No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando
Encyclopedia
No. 44 Commando was a battalion
size formation in the British Commandos
, formed during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 3rd Special Service Brigade and served in the Burma Campaign
.
the British Prime Minister
. He called for specially trained troops that would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast". At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, but by 1943 there role had changed into lightly equipped assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.
The man selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral
Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli and the Zeebrugge raid
in the First World War. Initially the Commandos were a British Army
formation the first Royal Marine Commando was formed in 1942. The Royal Marine Commandos like all British Commandos went through the six week intensive commando course at Achnacarry
. The course in the Scottish Highlands concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations and demolitions both by day and by night. No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando was formed on 1 August 1943, under command of Lieutenant Colonel
F C Horton and consisted of seven Troops just over 400 men. Each Troop consisted of three officers and 62 men in a small headquarters and two sections. In 1943 the commando formation was also standardised, into a small headquarters,five fighting Troops, a Heavy Weapons troop and a signals platoon. The fighting Troops consisted of 65 all ranks divided into two 30 man sections which in turn were divided into three ten man sub sections. The Heavy Weapons Troop was made up of 3 inch Mortar and Vickers machine gun
teams.
No.44 (Royal Marine) Commando was raised in August 1943, from the 3rd Royal Marine Battalion under command of Lieutenant Colonel
F C Horton. It served in the Far East
with the 3rd Special Service Brigade. It took part in the Burma Campaign
and was located in the Arakan
during the Japanese U-Go Offensive
, before carrying out a number of raids along the Burmese coastline. During the 1944–45 third Arakan offensive it took part in the landings at Myebon
and the battle of Hill 170
. It was then withdrawn to India to prepare for the invasion of Malaya Operation Zipper
. The war ended before the operation began and the commando was diverted to reoccupy Hong Kong
.
but by February 1942, the Royal Marines were asked to organise Commando units of their own, and 6,000 men volunteered.
In November 1943 No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando was assigned to the 3rd Special Service Brigade and sailed for the Far East and saw action against the Japanese
in the Burma Campaign
.
The other units in the brigade were No. 1 Commando
, No. 5 Commando
and No. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando.
No. 44 and No.5 Commandos arrived in the theatre together as No. 1 and No. 42 were delayed in Ceylon by transportation problems. The commando spent some time at Cox's Bazar
acclimatising before becoming operational. On 5 March 1944 No. 44 set up their base at Nhila on the Teknaf peninsula.
Later the same month No. 44 took part in their first operations against the Japanese. These were two missions codenamed Operation Screwdriver. Their first operation 11 March was a landing from the sea at Alethangyaw their objective was to capture the town for the rest of the brigade to pass through into the surrounding hills to engage the enemy. The landing was met in force by machine gun emplacements and sniper fire and for the next 48 hours the Commando had a series of running battles with the Japanese and carried out a reconnaissance of the surrounding hills. The mission claimed 40–50 Japanese dead for the loss of four commandos missing believed dead.
Their second mission was crossing the Naf River
by barge
on 21 March with the objective of raiding Nahkaungdo, Lambaguna and Hinthaya. The operation was a success following a number of small skirmishes the Japanese were forced to bring up reinforcements and the Commando was withdrawn.
On 3 January No. 44 were involved in a full scale amphibious landing with the rest of the brigade and a tank squadron in Operation Lightning at Akyab. The landings started at 12:30 hours and were completed by 13:50 hours. When they reached the town of Akyab they discovered the Japanese had withdrawn
and there was no trace on the island of the supposed garrison of three battalions.
By the end of the month they were involved in the battle of Hill 170
this was one of the most intense battles of the whole Burma campaign
. In March 1944 the Commando was withdrawn back to India for to prepare for Operation Zipper
, the planned invasion of Malaya
. The war ended before the Zipper landing could take place and No. 44 was sent to liberate Hong Kong
instead.
when the 2nd Commando Brigade and its commando units including the then No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando were disbanded. After the Second World War all the British Army Commandos were disbanded and the commando role was taken over by the Royal Marines. However the present day Parachute Regiment, Special Air Service
and Special Boat Service
can all trace their origins to the Commandos.
s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
size formation in the British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
, formed during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 3rd Special Service Brigade and served in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
.
Background
The British Commandos were formed in 1940, by the order of Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
the British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. He called for specially trained troops that would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast". At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, but by 1943 there role had changed into lightly equipped assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.
The man selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli and the Zeebrugge raid
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
in the First World War. Initially the Commandos were a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formation the first Royal Marine Commando was formed in 1942. The Royal Marine Commandos like all British Commandos went through the six week intensive commando course at Achnacarry
Achnacarry
Achnacarry is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west....
