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