3 Commando Brigade
3rd Special Service Brigade 3rd Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 14 February 1942 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Corps of Royal Marines British Army Royal Navy |
Commanders | |
Brigade Commander | Brigadier Duncan G. Forbes |
Insignia | |
3 Commando Brigade Formation Badge |
3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a
The brigade was formed 1 September 1943 at Dorchester with personnel from 102 RM Brigade,
History
Second World War
Between September and November 1943, in Scotland, 102nd Brigade, Royal Marines Division, was detached from the division, to form the independent 3rd Special Service Brigade – a joint British Army-Royal Marines formation. The founding commander was Brigadier Wilfrid Nonweiler and it was composed of the following units:[3][4]
- No. 1 Commando (Army);
- No. 5 Commando (Army);
- No. 42 Commando (Royal Marines), and;
- No. 44 Commando (Royal Marines).
Nos. 1 and 5 Commandos had already earned battle honours as units in, respectively, the
On 10 November 1943, elements of the brigade embarked at
During January 1945, the brigade was involved in the
Post Second World War
3 Commando Brigade's most high-profile operation after the war was the Suez Crisis, when it took part in the amphibious assault against Egyptian targets. During Operation Musketeer, units of the brigade made a helicopter-borne assault.[8]
1971 saw the withdrawal of British forces from the Far East and Persian Gulf. The brigade returned to the UK with other British units. It moved to Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth, where it remains to this day.[9]
Operation Corporate
The brigade's next large operation was in 1982.
Gulf War
In the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War, the brigade was deployed on a non-combat task in northern Iraq. The Iraqi Kurds had suffered immensely during the war and in its aftermath, and the brigade was used due to its rapid deployment ability. It provided humanitarian aid to the Kurds and saved many from starvation.[11]
21st century
Recently, the brigade has been involved in two major campaigns, including
Organisation
The brigade contains Royal Marines, Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force personnel. The subordinate units are:[14]
Royal Marines units | British Army units |
---|---|
30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, Plymouth | Chivenor
|
40 Commando, Taunton | 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, Plymouth |
Bickleigh |
383 Commando Petroleum Troop (V), Plymouth (att'd Cdo Log Reg) |
43 (Fleet Protection Group) Commando, Faslane | Commando Troop, 821 Squadron, 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S), Wimbish[15] |
45 Commando, Arbroath | 24 Commando REME Workshop, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Chivenor[16]
|
47 Commando (Raiding Group), including 539 Raiding Squadron, Plymouth | |
Commando Logistic Regiment, RM Chivenor | |
Royal Marines Armoured Support Group, Bovington Camp, Stanley Barracks |
Amphibious Task Group
Formerly known as the Amphibious Ready Group, the Amphibious Task Group (ATG) is a mobile, balanced amphibious warfare force, based on a Commando Group and its supporting assets, that can be kept at high readiness to deploy into an area of operations. The ATG is normally based around specialist amphibious ships, most notably HMS Ocean, the largest ship in the British fleet until she was decommissioned and sold to Brazil in 2018. Ocean was designed and built to accommodate an embarked commando and its associated stores and equipment. The strategy of the ATG is to wait "beyond the horizon" and then deploy swiftly as directed by HM Government. The whole amphibious force is intended to be self-sustaining and capable of operating without host-nation support. The concept was successfully tested in operations in Sierra Leone.[17]
Commando Helicopter Force
The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) forms part of the Fleet Air Arm. It comprises three helicopter squadrons and is commanded by the Joint Helicopter Command.[18] It consists of both Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Marines personnel. RN personnel need not be commando trained. The CHF is neither under the permanent control of 3 Commando Brigade nor that of the Commandant General Royal Marines, but rather is allocated to support Royal Marines units as required. It uses both Merlin HC4/4A medium-lift and Wildcat AH1 light transport/reconnaissance helicopters to provide aviation support for the Royal Marines.roles.[19]
Commanders
Commanders have included:[20]
- 1944 Brigadier Peter Young
- 1944–1945 Brigadier Campbell Hardy
- 1948–1951 Brigadier Campbell Hardy
- 1951–1952 Brigadier Cecil Phillips
- 1952–1954 Brigadier James Moulton
- 1954–1955 Brigadier Ian Riches
- 1955–1957 Brigadier Reginald Madoc
- 1957–1959 Brigadier Robert Houghton
- 1959–1960 Brigadier Peter Hellings
- 1960–1962 Brigadier Norman Tailyour
- 1962–1964 Brigadier Francis Barton
- 1964–1965 Brigadier Leslie Marsh
- 1965–1966 Brigadier Anthony Willasey-Wilsey
- 1966–1968 Brigadier Ian Gourlay
- 1968–1970 Brigadier Peter Whiteley
- 1970–1972 Brigadier Patrick Ovens
- 1972–1975 Brigadier Roger Ephraums
- 1975–1977 Brigadier John Richards
- 1977–1979 Brigadier Jeremy Moore
- 1979–1981 Brigadier Michael Wilkins
