:
517:
1314:
1212:
642:
355:
No. 62 Commando, formed in 1941, consisted of a small group of 55 commando-trained personnel working under the
131:
1458:
473:
316:
By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered for commando training and what became known as the
1463:
1366:
1187:
332:
of 15 men. Commandos were all volunteers seconded from other
British Army regiments, and retained their own
329:
317:
662:
612:
167:
359:(SOE), where it was also known as the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF). Under the operational control of
343:
By 1943 the commandos had moved away from small raiding operations and most of them had been formed into
1309:
682:
547:
123:
320:
was formed into 12 units called commandos. Each commando numbered about 450 men and was commanded by a
1448:
1237:
587:
453:
375:
371:
234:
194:
1453:
1443:
1089:
552:
497:
469:
461:
391:
224:
199:
1107:
622:
562:
537:
422:
399:
379:
367:
321:
298:
214:
209:
119:
1138:
1093:
1070:
1042:
1019:
1000:
981:
962:
943:
924:
886:
844:
672:
667:
657:
637:
632:
597:
577:
542:
512:
507:
279:
259:
1407:
647:
607:
582:
430:
425:
was given command. On 3/4 October 1942 the SSRF carried out a raid on the
Channel Island of
229:
219:
1346:
1227:
1222:
1217:
1207:
817:
677:
527:
434:
395:
387:
306:
204:
135:
17:
36:
1192:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1035:
602:
522:
502:
477:
465:
442:
415:
302:
127:
81:
63:
1478:
489:
457:
468:
during the war. Appleyard also went to the Middle East and helped to form the 2nd
411:
364:
189:
99:
386:
because of its outstanding turn of speed. The SSRF carried out a number of cross-
266:. The unit was formed around a small group of commandos under the command of the
1427:
1417:
1278:
1263:
1258:
1253:
532:
449:
438:
294:
1422:
337:
333:
1067:
Inside the
Commandos: A Pictorial History from World War Two to the Present
270:(SOE). They carried out a number of raids before being disbanded in 1943.
1412:
407:
109:
959:
SOE in France: An
Account of the Work of the British Special Operations
344:
290:
325:
492:
were awarded to the
British Commandos during the Second World War.
171:
997:
Undercover: The Men and Women of the
Special Operations Executive
426:
1111:
309:. Keyes resigned in October 1941 and was replaced by Admiral
289:
The man initially selected as the commander of the force was
472:
from a detachment of No. 62 Commando under the command of
978:
Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War
1495:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1943
1500:
Commando units and formations of the United
Kingdom
1436:
1400:
1355:
1339:
1323:
1302:
1246:
1145:
445:dictating the execution of all captured commandos.
185:
177:
163:
149:
141:
115:
105:
87:
69:
51:
43:
29:
1034:
1490:Military units and formations established in 1940
480:. Neither Lassen nor Appleyard survived the war.
1485:Battalions of the British Army in World War II
1139:British Commando units of the Second World War
278:The commandos were formed in 1940 by order of
1123:
8:
1515:1943 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
1233:No. 62 Commando (Small Scale Raiding Force)
1130:
1116:
1108:
1510:1940 establishments in the United Kingdom
421:With the loss of March-Phillipps, Major
264:British Army during the Second World War
883:Anders Lassen, V.C., M.C., of the S.A.S
867:
865:
743:
741:
739:
699:
297:, himself a veteran of the landings at
788:
786:
784:
782:
780:
26:
7:
390:operations, but had mixed fortunes.
363:, No. 62 Commando was commanded by
328:of 75 men and further divided into
839:Gerard Fournier and Andre Heintz,
441:being tied up and the Nazi German
25:
618:North-West Europe 1942, 1944–1945
418:he was executed on 13 July 1943.
361:Combined Operations Headquarters
92:
74:
56:
35:
811:Hastings, Max (27 March 2005).
1294:No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando
1289:No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
1284:No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando
1279:No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando
1274:No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando
1269:No. 43 (Royal Marine) Commando
1264:No. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando
1259:No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
1254:No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
1198:No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
813:"Shall We Have a Bash, Chaps?"
378:. The SSRF used HM MTB 344, a
368:Gustavus Henry March-Phillipps
1:
1086:The Small Scale Raiding Force
942:. London: Osprey Publishing.
