No. 4 Commando
Encyclopedia
No. 4 Commando was a battalion
-sized British Army
commando
unit, formed in 1940 early in the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry
assault unit.
The unit's first operation was the successful raid on the Lofoten Islands
in March 1941. The next two planned operations were both cancelled and it was not until 1942 that No. 4 Commando took part in another raid, Operation Abercrombie
, a raid on the French coastal town of Hardelot. Later the same year No. 4 was one of three commando units selected for the Dieppe raid
. Under the command of Lord Lovat
, No. 4 Commando landed on the right flank of the main landings and successfully silenced a German gun battery. This was the only complete success of the operation, which was eventually aborted following heavy losses.
As part of the 1st Special Service Brigade
, No. 4 Commando took part in the Normandy Landings in June 1944. Landing on Sword beach
30 minutes before the rest of the brigade, their first objectives were to capture a strong point and gun battery in Ouistreham
. After the commandos eliminated these positions they rejoined the brigade, reinforcing the 6th Airborne Division at the Orne bridges
. Before the invasion the brigade had been informed that they would stay in France for only a few days. The commando remained there for a further 82 days, protecting the beachhead's left flank. During that period, No. 4 Commando endured over 50 percent casualties. Finally withdrawn to Britain in September 1944, they were reassigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade
for the assault on Walcheren island
. At the end of the war No. 4 Commando became part of the occupation force in Germany, but together with all other army commando units were disbanded in 1946.
organised for special service in June 1940. After the Dunkirk evacuation, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, Winston Churchill
, called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated, "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast." One staff officer, Lieutenant Colonel
Dudley Clarke
, had already submitted such a proposal to General
Sir John Dill
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal and on 23 June 1940, the first commando raid took place.
The request for volunteers for special service was initially restricted to serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and from men of the disbanding divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army divisions who had served in Norway.
By November 1940, more than 2,000 men had volunteered and were organised into four battalions in a Special Service Brigade
, under the command of Brigadier
J. C. Haydon. The Brigade quickly expanded to 12 battalions,which were re-named commandos. Each commando had a lieutenant colonel as the commanding officer
(CO) and numbered around 450 men (divided into 75 man troop
s that were further divided into 15 man sections
). Technically these men were only on secondment to the commandos; they retained their regimental cap badges and remained on the regimental roll for pay. The new force of commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters.
on 21 July 1940, when the first intake of 500 volunteers arrived. The unique nature of the commandos immediately became apparent when every man was held responsible for finding his own quarters. As commandos were expected to be fighting troops, they had no administrative personnel, such as clerks and cooks for example. To assist them with living 'off camp', with no cook house all ranks were given a daily allowance and a ration card, the allowance being 67 pence for officers and of 34 pence for other ranks
. This arrangement meant that commandos lived on civilian rations, while the rest of the armed forces had the more plentiful military scale of rations.
Lieutenant Colonel
C.P.D Legard and the Regimental Sergeant Major
W. Morris held their first parade on 22 July 1940, at Weymouth Pavilion. The volunteers were informed of the intended role for the commandos and that training would be "tough and demanding and any who could not measure up to the standard required would be returned to their parent unit without any leave of appeal".
Training started immediately and concentrated on physical fitness, weapons training, movement across country including cliff climbing, obstacle crossing and raiding operations. Weapons training was limited by the lack of anything other than the personal weapons (rifles and pistols) that each man had brought with him. Machine guns or anything heavier were available at the time. In August 1940, some officers and non-commissioned officer
s (NCO) were sent to Achnacarry
in the Scottish Highlands
on a commando course. These men were then responsible for teaching the rest of the unit.
No. 4 Commando remained at Weymouth until 13 October 1940, when it boarded trains for Scotland. Arriving on the River Clyde
at 06:00 the next day, they were sent on board HMS Glengyle
, an Infantry landing ship. Glengyle sailed on 18 October for Inveraray
, to conduct training for the first time with Assault Landing Craft. The move to Scotland became permanent and No. 4 Commando were based at Ayr
.
While all this was going on, a decision was made to concentrate the commandos and Independent Companies into five large 1,000 man battalions, each of two companies. No. 4 Commando was renamed the No. 1 Company of the 3rd Special Service Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Lister. No. 2 Company was formed by the re-designation of No. 7 Commando
. This new formation proved to be too large and unwieldy in practice. Within three months, the Special Service Battalions were disbanded and the original commando units reformed but on a smaller scale with six troops instead of the original ten. Each troop would comprise three officers and 62 other ranks
; this number was set so each troop would fit into two Assault Landing Craft. The new formation also meant that two complete Commando units could be carried in the 'Glen' type landing ship
and one unit in the 'Dutch' type landing ship
.
in Scotland for an exercise
. The next day the unit boarded HMS Queen Emma
, but on 22 February 1941, after they anchored at Scapa Flow
, their real objective was divulged. Together with No. 3 Commando
they were to conduct Operation Claymore, a raid on the Lofoten Islands. Claymore's main objective was to stop the manufacture of fish oil
and its exportation to Germany, where it was used in making explosives.
Extra training commenced on board ship, including how the men were to get to their boat stations to disembark. Each troop also rehearsed its own part in the mission. Lectures were given in escape and evasion and troop commanders and NCO's were given small silk maps of Norway to help with any escape attempt. Another item of escape equipment issued was a pair of trouser fly buttons that, when placed one on top of the other, became a small compass
.
Claymore took place on 4 March 1941. The Germans were caught unprepared and the landings were unopposed. Within an hour No. 4 Commando had taken all its objectives. The raid was a success: 11 fish oil factories and storage tanks were destroyed, 10 ships sunk, 225 prisoners taken with an unknown number of German sailors killed on the sunken ships. An added bonus were the 315 Norwegian volunteers brought back to join the Free Norwegian Forces
.
. The operation was planned following intelligence that Spain was going to join the war on the side of the Axis forces. The intention was to prevent Germany using the islands as a U-Boat
base. The force assembled included five commando units, an army brigade
, two Royal Marine brigades and supporting arms. Training for Operation Puma culminated in landing exercises in the Hebrides
from the Landing Ship, Infantry
HMS Royal Scotsman
. The operation was renamed Operation Pilgrim and after a number of delays was put on hold by the Chiefs-of-Staff. On 13 September a token force including a troop from No. 4 Commando was dispatched to West Africa
. The troop was based in Sierra Leone
and Nigeria
until returning to Britain in February 1942, after the cancellation of the operation. While this was happening a new second in command
(2IC) was appointed, Major
Charles Vaughan, and a Captain
Lord Lovat
joined the unit as the training officer. Lovat had been attached to the Lofoten raid as an observer and had applied for a posting to the commandos.
under the command of Captain Lord Lovat for extra training. Returning to Troon in March, they were immediately sent to Dartmouth, Devon
where they embarked on HMS Prins Albert. Once on board they were informed about Operation Bludgeon and started mission training. The objective of this raid was a large building that was a short distance inland from the Dutch coast, and that was used by senior German officers. For the duration of the operation B Troop were issued with flamethrower
s to set the building on fire. After several days training, the commandos moved around the coast and anchored in the Thames waiting for the order to go. The operation was eventually cancelled, due to the increased German E-Boat
activity in the area of the landing.
, led by Lieutenant Colonel
Newman
. However the Special Service Brigade
headquarters, used the raid to provide experience for their other units and 92 men were drawn from, No's 1
, 3, 4, 5
, 9
and 12
Commandos to go on the raid. The No. 4 Commando contingent was 12 other ranks commanded by Lieutenant
H Pennington. They had all previously served in the Royal Engineers
and left under the imprsssion they were going on a Harbour Demolition Course. After their training at Cardiff
and Southampton Docks only six of the 12 were selected to go on the raid. Three of the six including Lieutenant Pennington were killed before they were able to land, when their Motor Launch
was engaged by the German coastal defence batteries. The other men who had not been selected for the raid were returned to No. 4 Commando.
they would be taken across on Motor Gun Boat
s towing Assault Landing Craft (LCA). The combined force left Dover
on 19 April 1942. En route, one LCA sank with the loss of two commandos who were manning a Bren gun in the bow. The raid was called off and they returned to Dover. A replacement LCA was obtained and they returned to France on 21 April. This time the crossing was uneventful and the commandos made a successful landing. However, the two commando troops were discovered cutting the barbed wire beach obstacles and German machine guns opened fire. The raiders did carry out a reconnaissance of the area but were unable to capture any prisoners. The commandos returned without loss, but one man was wounded in the leg. The smaller Canadian detachment was unable to locate the target beach and returned to Britain. After the raid there was another change in command. Lieutenant Colonel Lister left to form No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
and Major Vaughan became the temporary commanding officer. Vaughan left shortly afterwards to take over command of the Commando Depot at Achnaccarry and was succeeded by Lord Lovat with Major Derek Mills-Roberts becoming the 2IC.
-sized raid on a German held port of Dieppe on the French channel coast and to hold it for the duration of at least two tides. They would effect the greatest amount of destruction of enemy facilities and defences before withdrawing. The original plan was approved by the Chiefs of Staff in May 1942. This plan included two parachute landings behind the artillery batteries on either side of the main landing beaches. The parachute operation was later cancelled and instead No. 3, No. 4 and the newly formed 'A' (Royal Marine) Commando were to land by sea and attack the artillery batteries and the harbour.