- 1981–1983 Brigadier Julian Thompson
- 1983–1984 Brigadier Martin Garrod
- 1984–1986 Brigadier Henry Beverley
- 1986–1988 Brigadier Robin Ross
- 1988–1990 Brigadier Andrew Whitehead
- 1990–1992 Brigadier Andrew Keeling
- 1992–1994 Brigadier David Pennefather
- 1994–1995 Brigadier Jonathan Thomson
- 1995–1997 Brigadier Anthony Milton
- 1997–1998 Brigadier Robert Fulton
- 1998–1999 Brigadier David Wilson
- 1999–2001 Brigadier Robert Fry
- 2001–2002 Brigadier Roger Lane
- 2002–2004 Brigadier James Dutton
- 2004–2006 Brigadier John Rose
- 2006–2007 Brigadier Jeremy Thomas
- 2007–2008 Brigadier David Capewell
- 2008–2008 Brigadier Buster Howes
- 2008–2009 Brigadier Gordon Messenger
- 2010–2011 Brigadier Ed Davis
- 2011–2013 Brigadier Martin Smith
- 2013–2014 Brigadier Stuart M. Birrell
- 2014–2015 Brigadier Charles Stickland
- 2015–2017 Brigadier Jim Morris
- 2017–2018 Brigadier Gwyn Jenkins
- 2018–2020 Brigadier Matt Jackson[21]
- 2020– Brigadier Richard Cantrill.[22]
Battle honours
The following Battle honours were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.[23][24]
- Vaagso
- Norway 1941
- St. Nazaire
- Dieppe
- Normandy Landing
- Dives Crossing
- Flushing
- Westkapelle
- Rhine
- Leese
- Aller
- North-West Europe 1942 '44–45
- Litani
- Syria 1941
- Steamroller Farm
- Sedjenane 1
- Djebel Choucha
- North Africa 1941–43
- Landing in Sicily
- Pursuit to Messina
- Sicily 1943
- Landing at Porto San Venere
- Termoli
- Salerno
- Monte Ornito
- Anzio
- Valli di Comacchio
- Argenta Gap
- Italy 1943–45
- Greece 1944–45
- Crete
- Madagascar
- Adriatic
- Middle East 1941 '42 '44
- Alethangyaw
- Myebon
- Kangaw
- Burma 1943–45
See also
- 1st Commando Brigade
- 2nd Special Service Brigade
- 4th Special Service Brigade
- Australian commandos
- British Armed Forces
- Commandos (United Kingdom)
- Marine expeditionary brigade – American equivalent
- Military history of Britain
- Netherlands Marine Corps – Dutch equivalent and part of UK/NL Landing Force
- Ski warfare
References
Citations
- ^ a b "42 Commando | Royal Marines". www.royalnavy.mod.uk.
- ^ The Royal Marines 1919-1908, James D Ladd, Janes 1980, page 373
- ^ "Commando Units". Burma Star Association. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ Chappell (1996), p. 28.
- ^ Moreman (2008), p. 32.
- ^ a b c d e Chappell (1996), p. 31.
- ISBN 978-1-85367-479-2.
- ^ "1956: Allied Forces take control of Suez". BBC News. 6 November 1956. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "3 Commando Brigade". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "3 Commando Brigade". Naval History.net. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "1991: UK forces withdraw from Kurdish haven". BBC News. 14 July 1991. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
- ^ "Marines spearhead the invasion with lightning attack". The Daily Telegraph. 21 March 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Commandos ready to face the Taliban". BBC News. 27 July 2006. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "3 Commando Brigade". Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "821 EOD & Search Squadron". British Army. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
821 EOD & Search Squadron is part of 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) and consists of: ... Commando Troop – consists of four EOD & Search teams aligned to the Lead Commando Group
- ^ "REME COMMANDO (@3cdoxreme) • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ COMUKAMPHIBFOR General Description Archived 16 March 2011 at the UK Government Web Archive
- ^ "Commando Helicopter Force webpage". Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- ^ "The 847 Naval Air Squadron transitions to the AgustaWestland Wildcat AH.1 helicopter Interview with Major David Sutton Royal Marines, Senior Pilot". Janes. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- ^ Mackie, Colin (July 2022). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments: Commander, 3rd Commando Brigade" (PDF). Gulabin.com. pp. 287–288. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- ^ "3 Commando Brigade change over". The Globe & Laurel. 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Confirmed Online Panelists - 1 December". DefenceIQ.com. 11 October 2020. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
Brigadier Rich Cantrill Commander 3 Commando Brigade
- ^ Moreman (2008), p. 94.
- ^ Mills, T.F. "Commando Forces". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
Sources
- Chappell, Mike (1996). Army Commandos 1940–1945. Elite Series. Vol. 64. London: Osprey Military Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-579-9.
- Moreman, Tim (2008). British Commandos 1940–46. Battle Orders. Vol. 18. London: Osprey Military Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-986-8.
- ISBN 978-0-09-192696-0.
- Neillands, Robin (2004). By Sea and Land: The Story of the Royal Marine Commandos. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Classics. ISBN 1-84415-043-7.
- Philip (September 2001). "Sea soldiers' readied for a new world disorder". Jane's Navy International.
- Van der Bijl, Nick (2009). Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-2007. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-844159567.
External links
- "3 Commando Brigade". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
- "Royal Marines History".