402:, on 12/13 September 1942 at
398:were complete successes, but
1505:Special Operations Executive
593:Middle East 1941, 1942, 1944
357:Special Operations Executive
268:Special Operations Executive
158:Special Operations Executive
1387:4th Special Service Brigade
1382:3rd Special Service Brigade
1377:2nd Special Service Brigade
1372:1st Special Service Brigade
568:Landing at Porto San Venere
1531:
1392:Special Air Service Troops
1203:No. 11 (Scottish) Commando
976:Haskew, Michael E (2007).
1459:No. 1 Demolition Squadron
1331:Royal Air Force Commandos
1069:. Naval Institute Press.
1041:. London: Little, Brown.
1016:British Commandos 1940–46
1014:Moreman, Timothy (2006).
995:Howarth, Patrick (1980).
460:, the only member of the
252:Small Scale Raiding Force
181:Small Scale Raiding Force
34:
18:Small Scale Raiding Force
1454:Special Raiding Squadron
1315:British commando frogmen
1213:No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
324:. Each was divided into
1464:Long Range Desert Group
1367:Special Service Brigade
1188:No. 8 (Guards) Commando
938:Chappell, Mike (1996).
885:. New English Library.
370:. Its first operation,
318:Special Service Brigade
1437:Other Commando forces:
957:Foot, Michael (2004).
940:Army Commandos 1940–45
919:Brown, Gordon (2009).
881:Langley, Mike (1988).
1449:Special Boat Squadron
1310:Royal Naval Commandos
1018:. Osprey Publishing.
456:, most notably Major
454:Special Boat Squadron
124:Close-quarters combat
1238:Middle East Commando
1084:Lett, Brian (2014).
1065:Ladd, James (1984).
1033:Owen, James (2012).
613:North Africa 1941–43
372:Operation Postmaster
235:Operation Fahrenheit
195:Operation Postmaster
1444:Special Air Service
1090:Pen and Sword Books
476:, elder brother of
470:Special Air Service
462:Special Air Service
392:Operation Barricade
225:Operation Huckabuck
200:Operation Barricade
154:Combined Operations
765:van der Bijl, p.12
678:Valli di Comacchio
628:Pursuit to Messina
452:and served in the
423:Geoffrey Appleyard
400:Operation Aquatint
380:motor torpedo boat
322:lieutenant colonel
215:Operation Aquatint
210:Operation Branford
120:Amphibious warfare
1472:
1471:
1099:978-1-7815-9394-3
1048:978-1-4087-0302-1
987:978-1-84415-577-4
980:. Pen and Sword.
930:978-0-7475-9607-3
849:978-2-915762-05-1
774:Moreman, pp.84–85
573:Landing in Sicily
384:The Little Pisser
311:Louis Mountbatten
280:Winston Churchill
242:
241:
16:(Redirected from
1522:
1324:Royal Air Force:
1132:
1125:
1118:
1109:
1103:
1080:
1052:
1040:
1029:
1010:
991:
972:
953:
934:
906:
903:
897:
896:
878:
872:
869:
860:
857:
851:
837:
831:
830:
828:
826:
808:
802:
799:
793:
790:
775:
772:
766:
763:
757:
754:
748:
745:
734:
731:
725:
722:
716:
713:
707:
704:
658:Steamroller Farm
608:Normandy Landing
433:, with men from
431:Operation Basalt
406:on the coast of
260:British Commando
230:Operation Batman
220:Operation Basalt
190:Second World War
98:
96:
95:
80:
78:
77:
62:
60:
59:
39:
27:
21:
1530:
1529:
1525:
1524:
1523:
1521:
1520:
1519:
1475:
1474:
1473:
1468:
1432:
1396:
1351:
1347:No. 30 Commando
1335:
1319:
1298:
1242:
1228:No. 52 Commando
1223:No. 51 Commando
1218:No. 50 Commando
1208:No. 12 Commando
1141:
1136:
1106:
1100:
1083:
1077:
1064:
1060:
1058:Further reading
1055:
1049:
1032:
1026:
1013:
1007:
994:
988:
975:
969:
956:
950:
937:
931:
921:Wartime Courage
918:
914:
909:
904:
900:
893:
880:
879:
875:
870:
863:
858:
854:
838:
834:
824:
822:
818:Daily Telegraph
810:
809:
805:
800:
796:
791:
778:
773:
769:
764:
760:
755:
751:
746:
737:
732:
728:
723:
719:
714:
710:
705:
701:
697:
692:
687:
486:
435:No. 12 Commando
404:Sainte-Honorine
396:Operation Dryad
353:
307:First World War
276:
248:No. 62 Commando
245:
205:Operation Dryad
156:
134:
130:
126:
122:
93:
91:
75:
73:
57:
55:
30:No. 62 Commando
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1528:
1526:
1518:
1517:
1512:
1507:
1502:
1497:
1492:
1487:
1477:
1476:
1470:
1469:
1467:
1466:
1461:
1456:
1451:
1446:
1440:
1438:
1434:
1433:
1431:
1430:
1425:
1420:
1415:
1410:
1404:
1402:
1401:Ad hoc Forces:
1398:
1397:
1395:
1394:
1389:
1384:
1379:
1374:
1369:
1363:
1361:
1353:
1352:
1350:
1349:
1343:
1341:
1340:Joint Service:
1337:
1336:
1334:
1333:
1327:
1325:
1321:
1320:
1318:
1317:
1312:
1306:
1304:
1300:
1299:
1297:
1296:
1291:
1286:
1281:
1276:
1271:
1266:
1261:
1256:
1250:
1248:
1244:
1243:
1241:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1193:No. 9 Commando
1190:
1185:
1183:No. 7 Commando
1180:
1178:No. 6 Commando
1175:
1173:No. 5 Commando
1170:
1168:No. 4 Commando
1165:
1163:No. 3 Commando
1160:
1158:No. 2 Commando
1155:
1153:No. 1 Commando
1149:
1147:
1143:
1142:
1137:
1135:
1134:
1127:
1120:
1112:
1105:
1104:
1098:
1081:
1075:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1053:
1047:
1030:
1024:
1011:
1005:
992:
986:
973:
967:
954:
948:
935:
929:
923:. Bloomsbury.
915:
913:
910:
908:
907:
898:
892:978-0450424922
891:
873:
861:
852:
832:
803:
794:
792:Chappell, p.48
776:
767:
758:
749:
735:
726:
717:
708:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
553:Greece 1944–45
550:
545:
543:Djebel Choucha
540:
538:Dives Crossing
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
494:
490:battle honours
488:The following
485:
484:Battle honours
482:
478:David Stirling
466:Victoria Cross
443:Commando Order
416:Fresnes Prison
352:
349:
303:Zeebrugge raid
284:Prime Minister
282:, the British
275:
272:
243:
240:
239:
238:
237:
232:
227:
222:
217:
212:
207:
202:
197:
187:
183:
182:
179:
175:
174:
168:Anderson Manor
165:
161:
160:
151:
147:
146:
145:55 men maximum
143:
139:
138:
128:Desert warfare
117:
113:
112:
107:
103:
102:
89:
85:
84:
82:United Kingdom
71:
67:
66:
64:United Kingdom
53:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
32:
31:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1527:
1516:
1513:
1511:
1508:
1506:
1503:
1501:
1498:
1496:
1493:
1491:
1488:
1486:
1483:
1482:
1480:
1465:
1462:
1460:
1457:
1455:
1452:
1450:
1447:
1445:
1442:
1441:
1439:
1435:
1429:
1426:
1424:
1421:
1419:
1416:
1414:
1411:
1409:
1406:
1405:
1403:
1399:
1393:
1390:
1388:
1385:
1383:
1380:
1378:
1375:
1373:
1370:
1368:
1365:
1364:
1362:
1359:
1354:
1348:
1345:
1344:
1342:
1338:
1332:
1329:
1328:
1326:
1322:
1316:
1313:
1311:
1308:
1307:
1305:
1301:
1295:
1292:
1290:
1287:
1285:
1282:
1280:
1277:
1275:
1272:
1270:
1267:
1265:
1262:
1260:
1257:
1255:
1252:
1251:
1249:
1247:Royal Marine:
1245:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1150:
1148:
1146:British Army:
1144:
1140:
1133:
1128:
1126:
1121:
1119:
1114:
1113:
1110:
1101:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1082:
1078:
1076:0-87021-903-0
1072:
1068:
1063:
1062:
1057:
1050:
1044:
1039:
1038:
1031:
1027:
1025:1-84176-986-X
1021:
1017:
1012:
1008:
1006:0-7100-0573-3
1002:
999:. Routledge.