The Dieppe
Raid was a major operation planned by Admiral
Lord Mountbatten
and Combined Operations Headquarters. The attacking force consisted of around 6,000 troops. The Royal Navy
supplied 237 ships and landing craft, and the Royal Air Force
74 squadrons of aircraft, of which 66 were fighter squadrons.
Landing on the eastern flank No. 3 Commando would assault the Goebbels artillery battery, while No. 4 Commando would be responsible for the Hess battery on the western flank. The Hess battery consisted of six 150 millimetres (5.9 in) guns in a concrete emplacement 1100 yards (1,005.8 m) inland from the coastal cliffs. The emplacement was surrounded by two rows of barbed wire
, and protected by several machine gun posts. A nearby anti-aircraft tower could also defend against a ground attack on the guns. The commandos were responsible for their own planning and selected two landing beaches codenamed Orange one and two. Orange One at Varengeville was overlooked by a chalk cliff but had two gullies leading to the top of the cliff. Before the war there were steps down to the beach. But these had been removed and the gullies filled with barbed wire and other obstacles. The second beach Orange Two was at Quiberville
1.5 miles (2.4 km) further west at the mouth of the River Saane. This offered access to the top of the cliffs but was covered by two machine gun pillboxs
and barbed wire and it was further away from their target. Intelligence had estimated that the strength of the battery was between 120–175 men, supported by two infantry companies stationed nearby.
The plan was for four troops (A, B, C and F), headquarters and attached specialists, to be divided into two groups. Group one under the command of Major Mills-Roberts would land at Orange One and consisted of C Troop, a section
from A Troop, the mortar
detachment and some of the specialists. They would scale the cliffs and form a fire base in the woods in front of the battery to support the assault. Group two commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lovat would land at Orange Two and take out the beach defences. B and F Troops would then advance move along the river and assault the battery from the rear. The rest of A Troop would be the reserve, positioned between the two beaches. After the attack Group two would withdraw through Group one and be picked up by the waiting LCAs on Orange One beach.
No. 4 Commando made the crossing to Dieppe on board HMS Prins Albert. The crossing was uneventful and at 04:50 just before daybreak Group one landed unopposed. Using two Bangalore torpedo
s to blow a hole in the barbed wire, they managed to scale the cliffs. As they approached the battery at 05:45 it opened fire on the main landing force coming ashore at Dieppe. This was 30 minutes before Group one was expected to be in a position but Mills-Roberts responded by speeding up the advance to get their guns into action sooner. Once in position they opened fire on the battery with their mortars, Bren machine guns and sniper
rifles. One of the mortar bombs landed inside the battery and exploded the stored charges, putting the guns out of action.
Group two had an opposed landing being greeted by machine gun fire from the two pillboxes guarding the beach. Leaving a section from A Troop to deal with them the rest of the Group ran the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the rear of the battery, bypassing German infantry positions on the way. The A Troop section having finished off the pillboxes, set out for Orange one beach, ambushing a German patrol on route. While this was happening Lovat and the other two troops, were preparing to assault the battery from different directions. The men from B Troop approached from behind the anti-aircraft tower, as they could still see some Germans moving about on it, they detached three men to deal with them. At the same time they stumbled across and captured a machine gun post. At 06:15 the assault started, F Troop discovered a group of Germans forming up to put in their own assault on the fire base. Charging into them they were dispersed without loss to the commandos. The troop continued their advance, moving between some buildings and an orchard, when they were themselves caught in the open by heavy gun fire. Two men in the lead the troop commander Captain Pettiward and Lieutenant McDonald were killed while Troop Sergeant Major
Stockdale was wounded. It was during this action that the already wounded Captain Porteous
, acting as the liaison officer between the two groups was awarded the Victoria Cross
.
The two Groups were in position, when a pre arranged strafing attack by the Royal Air Force
commenced, this signalled an increasing in the rate of fire from Group one. At 06:30 a very flare fired by Lovat signalled the start of the assault. Group one ceased firing and B and F Troops charged the battery with bayonet
s fixed. The objective for B Troop was the battery buildings, while F Troop targeted the guns. Captain Porteous now commanding F Troop was wounded again, this time in the thigh but urged his men on. He was shot for the third time and passed out just as the guns were captured. Demolition experts from F Troop destroyed the guns with pre-formed charges while B Troop searched the battery buildings for intelligence materials. Carrying their wounded with them and escorting prisoners both troops withdrew through the fire base. Still in contact with the Germans both groups of commandos made it to Orange One beach and at 08:15 were taken off by the LCAs. They crossed the channel without incident arriving at Newhaven
docks at 17:45 the same day.
For their part in the raid Lovat was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and Mills-Roberts the Military Cross
. The cost to the Commando was at first thought to be 23 dead but six were only severely wounded and were eventually reported to be prisoners of war. No. 4 Commandos assault on the battery was the only successful part of the whole operation. The War Office
claimed it as "a classic example of the use of well trained infantry...and a thoroughness in planning, training and execution", and in February 1943 issued an infantry training pamphlet "in order that all may benefit from the story of a stimulating achievement".
and given command of the 1st Special Service Brigade
. Mills-Roberts was promoted and sent to North Africa
to take over command of No. 6 Commando
. They were replaced by Robert Dawson as the CO and Ronald Menday as 2IC. Other changes included moving to a new base in Falmouth
and the formation of a heavy weapons troop in each commando. The new troop with mortar and Vickers machine gun
sections provided the heavy weapons needed for their new role as assault infantry. By now the Commandos had started to move away from smaller raiding operations. They were formed into units intended to spearhead future Allied landing operations. To assist in this they were given the organic fire support weapons, that had been absent when they were a raiding force.
In June 1943, 10 months after the Dieppe raid, No. 4 Commando started a new round of training. The program included mountain warfare training at the Commando Snow and Mountain Warfare Training Centre in Scotland. The emphasis here was on fighting and living in the mountains and instruction in how to train a partisan
force. Afterwards they moved to another new base in Sussex
. Instead of occupying one town, the troops spread out. A and B Troops were billeted at Seaford
, C and D Troops at Newhaven and E and F Troops at Lewes
. Training was now almost non stop and a number of large scale landing exercises, using the new Landing Craft Infantry
took place. In February 1944, while the rest of No. 4 continued to practice day and night assault landings and live firing exercises. C Troop was sent to qualify as parachutists at the parachute training centre RAF Ringway
. The ranks of No. 4 Commando swelled in April 1944 with the arrival of two French troops from No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. Other new arrivals were the Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifle, which replaced the old SMLE rifles and the Vickers K machine gun
, issued two per troop to provide fire support. To learn the characteristics of these new weapons, the commandos spent days on the rifle ranges learning how to handle them.
On 25 May 1944, No. 4 Commando arrived in Southampton
. They occupied a large marshalling area with tight security. Orders detailed their role in the invasion. "The two French troops would attack and destroy a strong point that dominated the beaches known as the Casino, followed by the five British fighting troops, supported by the heavy weapons troop, who were to push on further into the town to destroy a coastal battery." The German defenders in the area came from the 1st Battalion, 736th Infantry Regiment part of the 716th Infantry Division. They were responsible for the Casino strong point with its 7.5 centimetres (3 in) and 5 centimetres (2 in) guns, the coastal battery with its six 15.5 centimetres (6.1 in) guns and ten machine guns posts, stretching from the Orn9e canal along the seafront to Queen beach at La Breche, where the commando would be landing.
The six British troops on board the Infantry Landing Ships, HMS Princess Astrid and HMS Maid of Orleans and the two French troops on LCIs 523 and 527 left the Solent
on 5 June 1944. When out at sea they were informed that the invasion was going to be in Normandy
and more specifically Ouistreham.
For the landing each man carried a rucksack weighing 80 pounds (36.3 kg) containing extra ammunition, for the Brens, mortar
s, Vickers K guns and PIAT
s. This was on top of their own personal weapon and ammunition. Unusually each man chose whether to would wear a steel helmet
or the Commando green beret
. No. 4 Commando were in the second wave and landed behind the initial assault battalion, from the East Yorkshire Regiment
, part of the 3rd Infantry Division. Captain Porteous described how their dead and wounded were "just swilling around in the water." Captain McDougal later wrote, "as we were coming ashore the assault troops were committing suicide by trying to dig in on the beach. In passing I kicked the nearest man telling him to keep going. The man was dead. So was the man next to him and a third was seriously wounded by machine gun fire." The Commandos followed their drills and cleared the beach as quickly as possible. Once clear they headed for their assembly area, which was also the commando medical post. Leaving their rucksacks behind, they set off along the Lion sur Mer road towards their objectives.
Lieutenant Colonel Dawson had decided that the two French troops should take the lead into Ouistreham, followed by the six British troops. The French were unopposed apart from some mortar rounds and machine gun fire as they neared their objective. No. 8 French Troop occupied houses at the front and sides of the Casino strong point. An assault to capture the Casino was driven back. While this was going on the other French troop, No. 1, approached the Casino from the rear. Taking up firing positions they too started to engage the strong point but their fire had almost no effect. The French commander Capitaine de frégate Philippe Kieffer
was just about to order an all out assault by both troops, when reports that British amphibious tanks were in Ouistreham reached him. Sending a guide to bring one forward, the tank arrived in front of the Casino and proceeded to destroy the German gun emplacements. Within 30 minutes of the tanks' arrival, all the strong point guns were silenced and No. 1 Troop had assaulted and captured the objective. With its capture the French Commandos were now in control of the western suburbs of Ouistreham.