. The course in the Scottish Highlands concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations and demolitions both by day and by night. No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando was formed on 1 August 1943, under command of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
F C Horton and consisted of seven Troops just over 400 men. Each Troop consisted of three officers and 62 men in a small headquarters and two sections. In 1943 the commando formation was also standardised, into a small headquarters,five fighting Troops, a Heavy Weapons troop and a signals platoon. The fighting Troops consisted of 65 all ranks divided into two 30 man sections which in turn were divided into three ten man sub sections. The Heavy Weapons Troop was made up of 3 inch Mortar and Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
teams.
No.44 (Royal Marine) Commando was raised in August 1943, from the 3rd Royal Marine Battalion under command of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
F C Horton. It served in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
with the 3rd Special Service Brigade. It took part in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
and was located in the Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
during the Japanese U-Go Offensive
Operation U-Go
The U Go offensive, or Operation C , was the Japanese offensive launched in March 1944 against forces of the British Empire in the North-East Indian region of Manipur...
, before carrying out a number of raids along the Burmese coastline. During the 1944–45 third Arakan offensive it took part in the landings at Myebon
Myebon
-External links:*...
and the battle of Hill 170
Battle of Hill 170
The Battle of Hill 170 was a battle between the British 3rd Commando Brigade and the Japanese 54th Division during the Second World War. The battle was fought in January 1945, as part of the Burma campaign....
. It was then withdrawn to India to prepare for the invasion of Malaya Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
. The war ended before the operation began and the commando was diverted to reoccupy Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Second World War
Early Commando units were all from the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
but by February 1942, the Royal Marines were asked to organise Commando units of their own, and 6,000 men volunteered.
In November 1943 No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando was assigned to the 3rd Special Service Brigade and sailed for the Far East and saw action against the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
.
The other units in the brigade were No. 1 Commando
No. 1 Commando
The No. 1 Commando was a unit of British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. It was raised in 1940 from the ranks of the existing independent companies. Operationally they carried out a series of small scale cross channel raids and spearheaded the Operation Torch...
, No. 5 Commando
No. 5 Commando
No. 5 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War.Formed in July 1940, the unit took part in a couple of small-scale raids in France in 1941 and contributed some personnel to Operation Chariot before taking part in the landings on Madagascar in 1942...
and No. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando.
No. 44 and No.5 Commandos arrived in the theatre together as No. 1 and No. 42 were delayed in Ceylon by transportation problems. The commando spent some time at Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar is a town, a fishing port and district headquarters in Bangladesh. It is known for its wide sandy beach which is the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong. Cox’s Bazar...
acclimatising before becoming operational. On 5 March 1944 No. 44 set up their base at Nhila on the Teknaf peninsula.
Later the same month No. 44 took part in their first operations against the Japanese. These were two missions codenamed Operation Screwdriver. Their first operation 11 March was a landing from the sea at Alethangyaw their objective was to capture the town for the rest of the brigade to pass through into the surrounding hills to engage the enemy. The landing was met in force by machine gun emplacements and sniper fire and for the next 48 hours the Commando had a series of running battles with the Japanese and carried out a reconnaissance of the surrounding hills. The mission claimed 40–50 Japanese dead for the loss of four commandos missing believed dead.
Their second mission was crossing the Naf River
Naf River
Naf River It is an elongated estuary in the extreme southeast of Cox's Bazar district dividing the district from Arakan, Myanmar. It rises in the Arakan hills on the southeastern borders of the district and flows into the Bay of Bengal. Its width varies from 1.61 km to 3.22 km. The river...
by barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
on 21 March with the objective of raiding Nahkaungdo, Lambaguna and Hinthaya. The operation was a success following a number of small skirmishes the Japanese were forced to bring up reinforcements and the Commando was withdrawn.
1945
and there was no trace on the island of the supposed garrison of three battalions.
By the end of the month they were involved in the battle of Hill 170
Battle of Hill 170
The Battle of Hill 170 was a battle between the British 3rd Commando Brigade and the Japanese 54th Division during the Second World War. The battle was fought in January 1945, as part of the Burma campaign....
this was one of the most intense battles of the whole Burma campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. In March 1944 the Commando was withdrawn back to India for to prepare for Operation Zipper
Operation Zipper
During the Second World War, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it was never fully executed. Some of the proposed landings on Penang went...
, the planned invasion of Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. The war ended before the Zipper landing could take place and No. 44 was sent to liberate Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
instead.
Legacy
No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando was renumbered 40 Commando40 Commando
40 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
when the 2nd Commando Brigade and its commando units including the then No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando were disbanded. After the Second World War all the British Army Commandos were disbanded and the commando role was taken over by the Royal Marines. However the present day Parachute Regiment, Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
and Special Boat Service
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
can all trace their origins to the Commandos.
Battle honours
The following Battle honourBattle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.
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