Commandos (United Kingdom)

Commandos (United Kingdom)
Phil Sangwell from United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0 · source
Unit name	Commandos
Dates	1940–1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army (with personnel from Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Allied forces)
Type	Special operations forces
Role	Amphibious raiding, reconnaissance, direct action
Size	Approx. 30 units (battalion-sized)
Garrison	Combined Operations Headquarters
Notable commanders	Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Major-General Robert Laycock
Battles	Second World War

Commandos (United Kingdom) were elite special operations forces formed by the British Army during the Second World War at the direction of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Intended to carry out amphibious raids and sabotage missions against German-occupied Europe, they were drawn from volunteers across the British Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy. Their daring operations provided a vital morale boost and valuable tactical experience in combined operations, influencing the development of modern special forces worldwide.

Formation and early history

The formation of the Commandos was a direct response to the disastrous Battle of France and the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, which left Britain without a substantial army on the continent. Inspired by the success of small, mobile Boer commandos during the Second Boer War, Churchill ordered the creation of a "butcher and bolt" raiding force under the newly established Combined Operations Headquarters. The first raid, Operation Collar, was conducted in June 1940, but the first major operation was the Raid on the Lofoten Islands in March 1941, which demonstrated their potential by destroying fish oil factories vital to the German war effort. Early development was overseen by Admiral Sir Roger Keyes.

Organisation and structure

Initially, each Commando was a battalion-sized unit of approximately 450 men, organised into self-contained troops of around 75 soldiers, each capable of independent action. While initially an Army formation, operational control fell under Combined Operations Headquarters, led successively by Keyes, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and later Major-General Robert Laycock. Notable units included the all-Royal Marines units like 40 Commando and the inter-Allied No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, which contained troops from occupied European nations such as France, the Netherlands, and Norway. Specialist units like the Royal Navy's Royal Navy Beach Commandos and the Royal Air Force's Royal Air Force Commandos were also formed to support landing operations.

Operations and campaigns

Commandos executed numerous daring raids across occupied Europe and beyond. Key early raids included the Raid on Vaagso and the St Nazaire Raid, where HMS *Campbeltown* was rammed into the Normandie dry dock to disable it. They played significant roles in major campaigns, including the Dieppe Raid, the Allied invasion of Sicily, and the Battle of the Litani River. In the European theatre, they fought in the D-Day landings, with units like 48 Commando assaulting Juno Beach, and later in the Battle of the Scheldt and the Crossing of the Rhine. They also saw action in the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Burma campaign.

Training and selection

Selection for the Commandos was voluntary and notoriously rigorous, designed to identify individuals with exceptional physical fitness, initiative, and mental resilience. The primary training centre was established at Achnacarry Castle in the Scottish Highlands, under the auspices of the Commando Basic Training Centre. The intensive course, overseen by veterans like Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Vaughan, included forced marches over rugged terrain, live-fire exercises, small-boat handling, demolitions, unarmed combat, and cliff assault training. This harsh regimen ensured only the most capable soldiers earned the coveted Commando Green Beret.

Equipment and weapons

Commandos were equipped with a mix of standard and specialised weapons to maximise their effectiveness as light, fast-moving raiders. Standard infantry weapons included the Lee–Enfield rifle and Bren light machine gun, but they also made extensive use of the Thompson submachine gun and the Sten gun for close-quarter combat. Specialised equipment for raiding included Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knives, demolition charges, and climbing gear. For amphibious operations, they used a variety of landing craft, including LCAs and LCVPs, and later the LCM.

Legacy and disbandment

Following the end of the Second World War, most Army Commando units were disbanded in 1946, their personnel returning to their original regiments. However, their legacy was firmly cemented with the decision to retain a commando role within the Royal Marines, which subsequently formed the core of the United Kingdom's permanent special forces capability. The modern 3 Commando Brigade and units like 40 Commando directly trace their lineage and ethos to the wartime Commandos. Their innovative tactics, rigorous training standards, and daring operations profoundly influenced the development of elite forces globally, including the Special Air Service and the United States Army Rangers.

Category:British Commando units of World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1940 Category:Special forces of the United Kingdom