The rest of No. 4 Commando was moving along the Lion sur Mer road towards their objective the gun battery. The battery was located at the extreme left of the landing beaches. The Orne canal formed its northern boundary and the Casino strong point was to the south. It was surrounded by barbed wire and had three machine gun posts. Two of the posts faced where the canal joined the sea and the third faced up the canal towards the port. To the west of the battery were the houses of the town and the port area of Ouisterham. The order of march was: C Troop to deal with any opposition on route, D Troop who were to force an entrance into the battery, A Troop to provide covering fire for the assaulting troops. In the assault E Troop would take the left hand guns, and F Troop the right. Bringing up the rear was the headquarters and the heavy weapons troop. The heavy weapons troop set up a fire base to support both the French and British attacks if needed. Progress along the road was rapid with only intermittent artillery fire slowing them down. As they advanced, a tank from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars joined them, just in time to engage German snipers who had started shooting at E and F Troops.
As C Troop reached the forming up point for the assault it met heavy machine gun fire from the gun battery. A Troop bypassed them to occupy houses to cover the assault. The next to arrive was D Troop, which had a special ladder to cross the anti-tank ditch around the battery. Realising that the man carrying the ladder had been killed crossing the beach and the ladder left behind, they looked for another way to cross. They discovered wooden planks bridging the gap that the defenders used to access the town. D Troop crossed and captured the machine gun posts around the battery. With the machine guns taken, E and F Troops began their assault. The attack was successful but they discovered the guns were only wooden dummies made from telegraph poles. The real guns had been removed three days previously and positioned further inland.
Having captured its objectives, No. 4 Commando reformed and set out to join the rest of the brigade, about 6 miles (9.7 km) away. Lieutenant Colonel Dawson was wounded during the fighting and Major Menday temporarily took command. The march inland to the Orne bridges was uneventful and upon arrival No. 4 Commando dug in on a ridge of high ground to the east of the River Orne towards Sallenelles
. Their new position was 2 miles (3.2 km) towards Sallenelles beside the Hauger château
. Not long after they arrived and started digging in, the gliders of the 6th Airlanding Brigade began landing to their rear.
Expecting a Germans counter attack, protective trenches were completed by nightfall. The first night 6/7 June was uneventful and "stand to" was 04:30, but there were still no signs of a German attack. During the day there was some sniping in the morning and in the afternoon E and F Troop were subjected to a mortar barrage. By now the trenches were complete with overhead protection and arranged to give an all-round defence. In the French troops' area some activity was observed and Menday, still in command, suspected an attack from the direction of Sallenells. Nothing come of that but in the evening of 7 June, some dive bombers strafed the brigade position.
By the end of the second day there was still no signs of the expected German ground attack. That night was also uneventful but just after stand to on 8 June, German infantry were observed advancing through the woods to their front. Holding fire until the last minute, the Germans were beaten back but A Troop found themselves surrounded on three sides and forced to withdraw. That night the Germans attacked again, this time targeting C Troop, but were again driven back. Shortly thereafter a group from No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando arrived and reported that the Germans had broken through and were on the road behind No. 4 Commando. Captain Porteous and D Troop moved down the road to deal with them. Outnumbered two to one D Troop charged, killing some and forcing the rest to withdraw.
The next morning 10 June, from 09:30 to 10;00 the No. 4 Commandos position was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar bombardment. For the two hours before this, No. 6 Commando was heavily bombed, which was followed up by a ground assault that lasted until midday. Suspecting an attack on their own position No. 4 Commando stood to. The attack did not materialise until 17:00, when massed German infantry were observed forming up in front of F Troop. At the same time an artillery Forward Observation Officer arrived from brigade, he contacted the 25 pounder guns
attached to the 6th Airborne Division and requested 12 rounds of rapid fire. The rounds landed on target and another 12 were called for, breaking the German attack. The British artillery was not alone—since digging in, the Commandos had been on the receiving end of artillery and mortars which was steadily taking its toll in casualties. E Troop for example were now under the command of a section sergeant and had only 20 men left from a complement of 65.
Elsewhere the Germans were attacking A, C and the French troops. C Troop had ambushed the Germans, moving forward to attack and then fought off a second attack. The attack on the French position was supported by a tank, which they only managed to knock out with a PIAT after it had got behind them. In both these attacks the commandos were involved in hand-to-hand combat to keep the Germans from overrunning their positions. From 11 June the German pressure on the commando line lessened. They were still subject to artillery and mortar fire but there were no more infantry attempts to dislodge them. In the days since landing No. 4 Commando had taken 50 percent casualties. Before the landings 1st Special Service brigade had been informed they would be withdrawn in a few days, after the Allies had broken out from the beachhead. Problems capturing Caen
meant the commandos and airborne division had to remain to secure the left flank along the line of the Orne. They did not get relieved for 82 days, during which they not only held the left flank but on 18 August started their own break out. With No. 4 Commando leading the first village liberated was Bavent
followed by Beaumont en Auge. Breuzville was entered over the night of 25/26 August and Boulleville
the following day. Here they remained until 6 September when the brigade was withdrawn and sent back to Britain, for 14 days leave.
On their return from leave, No, 4 Commando had been made back up to full strength with casualty replacements. The commando were informed they would be joining the 4th Special Service Brigade
to replace No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando
. Arriving in Belgium they discovered that the brigade was already well into training for Operation Infatuate
. This was an assault landing on the island of Walcheren to open the sea route into Antwerp. The city had already been liberated but the northern bank of the Scheldt
was still in German hands, enabling them to sink shipping trying to use the port. The First Canadian Army
would attack across the causeway from the east. In support of them 4th Special Service Brigade would carry out an assault from the sea. The majority of the brigade would land at Westkapelle
, No. 4 Commandos objective was further south at Flushing
, with the 155th (South Scottish) Brigade landing behind them.
In preparation for the landing orders were issued to ensure everyone was fit and to concentrate on weapons firing and street fighting. The two French troops were still under command and just for this operation No. 4 Commando took command of a section from the Dutch Troop, No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, and groups from the Special Boat Section
(SBS), Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery
to call for artillery fire support. For some reason the old method of calling troops by letters of the alphabet was dropped and the troops were now numbered. The No.1 to No.4 Troops were British and No.s 5 and 6 French. The heavy weapons troop was No. 4 Troop. The final plan for the assault was for the SBS and a section from No. 1 Troop, to go first and reconnoitre a suitable landing point. Following them, the rest of No.1, No. 2 Troop and commando headquarters would secure the beachhead. They would then be joined by the remaining troops, passing through the beachhead and into the town. No.1 Troop would secure the left flank and No. 2 Troop the right.
The operation to liberate the island started at 04:45 1 November 1944, when No. 4 Commando left Breskens
by LCAs for their objective the town of Flushing. On their way in and 60 minutes before they were expected to land a heavy artillery bombardment started. By 05:45 the SBS group landed beside the Oranje Molen windmill. They cleared the mines, other obstacles and dealt with the German guards without firing a shot. Then they marked the landing spot for the rest of the commando, No. 1 and No.2 Troops were the next to land. They extended the beachhead and captured machine gun posts and heavy gun emplacements. Another weapon captured was a 50 millimetres (2 in) anti-aircraft gun which supported the other troops when they moved into the town. The final wave landed at 06:30, but had to contend with heavy and accurate fire. One LCA carrying the heavy weapons troop was sunk containing most of their weapons and equipment. Once on the island No. 3 and No.5 Troop moved into the town held by the large numbers of Germans defending the area. No. 6 Troop captured the post office and 50 prisoners. In the afternoon No. 1 Troop was released to support No. 3 and together they advanced again before nightfall. No. 4 Commando had by then secured most of the old town and their flanks were secure.
The advance continued the next day. No. 5 Troop, unable to use the streets, advanced by mouse-holing
, blowing holes in house walls, with ready-made charges every man carried. No. 6 Troop had dug in and controlled the area between the old and new towns, which allowed the 155th (South Scottish) Brigade which was following up to bypass them. By that afternoon No. 4 Commando controlled the town.
On 3 November the commandos gave control of Flushing to the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and prepared to move by sea to support the rest of the brigade at Westkapelle. Before they could disembark, weather conditions deteriorated and they were forced to march around the coast to reach brigade headquarters at Zoutelande
. Lack of supplies curtailed their involvement in the battle for the next two days. Supplies eventually caught up with them and on 6 November they prepared to continue. By now intelligence from Dutch residents and prisoners had revealed that the remaining Germans were holed up in the wooded area between Domburg
and Vrouwenpolder
.
At 04:45, 7 November No. 4 Commando were ready to start their assault, with No. 3 Troop on the left, the two French troops in the middle and No. 2 Troop on the right. The commandos moved forward, winning a number of small skirmishes, when at 08:15 three German officers appeared and offered the surrender of all the remaining German forces in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Dawson met with the German commander and a formal surrender was agreed and 900 prisoners were taken. Other Germans surrendered to some of the Royal Marine commandos at the same time. In the whole operation No. 4 Commando had suffered 13 dead, 21 wounded versus about 200 German dead and the capture of 1,200 prisoners and large amounts of weapons and equipment.
