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| No. 2 Commando | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | No. 2 Commando |
| Dates | 1940–1942 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Commando |
| Role | Special forces |
| Size | Battalion |
| Garrison | Aldershot Garrison |
| Notable commanders | John Durnford-Slater, Lord Lovat |
No. 2 Commando was a British Army commando unit formed during World War II as part of the initial Commando force created by order of Winston Churchill after the fall of France. Raised in 1940, it took part in early raids and coastal operations in the North Sea and the English Channel before being disbanded and dispersed into other units by 1942. The unit's short existence intersected with key figures and formations of the wartime British Armed Forces, influencing later SAS and SBS doctrine.
No. 2 Commando was raised in 1940 amid the reorganization of the British Army following the evacuation from Dunkirk and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force. Recruitment drew volunteers from regiments such as the Royal Fusiliers, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, and Royal Artillery, and included personnel from the Territorial Army and the Royal Marines. Commanded initially by officers drawn from the Army Council's new commando establishment, the unit trained alongside contemporaries including No. 1 Commando, No. 3 Commando, and elements of the SOE. Early deployments placed the unit under the operational control of commands such as Home Forces and liaised with naval formations including the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force for combined operations.
Organised on the standard commando model of the period, No. 2 Commando was structured into troops and sections mirroring the organisation used by Combined Operations Headquarters under leaders like Lord Mountbatten and staff drawn from Combined Operations. Its order of battle typically comprised a headquarters, multiple fighting troops, support elements, and signals and medical detachments, reflecting practices adopted by units such as No. 4 Commando and No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. Command relationships placed it within the broader framework of Combined Operations and in frequent coordination with formations such as the Home Guard for coastal defence and training. Senior NCOs and junior officers were often decorated veterans or transferees from formations including the Coldstream Guards and the Royal Engineers.
No. 2 Commando participated in raids and reconnaissance missions along occupied coasts and in the English Channel, operating in the same campaign sphere as units involved in operations like Operation Claymore and Operation Ambassador. Missions included amphibious raids, beach reconnaissance, and sabotage tasks coordinated with the Royal Navy flotillas and occasionally with Royal Air Force reconnaissance units. The unit's actions intersected with Mediterranean and North Atlantic concerns, drawing on intelligence from the Secret Intelligence Service and liaison with Special Operations Executive operatives. Elements were involved in early combined operations that informed later large-scale landings such as Operation Torch and Operation Overlord. By 1942, personnel and resources were redistributed to other commando formations, and many veterans transferred to formations like the SAS and to irregular units operating in the North African Campaign and Italian Campaign.
Training for No. 2 Commando followed the rigorous curriculum established at commando training centres and mirrored methods used by experimental units such as the Parachute Regiment and No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. Instruction emphasised marksmanship, unarmed combat, demolitions, and small-unit tactics drawing influence from doctrines developed by figures like Robert Laycock and institutions including Combined Operations Training Centre. Equipment included standard British webbing and weapons of the period such as the Lee–Enfield, Sten gun, Bren light machine gun, and explosives supplied through Royal Ordnance Factories channels. Amphibious kit and landing craft techniques were practised in conjunction with Royal Marines and Royal Navy crews aboard craft like the Motor Launch and LCA.
Leadership comprised officers who later influenced British special operations, and NCOs who featured in commando chronicles alongside contemporaries such as John Durnford-Slater and commanders linked to Lord Lovat and Robert Laycock. Personnel had served previously with units including the Grenadier Guards, Royal Fusiliers, and the Royal Engineers, and some later became associated with formations like the Special Boat Section and the SAS. Liaison and coordination connected figures from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, and intelligence links tied to the Secret Intelligence Service and Special Operations Executive added operational depth to the unit's leader cadre.
During its brief operational life, No. 2 Commando sustained casualties typical of commando operations: losses from direct action, accidents during amphibious training, and attrition from postings to other theatres such as the North African Campaign and the Mediterranean Theatre. Fallen personnel were commemorated alongside casualties from contemporaneous operations such as Operation Claymore and Operation Jubilee, and survivors were absorbed into units including the SAS, SBS, and later commando brigades that saw action in the North West Europe Campaign and the Italian Campaign.
Although disbanded, the unit's traditions influenced successor commando and special forces formations, contributing to doctrines later applied in operations in North Africa, Italy, and North West Europe. Veterans appear in regimental histories alongside entries for No. 4 Commando, No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, and in studies of Combined Operations. Memorials and regimental rolls held at sites such as Aldershot Garrison and in archives referencing the Imperial War Museum preserve the unit's record, and its lineage is reflected in veteran associations and commemorations connected to British Commandos and the wider history of World War II.