No. 30 Commando
30 (Commando) Assault Unit | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1946 |
Country | |
Branch | Royal Marines, Royal Navy, British Army, RAF,[1] and attached civilian specialists.
Lieutenant Commander Quintin Theodore Petroe Molesworth Riley[2] |
Insignia | |
30 Assault Unit Shoulder Insignia |
No. 30 Commando, from 1943 to 1946 known as 30 Assault Unit, was a
History
Formation
In a 2012 documentary Dieppe Uncovered, Canadian Professor David O'Keefe shows a March 1942 document where James Bond creator, Ian Fleming, proposes the creation of a commando unit to his then boss, Admiral John Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI).[4] Ian notes the objective of such a unit would be, "to accompany forward troops when a port or naval installation is being attacked and, if the attack is successful, their duty is to capture documents, cyphers". Ian based this unit on a similar unit already in existence since 1941 in Nazi Germany and operated by the German Military Intelligence unit, Abwehr named Marine-Einsatz-Kommando Schwarzes Meer,[5].
According to some accounts, the unit was deployed for the first time during the Dieppe Raid in August 1942, in an unsuccessful attempt to capture an Enigma machine and related material.[6]
In September 1942, its formation was officially authorised, under the auspices of the
North Africa and Mediterranean
The unit took part in the
Renamed 30 Commando and also known as the Special Engineering Unit,
North West Europe
In November 1943, the unit returned to Britain to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. It was re-designated 30 Assault Unit (30AU) in December,[2] and re-organised into HQ Troop; A, B and X Troops; a mobile RN signals unit and a RN medical unit (apparently along de facto combined operations/joint service lines).
30AU took part in
During July 30AU made their headquarters at
Meanwhile 30AU (sections A and B) also conducted lesser operations in cooperation with French intelligence officers in the
Some 30AU missions in Germany during early 1945 reportedly remain subject to official secrecy.[citation needed] The unit is known to have targeted military scientists,[11][12] sometimes far behind enemy lines. But this is described in detail in Nichola's Rankin's book "Ian Fleming's Commandos", published 2011 (See Further reading below).
According to some sources, the secrecy surrounding 30AU was such that significant German figures, captured behind the lines by field teams from 30AU, were officially reported to have "surrendered" to Allied infantry.[13][page needed]
Pacific
A 30AU detachment was sent to the
Post war
30 Assault Unit was officially disbanded in 1946,[2] however in 2010 the Royal Marines formed 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group (30 Cdo IXG RM) which carries on the history of 30 Assault Unit.[14]
In fiction
- 30 Assault Unit's commander Ian Fleming based his fictional secret agent character James Bond on the commando types and their wartime achievements. See also Inspirations for James Bond
- The film Age of Heroes is very loosely based on the real 30 Assault Unit.
Notable members
- Johnny Ramensky, career criminal and noted safe blower
- Sir Charles Wheeler, broadcaster and journalist
- Commando
References
- ^ a b David C. Nutting (ed.), 2003, Attain by Surprise: Capturing Top Secret Intelligence in WW II (rev. ed.), David Colver.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "History of 30 Assault Unit 1942–1946". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- ^ Ladd, p.353
- ^ "Ian Fleming's secret memo". BBC Magazine. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
- ISBN 9783869330754.
- ^ Ogrodnik, Irene. "Breaking German codes real reason for 1942 Dieppe raid: historian." Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Global News, 9 August 2012. Retrieved: 13 August 2012.
- ^ a b Haining, p.33
- ^ "Feature: Gentle Johnny". The National Archives of Scotland. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ Ash, John Garton (9 December 2012). "Bill Day". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
- ^ Rankin p 266
- ISBN 0-9526257-2-5.
- ^ Appendix 1 (Part 5): History of 30 Commando (later called 30 Assault Unit and 30 Advanced Unit also known as Special Engineering Unit). Admiralty SW. 1946 [released 1997]. ADM 223/214.
- ISBN 0-586-08686-2.
- ^ "UK Royal Marines Rename Information Unit". International Defence Review. London: Janes. June 2010. p. 8.
We are immensely proud to be able to carry on the history of 30 Commando
Bibliography
- Chappell, Mike (1996). Army Commandos 1940–45. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-579-9.
- Haining, Peter (2007). The Mystery of Rommel's Gold: The Search for the Legendary Nazi Treasure. Avana Books. ISBN 978-1-84486-053-1.
- Ladd, James (1980). The Royal Marines 1919–1980. London: Jane's. ISBN 978-0-7106-0011-0.
- Moreman, Timothy (2006). British Commandos 1940–46. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-986-X.
Further reading
- Hugill, J. A. C. (1946). "The Hazard Mesh". London: Hurst & Blackett. )
- Riley, J. P. (1989). From Pole to Pole. Bluntisham Books. ISBN 1-871999-02-2.
- Dalzel-Job, Patrick (1991). Arctic Snow to Dust of Normandy. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Military Books. ISBN 1-84415-238-3.
- Rankin, Nicholas (2011). Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of the Legendary 30 Assault Unit. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-978282-6.
- Hampshire, A. Cecil (1978). The Secret Navies. London: W. Kimber. ISBN 0-71830-195-1.
External links
- 30 Commando Assault Unit - Ian Fleming's 'Red Indians' - Literary James Bond's Wartime Unit
- Last 30 AU Veteran turns 100