The total casualties for 4th Special Service Brigade were 103 dead, 68 missing and 325 wounded.
in Belgium where reinforcements arrived to bring them back up to full strength. They returned to Walcheren to defend the northern coastal areas. Of particular concern was the island of Schouwen-Duiveland
, with an estimated garrison of 5,000 men and artillery. The objective was "to prevent enemy infiltration and sabotage". Lieutenant Colonel Dawson allocated stretches of the coast to each troop and taking the offensive to the enemy, started a programme of raids on Schouwen-Duiveland. At this stage of the war these raids were generally successful. Most patrols brought back prisoners and inflicted casualties on the German defenders. One raid was supposed to meet a party form the Dutch resistance
they landed without being discovered but then disturbed a German patrol who fled rather than put up any resistance. The commandos later learned that the Dutch resistance group, had been captured by the German patrol and were hanged the next morning.
In March 1945, they were relieved by No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
and moved to Middleburg
and were at Bergen-Op-Zoom by April. While responsible for the security of the immediate area, they conducted small raids from the sea against Zuid Holland. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945. On the No. 4 Commando front the two French troops crossed the channel to Schouwen and Lieutenant Colonel Dawson accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces in the region. Within days of the surrender No. 4 Commando moved to Recklinghausen
in Germany as part of the occupation forces. In Recklinghausen part of their duties were to provide the guard force for a civilian internment camp. The camp housed several thousand Nazi civilians who were not prisoners of war. Inmates included those with no identification and those known to have served in concentration camps. The two French troops returned to French control and were demobilised. Other men were posted to No.s 3 and 6 Commandos in Britain, who were preparing for a move to the Far East
to continue the fight in the Burma campaign
. By June 1945 the strength of No. 4 Commando had been reduced to 188 all ranks. During a visit in October 1945, Lieutenant General
Robert Sturges
, informed them that the War Office had decided to disband all army commandos. Those not due to be demobilised would be returned to their parent regiment or corps. No. 4 Commando was formally disbanded in January 1946.
, generally (although not always) one with a victorious outcome. The following battle honours were awarded to the British Commandos for service in the Second World War (** indicates where No. 4 Commando were present).
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...
-sized 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...
commando
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...
unit, formed in 1940 early in the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
assault unit.
The unit's first operation was the successful raid on the Lofoten Islands
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
in March 1941. The next two planned operations were both cancelled and it was not until 1942 that No. 4 Commando took part in another raid, Operation Abercrombie
Operation Abercrombie
During World War II, Operation Abercrombie was an Anglo-Canadian reconnaissance raid on the area around the French coastal village of Hardelot. It had been scheduled for the night of 19/20 April,1942, but delayed until 21/22 April. The raid was largely unopposed but, on review, the benefits were...
, a raid on the French coastal town of Hardelot. Later the same year No. 4 was one of three commando units selected for the Dieppe raid
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
. Under the command of Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
, No. 4 Commando landed on the right flank of the main landings and successfully silenced a German gun battery. This was the only complete success of the operation, which was eventually aborted following heavy losses.
As part of the 1st Special Service Brigade
1st Special Service Brigade
The 1st Special Service Brigade was a brigade of the British Army. Formed during World War II, it consisted of elements of the army and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid , before being combined under one commander for service in...
, No. 4 Commando took part in the Normandy Landings in June 1944. Landing on Sword beach
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
30 minutes before the rest of the brigade, their first objectives were to capture a strong point and gun battery in Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
. After the commandos eliminated these positions they rejoined the brigade, reinforcing the 6th Airborne Division at the Orne bridges
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....
. Before the invasion the brigade had been informed that they would stay in France for only a few days. The commando remained there for a further 82 days, protecting the beachhead's left flank. During that period, No. 4 Commando endured over 50 percent casualties. Finally withdrawn to Britain in September 1944, they were reassigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade
4th Special Service Brigade
The 4th Special Service Brigade was created in March 1944 from units of the Royal Marines. Due to the success of the Army Commandos’ operations in Norway, the Channel Islands, St...
for the assault on Walcheren island
Battle of Walcheren Causeway
The Battle of Walcheren Causeway was an engagement of the Battle of the Scheldt between the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, elements of the British 52nd Infantry Division, notably the Glasgow Highlanders, and troops of the German 15th Army in 1944...
. At the end of the war No. 4 Commando became part of the occupation force in Germany, but together with all other army commando units were disbanded in 1946.
Background
The British Commandos were a formation of the British Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
organised for special service in June 1940. After the Dunkirk evacuation, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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...
, Winston Churchill
Winston 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...
, called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated, "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast." One staff officer, 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...
Dudley Clarke
Dudley Clarke
Dudley Wrangel Clarke, CBE, CB was a Brigadier in the British Army who was behind several deception operations during the Second World War and who founded the British Army's Commando force. He was born at Ladysmith, Natal, and educated at Charterhouse School...
, had already submitted such a proposal to General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir John Dill
John Dill
Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO was a British commander in World War I and World War II. From May 1940 to December 1941 he was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and subsequently in Washington, as Chief of the British Joint Staff...
, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal and on 23 June 1940, the first commando raid took place.
The request for volunteers for special service was initially restricted to serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and from men of the disbanding divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army divisions who had served in Norway.
By November 1940, more than 2,000 men had volunteered and were organised into four battalions in a Special Service Brigade
Special Service Brigade
The Special Service Brigade was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War.It was formed in 1940, after the call for volunteers for Special Service who eventually became the British Commandos.-Background:...
, under the command of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
J. C. Haydon. The Brigade quickly expanded to 12 battalions,which were re-named commandos. Each commando had a lieutenant colonel as the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
(CO) and numbered around 450 men (divided into 75 man troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s that were further divided into 15 man sections
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
). Technically these men were only on secondment to the commandos; they retained their regimental cap badges and remained on the regimental roll for pay. The new force of commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters.
Formation
No. 4 Commando was formed in WeymouthWeymouth and Portland
Weymouth and Portland is a local government district and borough in Dorset, England. It consists of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and includes the areas of Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southill, Chiswell, Castletown, Fortuneswell, Radipole, Nottington,...
on 21 July 1940, when the first intake of 500 volunteers arrived. The unique nature of the commandos immediately became apparent when every man was held responsible for finding his own quarters. As commandos were expected to be fighting troops, they had no administrative personnel, such as clerks and cooks for example. To assist them with living 'off camp', with no cook house all ranks were given a daily allowance and a ration card, the allowance being 67 pence for officers and of 34 pence for other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
. This arrangement meant that commandos lived on civilian rations, while the rest of the armed forces had the more plentiful military scale of rations.
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...
C.P.D Legard and the Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major
Regimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by chief warrant officers in the Canadian Forces...
W. Morris held their first parade on 22 July 1940, at Weymouth Pavilion. The volunteers were informed of the intended role for the commandos and that training would be "tough and demanding and any who could not measure up to the standard required would be returned to their parent unit without any leave of appeal".
Training started immediately and concentrated on physical fitness, weapons training, movement across country including cliff climbing, obstacle crossing and raiding operations. Weapons training was limited by the lack of anything other than the personal weapons (rifles and pistols) that each man had brought with him. Machine guns or anything heavier were available at the time. In August 1940, some officers and non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s (NCO) were sent to 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....
in the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
on a commando course. These men were then responsible for teaching the rest of the unit.
No. 4 Commando remained at Weymouth until 13 October 1940, when it boarded trains for Scotland. Arriving on the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
at 06:00 the next day, they were sent on board HMS Glengyle
HMS Glengyle
HMS Glengyle was a Landing Ship, Infantry of the Royal Navy. She saw service in the Second World War-Design and conversion:Glengyle was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, for the Glen Line...
, an Infantry landing ship. Glengyle sailed on 18 October for Inveraray
Inveraray
Inveraray is a royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is the traditional county town of Argyll and ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll.-Coat of arms:...
, to conduct training for the first time with Assault Landing Craft. The move to Scotland became permanent and No. 4 Commando were based at Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
.
While all this was going on, a decision was made to concentrate the commandos and Independent Companies into five large 1,000 man battalions, each of two companies. No. 4 Commando was renamed the No. 1 Company of the 3rd Special Service Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Lister. No. 2 Company was formed by the re-designation of No. 7 Commando
No. 7 Commando
No. 7 Commando was a unit of the British Commandos and part of the British Army during the Second World War. The Commando was formed in August 1940 in the United Kingdom No. 7 Commando was transferred to the Middle East as part of Layforce...
. This new formation proved to be too large and unwieldy in practice. Within three months, the Special Service Battalions were disbanded and the original commando units reformed but on a smaller scale with six troops instead of the original ten. Each troop would comprise three officers and 62 other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
; this number was set so each troop would fit into two Assault Landing Craft. The new formation also meant that two complete Commando units could be carried in the 'Glen' type landing ship
HMS Glengyle
HMS Glengyle was a Landing Ship, Infantry of the Royal Navy. She saw service in the Second World War-Design and conversion:Glengyle was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, for the Glen Line...
and one unit in the 'Dutch' type landing ship
HMS Queen Emma
HMS Queen Emma was a commando troop ship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Built as a civilian passenger liner in 1939 by De Schelde at Vlissingen, she was named the MS Koningin Emma, after Queen Emma of the Netherlands, and operated by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland between...