998:
993:
989:
983:
979:
974:
970:
968:0-7146-5528-7
964:
961:. Routledge.
960:
955:
951:
949:1-85532-579-9
945:
941:
936:
932:
926:
922:
917:
916:
911:
905:Moreman, p.94
902:
899:
894:
888:
884:
877:
874:
871:Howarth, p.33
868:
866:
862:
856:
853:
850:
846:
842:
841:If I Must Die
836:
833:
820:
819:
814:
807:
804:
798:
795:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
777:
771:
768:
762:
759:
756:Moreman, p.12
753:
750:
744:
742:
740:
736:
733:Chappell, p.6
730:
727:
721:
718:
715:Chappell, p.3
712:
709:
706:Chappell, p.5
703:
700:
694:
689:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
558:Italy 1943–45
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
523:Burma 1943–45
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
495:
493:
491:
483:
481:
479:
475:
474:Bill Stirling
471:
467:
463:
459:
458:Anders Lassen
455:
451:
446:
444:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
419:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
366:
362:
358:
350:
348:
346:
341:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
314:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
287:
285:
281:
273:
271:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
244:Military unit
236:
233:
231:
228:
226:
223:
221:
218:
216:
213:
211:
208:
206:
203:
201:
198:
196:
193:
192:
191:
188:
184:
180:
176:
173:
169:
166:
162:
159:
155:
152:
148:
144:
140:
137:
133:
132:Direct action
129:
125:
121:
118:
114:
111:
108:
104:
101:
90:
86:
83:
72:
68:
65:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
33:
28:
19:
1232:
1088:. Barnsley:
1085:
1066:
1036:
1015:
996:
977:
958:
939:
920:
912:Bibliography
901:
882:
876:
859:Brown, p.62.
855:
840:
835:
823:. Retrieved
816:
806:
797:
770:
761:
752:
747:Haskew, p.48
729:
724:Moreman, p.8
720:
711:
702:
598:Monte Ornito
487:
464:awarded the
447:
429:, codenamed
420:
412:Graham Hayes
383:
354:
342:
315:
288:
277:
262:unit of the
255:
251:
247:
246:
150:Part of
100:British Army
1428:Timberforce
1418:Layforce II
1408:Forfarforce
1303:Royal Navy:
801:Foot, p.167
683:Westkapelle
653:Sicily 1943
648:Sedjenane 1
638:St. Nazaire
623:Norway 1941
518:Argenta Gap
503:Alethangyaw
450:Middle East
439:Dieppe raid
376:Fernando Po
305:during the
295:Roger Keyes
186:Engagements
178:Nickname(s)
164:Garrison/HQ
1479:Categories
1423:Northforce
1356:Brigades (
690:References
663:Syria 1941
588:Madagascar
382:nicknamed
351:Operations
338:Achnacarry
334:cap badges
274:Background
70:Allegiance
843:, p. 212
695:Citations
1413:Layforce
1037:Commando
821:. London
548:Flushing
498:Adriatic
408:Normandy
345:brigades
330:sections
301:and the
299:Galipoli
258:) was a
110:Commando
668:Termoli
643:Salerno
388:channel
291:Admiral
250:or the
136:Raiding
52:Country
47:1941–43
1096:
1073:
1045:
1022:
1003:
984:
965:
946:
927:
889:
847:
673:Vaagso
603:Myebon
583:Litani
563:Kangaw
533:Dieppe
326:troops
97:
88:Branch
79:
61:
44:Active
825:4 May
633:Rhine
578:Leese
528:Crete
513:Anzio
508:Aller
365:Major
172:Poole
1358:List
1094:ISBN
1071:ISBN
1043:ISBN
1020:ISBN
1001:ISBN
982:ISBN
963:ISBN
944:ISBN
925:ISBN
887:ISBN
845:ISBN
827:2010
427:Sark
394:and
293:Sir
256:SSRF
142:Size
116:Role
106:Type
1481::
1360:):
1092:.
864:^
815:.
779:^
738:^
313:.
170:,
1131:e
1124:t
1117:v
1102:.
1079:.
1051:.
1028:.
1009:.
990:.
971:.
952:.
933:.
895:.
829:.
254:(
20:)
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