.
Lofoten Islands
On 20 February 1941, No. 4 Commando were informed they would be going to TroonTroon
Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...
in Scotland for an exercise
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
. The next day the unit boarded HMS Queen Emma
HMS Queen Emma
HMS Queen Emma was a commando troop ship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Built as a civilian passenger liner in 1939 by De Schelde at Vlissingen, she was named the MS Koningin Emma, after Queen Emma of the Netherlands, and operated by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland between...
, but on 22 February 1941, after they anchored at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, their real objective was divulged. Together with No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando
No. 3 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit raised by the British Army for service during the Second World War. Formed in July 1940 from volunteers for special service, it was the first such unit to carry the title of "Commando"...
they were to conduct Operation Claymore, a raid on the Lofoten Islands. Claymore's main objective was to stop the manufacture of fish oil
Fish oil
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid , and docosahexaenoic acid , precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body, and are thought to have many health benefits.Fish do not...
and its exportation to Germany, where it was used in making explosives.
Extra training commenced on board ship, including how the men were to get to their boat stations to disembark. Each troop also rehearsed its own part in the mission. Lectures were given in escape and evasion and troop commanders and NCO's were given small silk maps of Norway to help with any escape attempt. Another item of escape equipment issued was a pair of trouser fly buttons that, when placed one on top of the other, became a small compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
.
Claymore took place on 4 March 1941. The Germans were caught unprepared and the landings were unopposed. Within an hour No. 4 Commando had taken all its objectives. The raid was a success: 11 fish oil factories and storage tanks were destroyed, 10 ships sunk, 225 prisoners taken with an unknown number of German sailors killed on the sunken ships. An added bonus were the 315 Norwegian volunteers brought back to join the Free Norwegian Forces
Free Norwegian Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces in exile were remnants of the armed forces of Norway that continued to fight the Axis powers from Allied countries, such as Britain and Canada, after they had escaped the German occupation of Norway during World War II.-Background:...
.
Operation Puma
After returning from Norway, training started for Operation Puma, the occupation of the Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. The operation was planned following intelligence that Spain was going to join the war on the side of the Axis forces. The intention was to prevent Germany using the islands as a U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
base. The force assembled included five commando units, an army brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, two Royal Marine brigades and supporting arms. Training for Operation Puma culminated in landing exercises in the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
from the Landing Ship, Infantry
Landing Ship, Infantry
Landing Ship, Infantry was a British term for a type of ship used to transport infantry in amphibious warfare during the Second World War...
HMS Royal Scotsman
HMS Royal Scotsman
HMS Royal Scotsman was a LSI of the British Royal Navy that served during World War II. A former passenger ferry, she saw action in the Mediterranean during the invasions of North Africa , Sicily and Italy.-Construction:...
. The operation was renamed Operation Pilgrim and after a number of delays was put on hold by the Chiefs-of-Staff. On 13 September a token force including a troop from No. 4 Commando was dispatched to West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. The troop was based in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
until returning to Britain in February 1942, after the cancellation of the operation. While this was happening a new second in command
Second in Command
Second in Command is a 2006 action film directed by Simon Fellows, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. It was released direct-to-video in the United States, Belgium, and Germany on May 2, 2006. It has been rated R by the MPAA for violence and some language. The film was made in Bucharest, Romania.-Plot...
(2IC) was appointed, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Charles Vaughan, and a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
joined the unit as the training officer. Lovat had been attached to the Lofoten raid as an observer and had applied for a posting to the commandos.
Operation Bludgeon
In February 1942, A, B and C Troops were dispatched to the Outer HebridesOuter Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
under the command of Captain Lord Lovat for extra training. Returning to Troon in March, they were immediately sent to Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
where they embarked on HMS Prins Albert. Once on board they were informed about Operation Bludgeon and started mission training. The objective of this raid was a large building that was a short distance inland from the Dutch coast, and that was used by senior German officers. For the duration of the operation B Troop were issued with flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s to set the building on fire. After several days training, the commandos moved around the coast and anchored in the Thames waiting for the order to go. The operation was eventually cancelled, due to the increased German E-Boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
activity in the area of the landing.
St Nazaire
The St Nazaire raid had the objective of destroying the Normandie dry dock, which would prevent its use by any large German warship if that had been damaged or in need of repair. The majority of land force for the raid was supplied by No. 2 CommandoNo. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
, led by 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...
Newman
Augustus Charles Newman
Lieutenant-Colonel Augustus Charles Newman VC, OBE, TD, DL was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
. However the Special Service Brigade
Special Service Brigade
The Special Service Brigade was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War.It was formed in 1940, after the call for volunteers for Special Service who eventually became the British Commandos.-Background:...
headquarters, used the raid to provide experience for their other units and 92 men were drawn from, No's 1
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...
, 3, 4, 5
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...
, 9
No. 9 Commando
No. 9 Commando was a battalion-sized commando raised by the British Army during the Second World War. They took art in raids across the English Channel and in the Mediterranean ending the was in Italy as part of the 2nd Special Service Brigade...
and 12
No. 12 Commando
No. 12 Commando was a battalion-sized commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Formed in 1940 in Northern Ireland, they carried out a number of small-scale raids in Norway and France between 1941 and 1943 before being disbanded and its personnel dispersed to other commando...
Commandos to go on the raid. The No. 4 Commando contingent was 12 other ranks commanded by Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
H Pennington. They had all previously served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and left under the imprsssion they were going on a Harbour Demolition Course. After their training at Cardiff
Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks is a port in south Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost...
and Southampton Docks only six of the 12 were selected to go on the raid. Three of the six including Lieutenant Pennington were killed before they were able to land, when their Motor Launch
Motor Launch
A Motor Launch is a small military vessel in British navy service. It was designed for harbour defence and submarine chasing or for armed high speed air-sea rescue....
was engaged by the German coastal defence batteries. The other men who had not been selected for the raid were returned to No. 4 Commando.
Operation Abercrombie
Operation Abercrombie was a raid on the French coastal town of Hardelot. Only B and C Troops supported by detachments from the Royal Engineers and the Carleton and York Regiment of Canada participated. The raid was under the overall command of Lord Lovat, with the objective of capturing prisoners and causing as much damage as possible. For this raid they were going to try a different system to cross the channel. Instead of using Infantry Landing Ships to cross the ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
they would be taken across on Motor Gun Boat
Motor Gun Boat
Motor Gun Boat was a Royal Navy term for a small military vessel of the Second World War. They were physically similar to the Motor Torpedo Boats but equipped with a mix of guns instead of torpedoes. Their small size and high speed made them difficult targets for E-boats or torpedo bombers, but...
s towing Assault Landing Craft (LCA). The combined force left Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
on 19 April 1942. En route, one LCA sank with the loss of two commandos who were manning a Bren gun in the bow. The raid was called off and they returned to Dover. A replacement LCA was obtained and they returned to France on 21 April. This time the crossing was uneventful and the commandos made a successful landing. However, the two commando troops were discovered cutting the barbed wire beach obstacles and German machine guns opened fire. The raiders did carry out a reconnaissance of the area but were unable to capture any prisoners. The commandos returned without loss, but one man was wounded in the leg. The smaller Canadian detachment was unable to locate the target beach and returned to Britain. After the raid there was another change in command. Lieutenant Colonel Lister left to form No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
No. 10 Commando was a commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The first No. 10 Commando was proposed in August 1940, using volunteers from Northern Command, however there was such a poor response that No...
and Major Vaughan became the temporary commanding officer. Vaughan left shortly afterwards to take over command of the Commando Depot at Achnaccarry and was succeeded by Lord Lovat with Major Derek Mills-Roberts becoming the 2IC.
Dieppe Raid
Originally conceived in April 1942, "Operation Rutter" was to conduct a major divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
-sized raid on a German held port of Dieppe on the French channel coast and to hold it for the duration of at least two tides. They would effect the greatest amount of destruction of enemy facilities and defences before withdrawing. The original plan was approved by the Chiefs of Staff in May 1942. This plan included two parachute landings behind the artillery batteries on either side of the main landing beaches. The parachute operation was later cancelled and instead No. 3, No. 4 and the newly formed 'A' (Royal Marine) Commando were to land by sea and attack the artillery batteries and the harbour.
The Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
Raid was a major operation planned by 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"...
Lord Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Combined Operations Headquarters. The attacking force consisted of around 6,000 troops. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
supplied 237 ships and landing craft, and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
74 squadrons of aircraft, of which 66 were fighter squadrons.
Landing on the eastern flank No. 3 Commando would assault the Goebbels artillery battery, while No. 4 Commando would be responsible for the Hess battery on the western flank. The Hess battery consisted of six 150 millimetres (5.9 in) guns in a concrete emplacement 1100 yards (1,005.8 m) inland from the coastal cliffs. The emplacement was surrounded by two rows of barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
, and protected by several machine gun posts. A nearby anti-aircraft tower could also defend against a ground attack on the guns. The commandos were responsible for their own planning and selected two landing beaches codenamed Orange one and two. Orange One at Varengeville was overlooked by a chalk cliff but had two gullies leading to the top of the cliff. Before the war there were steps down to the beach. But these had been removed and the gullies filled with barbed wire and other obstacles. The second beach Orange Two was at Quiberville
Quiberville
Quiberville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A village of tourism and farming situated by the mouth of the river Saâne in the Pays de Caux at the junction of the D2, the D75 and the D127 roads, some west of Dieppe...
1.5 miles (2.4 km) further west at the mouth of the River Saane. This offered access to the top of the cliffs but was covered by two machine gun pillboxs
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
and barbed wire and it was further away from their target. Intelligence had estimated that the strength of the battery was between 120–175 men, supported by two infantry companies stationed nearby.
The plan was for four troops (A, B, C and F), headquarters and attached specialists, to be divided into two groups. Group one under the command of Major Mills-Roberts would land at Orange One and consisted of C Troop, a section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
from A Troop, the mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
detachment and some of the specialists. They would scale the cliffs and form a fire base in the woods in front of the battery to support the assault. Group two commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lovat would land at Orange Two and take out the beach defences. B and F Troops would then advance move along the river and assault the battery from the rear. The rest of A Troop would be the reserve, positioned between the two beaches. After the attack Group two would withdraw through Group one and be picked up by the waiting LCAs on Orange One beach.
No. 4 Commando made the crossing to Dieppe on board HMS Prins Albert. The crossing was uneventful and at 04:50 just before daybreak Group one landed unopposed. Using two Bangalore torpedo
Bangalore torpedo
A Bangalore torpedo is an explosive charge placed on the end of a long, extendible tube. It is used by combat engineers to clear obstacles that would otherwise require them to approach directly, possibly under fire...
s to blow a hole in the barbed wire, they managed to scale the cliffs. As they approached the battery at 05:45 it opened fire on the main landing force coming ashore at Dieppe. This was 30 minutes before Group one was expected to be in a position but Mills-Roberts responded by speeding up the advance to get their guns into action sooner. Once in position they opened fire on the battery with their mortars, Bren machine guns and sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
rifles. One of the mortar bombs landed inside the battery and exploded the stored charges, putting the guns out of action.
Group two had an opposed landing being greeted by machine gun fire from the two pillboxes guarding the beach. Leaving a section from A Troop to deal with them the rest of the Group ran the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the rear of the battery, bypassing German infantry positions on the way. The A Troop section having finished off the pillboxes, set out for Orange one beach, ambushing a German patrol on route. While this was happening Lovat and the other two troops, were preparing to assault the battery from different directions. The men from B Troop approached from behind the anti-aircraft tower, as they could still see some Germans moving about on it, they detached three men to deal with them. At the same time they stumbled across and captured a machine gun post. At 06:15 the assault started, F Troop discovered a group of Germans forming up to put in their own assault on the fire base. Charging into them they were dispersed without loss to the commandos. The troop continued their advance, moving between some buildings and an orchard, when they were themselves caught in the open by heavy gun fire. Two men in the lead the troop commander Captain Pettiward and Lieutenant McDonald were killed while Troop Sergeant Major
Troop Sergeant Major
In the British Army, the Troop Sergeant Major is the senior NCO in a Royal Artillery troop, usually a Warrant Officer Class 2.This differs from a cavalry troop or infantry platoon, in which the highest-ranking NCO is usually a sergeant....
Stockdale was wounded. It was during this action that the already wounded Captain Porteous
Patrick Anthony Porteous
Colonel Patrick Anthony Porteous VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, acting as the liaison officer between the two groups was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
commenced, this signalled an increasing in the rate of fire from Group one. At 06:30 a very flare fired by Lovat signalled the start of the assault. Group one ceased firing and B and F Troops charged the battery with bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
s fixed. The objective for B Troop was the battery buildings, while F Troop targeted the guns. Captain Porteous now commanding F Troop was wounded again, this time in the thigh but urged his men on. He was shot for the third time and passed out just as the guns were captured. Demolition experts from F Troop destroyed the guns with pre-formed charges while B Troop searched the battery buildings for intelligence materials. Carrying their wounded with them and escorting prisoners both troops withdrew through the fire base. Still in contact with the Germans both groups of commandos made it to Orange One beach and at 08:15 were taken off by the LCAs. They crossed the channel without incident arriving at Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
docks at 17:45 the same day.
For their part in the raid Lovat was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and Mills-Roberts the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. The cost to the Commando was at first thought to be 23 dead but six were only severely wounded and were eventually reported to be prisoners of war. No. 4 Commandos assault on the battery was the only successful part of the whole operation. The War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
claimed it as "a classic example of the use of well trained infantry...and a thoroughness in planning, training and execution", and in February 1943 issued an infantry training pamphlet "in order that all may benefit from the story of a stimulating achievement".
Between Dieppe and Normandy
After Dieppe the headquarters staff changed again. Lovat was promoted to brigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and given command of the 1st Special Service Brigade
1st Special Service Brigade
The 1st Special Service Brigade was a brigade of the British Army. Formed during World War II, it consisted of elements of the army and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid , before being combined under one commander for service in...
. Mills-Roberts was promoted and sent to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
to take over command of No. 6 Commando
No. 6 Commando
No. 6 Commando was a battalion-sized British Army commando unit of the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry assault unit.Formed in July 1940, No...
. They were replaced by Robert Dawson as the CO and Ronald Menday as 2IC. Other changes included moving to a new base in Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
and the formation of a heavy weapons troop in each commando. The new troop with 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...
sections provided the heavy weapons needed for their new role as assault infantry. By now the Commandos had started to move away from smaller raiding operations. They were formed into units intended to spearhead future Allied landing operations. To assist in this they were given the organic fire support weapons, that had been absent when they were a raiding force.
In June 1943, 10 months after the Dieppe raid, No. 4 Commando started a new round of training. The program included mountain warfare training at the Commando Snow and Mountain Warfare Training Centre in Scotland. The emphasis here was on fighting and living in the mountains and instruction in how to train a partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
force. Afterwards they moved to another new base in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. Instead of occupying one town, the troops spread out. A and B Troops were billeted at Seaford
Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
, C and D Troops at Newhaven and E and F Troops at Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
. Training was now almost non stop and a number of large scale landing exercises, using the new Landing Craft Infantry
Landing Craft Infantry
The Landing craft, Infantry or LCI were several classes of sea-going amphibious assault ships of the Second World War utilized to land large numbers of infantry directly onto beaches. They were developed in response to a British request for a vessel capable of carrying and landing substantially...
took place. In February 1944, while the rest of No. 4 continued to practice day and night assault landings and live firing exercises. C Troop was sent to qualify as parachutists at the parachute training centre RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway, was a Royal Air Force station near Manchester, UK, in the parish of Ringway, then in Cheshire. It was operational from 1939 until 1957.-Prewar years:...
. The ranks of No. 4 Commando swelled in April 1944 with the arrival of two French troops from No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. Other new arrivals were the Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifle, which replaced the old SMLE rifles and the Vickers K machine gun
Vickers K machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers K machine gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs...
, issued two per troop to provide fire support. To learn the characteristics of these new weapons, the commandos spent days on the rifle ranges learning how to handle them.
Normandy
Brigadier Lord Lovat, in command of the 1st Special Service Brigade, issued orders for the brigade's forthcoming role in the landings.The Intention. The 6th Airborne Division and 1st Special Service Brigade would be responsible for holding the left flank of the Allied bridgehead of the invasion of Normandy.
The method. The Commando Brigade, consisting of No.s 3, 4 and 6 Army Commandos and No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, to land on the extreme flank of the Allied Forces on Queen beach (SwordSword BeachSword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
) and cut inland to join forces with two brigades dropped inland by gliderMilitary gliderMilitary gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
and parachute. No. 4 Commando to destroy a battery and the garrison in OuistrehamOuistrehamOuistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
and then rejoin the Brigade. The rest of the Brigade, landing 30 minutes after No.4, to fight through enemy defences to reach and reinforce Brigades of the 6th Airborne Division, meeting astride the bridges spanning the River Orne and the Caen Canal. Glider Regiments of the Airlanding Brigade6th Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)The 6th Airlanding Brigade was a glider infantry brigade forming part of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. Composed of three infantry battalions and supporting units, it was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division....
would arrive later the same evening descending in country cleared of the enemy.
On 25 May 1944, No. 4 Commando arrived in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. They occupied a large marshalling area with tight security. Orders detailed their role in the invasion. "The two French troops would attack and destroy a strong point that dominated the beaches known as the Casino, followed by the five British fighting troops, supported by the heavy weapons troop, who were to push on further into the town to destroy a coastal battery." The German defenders in the area came from the 1st Battalion, 736th Infantry Regiment part of the 716th Infantry Division. They were responsible for the Casino strong point with its 7.5 centimetres (3 in) and 5 centimetres (2 in) guns, the coastal battery with its six 15.5 centimetres (6.1 in) guns and ten machine guns posts, stretching from the Orn9e canal along the seafront to Queen beach at La Breche, where the commando would be landing.
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
on 5 June 1944. When out at sea they were informed that the invasion was going to be in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and more specifically Ouistreham.
For the landing each man carried a rucksack weighing 80 pounds (36.3 kg) containing extra ammunition, for the Brens, mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s, Vickers K guns and PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
s. This was on top of their own personal weapon and ammunition. Unusually each man chose whether to would wear a steel helmet
Brodie helmet
The Brodie helmet, called Helmet, steel, Mark I helmet in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in the U.S., was a steel combat helmet designed and patented in 1915 by the Briton John Leopold Brodie...
or the Commando green beret
Green beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
. No. 4 Commando were in the second wave and landed behind the initial assault battalion, from the East Yorkshire Regiment
East Yorkshire Regiment
The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...
, part of the 3rd Infantry Division. Captain Porteous described how their dead and wounded were "just swilling around in the water." Captain McDougal later wrote, "as we were coming ashore the assault troops were committing suicide by trying to dig in on the beach. In passing I kicked the nearest man telling him to keep going. The man was dead. So was the man next to him and a third was seriously wounded by machine gun fire." The Commandos followed their drills and cleared the beach as quickly as possible. Once clear they headed for their assembly area, which was also the commando medical post. Leaving their rucksacks behind, they set off along the Lion sur Mer road towards their objectives.
Lieutenant Colonel Dawson had decided that the two French troops should take the lead into Ouistreham, followed by the six British troops. The French were unopposed apart from some mortar rounds and machine gun fire as they neared their objective. No. 8 French Troop occupied houses at the front and sides of the Casino strong point. An assault to capture the Casino was driven back. While this was going on the other French troop, No. 1, approached the Casino from the rear. Taking up firing positions they too started to engage the strong point but their fire had almost no effect. The French commander Capitaine de frégate Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer , capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.- Life and career :...
was just about to order an all out assault by both troops, when reports that British amphibious tanks were in Ouistreham reached him. Sending a guide to bring one forward, the tank arrived in front of the Casino and proceeded to destroy the German gun emplacements. Within 30 minutes of the tanks' arrival, all the strong point guns were silenced and No. 1 Troop had assaulted and captured the objective. With its capture the French Commandos were now in control of the western suburbs of Ouistreham.
The rest of No. 4 Commando was moving along the Lion sur Mer road towards their objective the gun battery. The battery was located at the extreme left of the landing beaches. The Orne canal formed its northern boundary and the Casino strong point was to the south. It was surrounded by barbed wire and had three machine gun posts. Two of the posts faced where the canal joined the sea and the third faced up the canal towards the port. To the west of the battery were the houses of the town and the port area of Ouisterham. The order of march was: C Troop to deal with any opposition on route, D Troop who were to force an entrance into the battery, A Troop to provide covering fire for the assaulting troops. In the assault E Troop would take the left hand guns, and F Troop the right. Bringing up the rear was the headquarters and the heavy weapons troop. The heavy weapons troop set up a fire base to support both the French and British attacks if needed. Progress along the road was rapid with only intermittent artillery fire slowing them down. As they advanced, a tank from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars joined them, just in time to engage German snipers who had started shooting at E and F Troops.
As C Troop reached the forming up point for the assault it met heavy machine gun fire from the gun battery. A Troop bypassed them to occupy houses to cover the assault. The next to arrive was D Troop, which had a special ladder to cross the anti-tank ditch around the battery. Realising that the man carrying the ladder had been killed crossing the beach and the ladder left behind, they looked for another way to cross. They discovered wooden planks bridging the gap that the defenders used to access the town. D Troop crossed and captured the machine gun posts around the battery. With the machine guns taken, E and F Troops began their assault. The attack was successful but they discovered the guns were only wooden dummies made from telegraph poles. The real guns had been removed three days previously and positioned further inland.
Having captured its objectives, No. 4 Commando reformed and set out to join the rest of the brigade, about 6 miles (9.7 km) away. Lieutenant Colonel Dawson was wounded during the fighting and Major Menday temporarily took command. The march inland to the Orne bridges was uneventful and upon arrival No. 4 Commando dug in on a ridge of high ground to the east of the River Orne towards Sallenelles
Sallenelles
Sallenelles is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Tourism:Most visitors to Sallenelles come to see the Orne estuary, to walk, cycle, or hunt the local water-fowl, or the Maison de la Nature, a permanent exhibition on the local...
. Their new position was 2 miles (3.2 km) towards Sallenelles beside the Hauger château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
. Not long after they arrived and started digging in, the gliders of the 6th Airlanding Brigade began landing to their rear.
Orne bridgehead
By the end of the second day there was still no signs of the expected German ground attack. That night was also uneventful but just after stand to on 8 June, German infantry were observed advancing through the woods to their front. Holding fire until the last minute, the Germans were beaten back but A Troop found themselves surrounded on three sides and forced to withdraw. That night the Germans attacked again, this time targeting C Troop, but were again driven back. Shortly thereafter a group from No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando arrived and reported that the Germans had broken through and were on the road behind No. 4 Commando. Captain Porteous and D Troop moved down the road to deal with them. Outnumbered two to one D Troop charged, killing some and forcing the rest to withdraw.
The next morning 10 June, from 09:30 to 10;00 the No. 4 Commandos position was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar bombardment. For the two hours before this, No. 6 Commando was heavily bombed, which was followed up by a ground assault that lasted until midday. Suspecting an attack on their own position No. 4 Commando stood to. The attack did not materialise until 17:00, when massed German infantry were observed forming up in front of F Troop. At the same time an artillery Forward Observation Officer arrived from brigade, he contacted the 25 pounder guns
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
attached to the 6th Airborne Division and requested 12 rounds of rapid fire. The rounds landed on target and another 12 were called for, breaking the German attack. The British artillery was not alone—since digging in, the Commandos had been on the receiving end of artillery and mortars which was steadily taking its toll in casualties. E Troop for example were now under the command of a section sergeant and had only 20 men left from a complement of 65.
Elsewhere the Germans were attacking A, C and the French troops. C Troop had ambushed the Germans, moving forward to attack and then fought off a second attack. The attack on the French position was supported by a tank, which they only managed to knock out with a PIAT after it had got behind them. In both these attacks the commandos were involved in hand-to-hand combat to keep the Germans from overrunning their positions. From 11 June the German pressure on the commando line lessened. They were still subject to artillery and mortar fire but there were no more infantry attempts to dislodge them. In the days since landing No. 4 Commando had taken 50 percent casualties. Before the landings 1st Special Service brigade had been informed they would be withdrawn in a few days, after the Allies had broken out from the beachhead. Problems capturing Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
meant the commandos and airborne division had to remain to secure the left flank along the line of the Orne. They did not get relieved for 82 days, during which they not only held the left flank but on 18 August started their own break out. With No. 4 Commando leading the first village liberated was Bavent
Bavent
Bavent is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
followed by Beaumont en Auge. Breuzville was entered over the night of 25/26 August and Boulleville
Boulleville
Boulleville is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.-Population:...
the following day. Here they remained until 6 September when the brigade was withdrawn and sent back to Britain, for 14 days leave.
Walcheren
On their return from leave, No, 4 Commando had been made back up to full strength with casualty replacements. The commando were informed they would be joining the 4th Special Service Brigade
4th Special Service Brigade
The 4th Special Service Brigade was created in March 1944 from units of the Royal Marines. Due to the success of the Army Commandos’ operations in Norway, the Channel Islands, St...
to replace No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 46 Commando was a battalion size formation in the British Commandos, formed in August 1943 during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade and served North West Europe and took part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend and Antwerp before...
. Arriving in Belgium they discovered that the brigade was already well into training for Operation Infatuate
Operation Infatuate
Operation Infatuate was the codename given to Anglo-Canadian operation during the Second World War to open the port of Antwerp to shipping and relieve logistical constraints. The operation was part of the wider battle of the Scheldt and involved two assault landings from the sea by the 4th Special...
. This was an assault landing on the island of Walcheren to open the sea route into Antwerp. The city had already been liberated but the northern bank of the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
was still in German hands, enabling them to sink shipping trying to use the port. The First Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
would attack across the causeway from the east. In support of them 4th Special Service Brigade would carry out an assault from the sea. The majority of the brigade would land at Westkapelle
Westkapelle (Netherlands)
Westkapelle is a small city in the municipality of Veere on the island Walcheren, in the province Zeeland of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2005, it had a population of 2,671...
, No. 4 Commandos objective was further south at Flushing
Flushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
, with the 155th (South Scottish) Brigade landing behind them.
In preparation for the landing orders were issued to ensure everyone was fit and to concentrate on weapons firing and street fighting. The two French troops were still under command and just for this operation No. 4 Commando took command of a section from the Dutch Troop, No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, and groups from the Special Boat Section
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...
(SBS), Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
to call for artillery fire support. For some reason the old method of calling troops by letters of the alphabet was dropped and the troops were now numbered. The No.1 to No.4 Troops were British and No.s 5 and 6 French. The heavy weapons troop was No. 4 Troop. The final plan for the assault was for the SBS and a section from No. 1 Troop, to go first and reconnoitre a suitable landing point. Following them, the rest of No.1, No. 2 Troop and commando headquarters would secure the beachhead. They would then be joined by the remaining troops, passing through the beachhead and into the town. No.1 Troop would secure the left flank and No. 2 Troop the right.
The operation to liberate the island started at 04:45 1 November 1944, when No. 4 Commando left Breskens
Breskens
Breskens is a harbour town on the Westerschelde in the municipality of Sluis in the province of Zeeland, in the south-western Netherlands. Its population is 4,280 ....
by LCAs for their objective the town of Flushing. On their way in and 60 minutes before they were expected to land a heavy artillery bombardment started. By 05:45 the SBS group landed beside the Oranje Molen windmill. They cleared the mines, other obstacles and dealt with the German guards without firing a shot. Then they marked the landing spot for the rest of the commando, No. 1 and No.2 Troops were the next to land. They extended the beachhead and captured machine gun posts and heavy gun emplacements. Another weapon captured was a 50 millimetres (2 in) anti-aircraft gun which supported the other troops when they moved into the town. The final wave landed at 06:30, but had to contend with heavy and accurate fire. One LCA carrying the heavy weapons troop was sunk containing most of their weapons and equipment. Once on the island No. 3 and No.5 Troop moved into the town held by the large numbers of Germans defending the area. No. 6 Troop captured the post office and 50 prisoners. In the afternoon No. 1 Troop was released to support No. 3 and together they advanced again before nightfall. No. 4 Commando had by then secured most of the old town and their flanks were secure.
The advance continued the next day. No. 5 Troop, unable to use the streets, advanced by mouse-holing
Mouse-holing
Mouse-holing is a tactic used in urban warfare, in which soldiers create access to adjoining rooms or buildings by blasting or tunneling through a wall. This tactic is used to avoid open streets where advancing infantry, caught in enfilade, are easily targeted by machine-gun and sniper...
, blowing holes in house walls, with ready-made charges every man carried. No. 6 Troop had dug in and controlled the area between the old and new towns, which allowed the 155th (South Scottish) Brigade which was following up to bypass them. By that afternoon No. 4 Commando controlled the town.
On 3 November the commandos gave control of Flushing to the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and prepared to move by sea to support the rest of the brigade at Westkapelle. Before they could disembark, weather conditions deteriorated and they were forced to march around the coast to reach brigade headquarters at Zoutelande
Zoutelande
Zoutelande is a village in the southwest Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Veere, Zeeland, between Dishoek and Westkapelle on the former island Walcheren. On 1 January 2005 it had 1,556 inhabitants. Originally, Zoutelande was mainly an agricultural village...
. Lack of supplies curtailed their involvement in the battle for the next two days. Supplies eventually caught up with them and on 6 November they prepared to continue. By now intelligence from Dutch residents and prisoners had revealed that the remaining Germans were holed up in the wooded area between Domburg
Domburg
Domburg is a seaside resort on the North Sea, on the northwest coast of Walcheren in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Veere, and lies about 11 km northwest of the city of Middelburg, the provincial capital.-Demographics:...
and Vrouwenpolder
Vrouwenpolder
Vrouwenpolder is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Veere, and lies about 9 km north of Middelburg.Vrouwenpolder was a separate municipality until 1966, when it was merged with Veere....
.
At 04:45, 7 November No. 4 Commando were ready to start their assault, with No. 3 Troop on the left, the two French troops in the middle and No. 2 Troop on the right. The commandos moved forward, winning a number of small skirmishes, when at 08:15 three German officers appeared and offered the surrender of all the remaining German forces in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Dawson met with the German commander and a formal surrender was agreed and 900 prisoners were taken. Other Germans surrendered to some of the Royal Marine commandos at the same time. In the whole operation No. 4 Commando had suffered 13 dead, 21 wounded versus about 200 German dead and the capture of 1,200 prisoners and large amounts of weapons and equipment.
The total casualties for 4th Special Service Brigade were 103 dead, 68 missing and 325 wounded.
Disbandment
No. 4 Commando remained at Walcheren until 14 November 1944, then moved to Den Haag to rest and re-equip. They then moved to BlankenbergeBlankenberge
Blankenberge is a town and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke.On 1 January 2010 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,907...
in Belgium where reinforcements arrived to bring them back up to full strength. They returned to Walcheren to defend the northern coastal areas. Of particular concern was the island of Schouwen-Duiveland
Schouwen-Duiveland
Schouwen-Duiveland is a municipality and an island in the southwestern Netherlands.The Brouwersdam is a dam, part of the Delta Works, from Schouwen-Duiveland to Goedereede, the west part of the island of Goeree-Overflakkee in South Holland....
, with an estimated garrison of 5,000 men and artillery. The objective was "to prevent enemy infiltration and sabotage". Lieutenant Colonel Dawson allocated stretches of the coast to each troop and taking the offensive to the enemy, started a programme of raids on Schouwen-Duiveland. At this stage of the war these raids were generally successful. Most patrols brought back prisoners and inflicted casualties on the German defenders. One raid was supposed to meet a party form the Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
they landed without being discovered but then disturbed a German patrol who fled rather than put up any resistance. The commandos later learned that the Dutch resistance group, had been captured by the German patrol and were hanged the next morning.
In March 1945, they were relieved by No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 47 Commando was a battalion size formation in the British Commandos, formed in August 1943 during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade and served North West Europe and took part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend, Antwerp and the...
and moved to Middleburg
Middelburg (South Holland)
Middelburg is a hamlet in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 2 km west of Waddinxveen, in the former municipality of Reeuwijk....
and were at Bergen-Op-Zoom by April. While responsible for the security of the immediate area, they conducted small raids from the sea against Zuid Holland. Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945. On the No. 4 Commando front the two French troops crossed the channel to Schouwen and Lieutenant Colonel Dawson accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces in the region. Within days of the surrender No. 4 Commando moved to Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
in Germany as part of the occupation forces. In Recklinghausen part of their duties were to provide the guard force for a civilian internment camp. The camp housed several thousand Nazi civilians who were not prisoners of war. Inmates included those with no identification and those known to have served in concentration camps. The two French troops returned to French control and were demobilised. Other men were posted to No.s 3 and 6 Commandos in Britain, who were preparing for a move to 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,...
to continue the fight 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...
. By June 1945 the strength of No. 4 Commando had been reduced to 188 all ranks. During a visit in October 1945, Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Robert Sturges
Robert Sturges
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Grice Sturges KBE, CB, DSO was an officer in the Royal Marines.In World War I, Sturges fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Jutland....
, informed them that the War Office had decided to disband all army commandos. Those not due to be demobilised would be returned to their parent regiment or corps. No. 4 Commando was formally disbanded in January 1946.
Battle honours
In the British Army battle honours are awarded to regiments that have seen active service in a significant engagement or campaignMilitary campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
, generally (although not always) one with a victorious outcome. The following battle honours were awarded to the British Commandos for service in the Second World War (** indicates where No. 4 Commando were present).
- AdriaticDodecanese CampaignThe Dodecanese Campaign of World War II was an attempt by Allied forces, mostly British, to capture the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea following the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans...
- AlethangyawBurma CampaignThe 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...
- AllerOperation PlunderCommencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
- AnzioOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
- Argenta GapBattle of the Argenta GapThe Battle of the Argenta Gap was an engagement which formed part of the Allied spring 1945 offensive during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War...
- Burma 1943–45Burma CampaignThe 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...
- CreteBattle of CreteThe Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
- DieppeDieppe RaidThe Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
** - Dives CrossingOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
** - Djebel Choucha
- FlushingBattle of the ScheldtThe Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations of the Canadian 1st Army, led by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds. The battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands during World War II from 2 October-8 November 1944...
** - Greece 1944–45Dodecanese CampaignThe Dodecanese Campaign of World War II was an attempt by Allied forces, mostly British, to capture the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea following the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans...
- Italy 1943–45Italian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
- KangawBattle of Hill 170The 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....
- Landing at Porto San VenereItalian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
- Landing in SicilyAllied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
- LeeseOperation PlunderCommencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
- LitaniOperation LitaniThe 1978 South Lebanon conflict was an invasion in Lebanon up to the Litani River carried out by the Israel Defense Forces in 1978. It was a military success for the Israeli Defense Forces, as PLO forces were pushed north of the river...
- MadagascarBattle of MadagascarThe Battle of Madagascar was the Allied campaign to capture Vichy-French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. It began on 5 May 1942. Fighting did not cease until 6 November.-Geo-political:...
- Middle East 1941, 1942, 1944
- Monte OrnitoOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
- MyebonBurma CampaignThe 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...
- Normandy Landing **
- North Africa 1941–43North African campaignDuring the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
- North-West Europe 1942, 1944–1945 **
- Norway 1941Operation ClaymoreOperation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important center for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941,...
** - Pursuit to MessinaAllied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
- RhineOperation VarsityOperation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
- St. Nazaire **
- SalernoAllied invasion of ItalyThe Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
- Sedjenane 1Tunisia CampaignThe Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
- Sicily 1943Allied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
- Steamroller Farm
- Syria 1941Syria-Lebanon campaignThe Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
- Termoli
- VaagsoOperation ArcheryOperation Archery, also known as the Vaagso Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid during World War II against German positions on Vaagso Island , Norway, on 27 December 1941....
- Valli di ComacchioOperation RoastOperation Roast was a military operation by British Commandos at Comacchio lagoon in north east Italy during the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy in World War II.- Strategy :...
- WestkapelleBattle of the ScheldtThe Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations of the Canadian 1st Army, led by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds. The battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands during World War II from 2 October-8 November 1944...
**