138:
of assault infantry to spearhead future Allied landing operations. Of the remaining 20 Commandos, 17 were used in the formation of the four
Special Service brigades. The three remaining units No. 12, No. 14 (Arctic) and No. 62 Commandos were left to carry out smaller-scale raids. But by the end of
65:
with five
Special Service battalions. By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered for commando training, and the Special Service Brigade now consisted of 12 units which were now called commandos. Each commando would number around 450 men, commanded by a
461:
62:
689:
454:
94:
The
Special Service Brigade consisted of five Special Service battalions, numbered one to five. These Special Service battalions were eventually renamed commandos. The
821:
447:
816:
255:
826:
46:
In 1940, volunteers were called for from serving
British Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain and men of the disbanding Divisional
600:
184:
31:
411:
392:
713:
67:
430:
246:. The four brigades were destined to serve in different theatres of war. The 1st and 4th brigades were based in the
20:
259:
625:
620:
615:
605:
529:
240:
232:
228:
224:
216:
206:
51:
239:
The previous
Special Service Brigade Headquarters was replaced by Headquarters Special Services Group under
139:
the year these three commandos had all been disbanded, to supply replacements for the other commando units.
251:
785:
718:
708:
703:
212:
168:
146:
723:
534:
59:
134:
In 1943 the commandos started to move away from smaller raiding operations. They had been formed into
34:. It was formed in 1940, after the call for volunteers for Special Service who eventually became the
662:
790:
646:
544:
795:
519:
439:
75:
641:
47:
780:
569:
8:
775:
58:. In November 1940 these army units were organised into a Special Service Brigade under
190:
55:
470:
426:
407:
388:
35:
739:
19:
This article is about the former division of the
British Army. For other uses, see
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275:
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180:
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754:
78:. The Commandos were all volunteers, seconded from other British Army
83:
744:
79:
469:
263:
135:
71:
385:
Encyclopaedia of Elite Forces in the Second World War
406:. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press.
822:Military units and formations established in 1940
808:
86:and remained on their regimental roll for pay.
54:(TA) divisions and who had seen service in the
471:British Commando units of the Second World War
455:
404:Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945
118:. The No. 5 Special Service Battalion became
114:. The No. 4 Special Service Battalion became
110:. The No. 3 Special Service Battalion became
106:. The No. 2 Special Service Battalion became
817:Special service brigades of the British Army
565:No. 62 Commando (Small Scale Raiding Force)
462:
448:
74:of 75 men and further divided into 15-man
827:1940 establishments in the United Kingdom
82:, but they retained their own regimental
322:
320:
32:British Army during the Second World War
420:
301:
299:
809:
401:
382:
443:
317:
16:Formation of the British Army in WWII
296:
129:
308:
254:. The 2nd Brigade was based in the
142:The formation of the brigades was:
13:
14:
838:
421:Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006).
21:Special service (disambiguation)
266:. The 3rd Brigade was based in
96:No. 1 Special Service Battalion
626:No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando
621:No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
616:No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando
611:No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando
606:No. 44 (Royal Marine) Commando
601:No. 43 (Royal Marine) Commando
596:No. 42 (Royal Marine) Commando
591:No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando
586:No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando
530:No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
369:
347:
338:
329:
287:
1:
281:
41:
250:and destined for service in
89:
7:
719:4th Special Service Brigade
714:3rd Special Service Brigade
709:2nd Special Service Brigade
704:1st Special Service Brigade
213:4th Special Service Brigade
191:3rd Special Service Brigade
169:2nd Special Service Brigade
147:1st Special Service Brigade
10:
843:
724:Special Air Service Troops
535:No. 11 (Scottish) Commando
383:Haskew, Michael E (2007).
18:
791:No. 1 Demolition Squadron
768:
732:
687:
671:
663:Royal Air Force Commandos
655:
634:
578:
477:
423:British Commandos 1940-46
70:. They were divided into
786:Special Raiding Squadron
647:British commando frogmen
545:No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
796:Long Range Desert Group
699:Special Service Brigade
520:No. 8 (Guards) Commando
402:Joslen, H. F. (2003) .
335:Moreman, pp.84–85
50:originally raised from
30:was a formation of the
28:Special Service Brigade
769:Other Commando forces:
781:Special Boat Squadron
642:Royal Naval Commandos
425:. Osprey Publishing.
217:No. 10 (Inter-Allied)
48:Independent Companies
570:Middle East Commando
252:North-western Europe
776:Special Air Service
68:lieutenant-colonel
56:Norwegian Campaign
804:
803:
413:978-1-84342-474-1
394:978-1-84415-577-4
387:. Pen and Sword.
357:. Order of Battle
130:Commando brigades
36:British Commandos
834:
656:Royal Air Force:
464:
457:
450:
441:
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436:
417:
398:
376:
373:
367:
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362:
351:
345:
342:
336:
333:
327:
324:
315:
312:
306:
303:
294:
291:
52:Territorial Army
842:
841:
837:
836:
835:
833:
832:
831:
807:
806:
805:
800:
764:
728:
683:
679:No. 30 Commando
667:
651:
630:
574:
560:No. 52 Commando
555:No. 51 Commando
550:No. 50 Commando
540:No. 12 Commando
473:
468:
433:
414:
395:
379:
375:Joslen, p. 455.
374:
370:
360:
358:
353:
352:
348:
343:
339:
334:
330:
325:
318:
313:
309:
304:
297:
292:
288:
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270:for service in
258:for service in
132:
124:No. 6 Commandos
104:No. 2 Commandos
92:
44:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
840:
830:
829:
824:
819:
802:
801:
799:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
772:
770:
766:
765:
763:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
736:
734:
733:Ad hoc Forces:
730:
729:
727:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
695:
693:
685:
684:
682:
681:
675:
673:
672:Joint Service:
669:
668:
666:
665:
659:
657:
653:
652:
650:
649:
644:
638:
636:
632:
631:
629:
628:
623:
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608:
603:
598:
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588:
582:
580:
576:
575:
573:
572:
567:
562:
557:
552:
547:
542:
537:
532:
527:
525:No. 9 Commando
522:
517:
515:No. 7 Commando
512:
510:No. 6 Commando
507:
505:No. 5 Commando
502:
500:No. 4 Commando
497:
495:No. 3 Commando
492:
490:No. 2 Commando
487:
485:No. 1 Commando
481:
479:
475:
474:
467:
466:
459:
452:
444:
438:
437:
431:
418:
412:
399:
393:
378:
377:
368:
346:
344:Chappell, p.14
337:
328:
316:
307:
295:
285:
283:
280:
248:United Kingdom
244:Robert Sturges
237:
236:
210:
188:
166:
131:
128:
116:No. 3 Commando
112:No. 4 Commando
108:No. 9 Commando
91:
88:
43:
40:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
839:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
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812:
797:
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792:
789:
787:
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773:
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731:
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622:
619:
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614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
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589:
587:
584:
583:
581:
579:Royal Marine:
577:
571:
568:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
546:
543:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
482:
480:
478:British Army:
476:
472:
465:
460:
458:
453:
451:
446:
445:
442:
434:
432:1-84176-986-X
428:
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415:
409:
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400:
396:
390:
386:
381:
380:
372:
356:
350:
341:
332:
326:Moreman, p.18
323:
321:
314:Moreman, p.12
311:
302:
300:
293:Joslen, p.454
290:
286:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
256:Mediterranean
253:
249:
245:
242:
241:Major-General
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53:
49:
39:
37:
33:
29:
22:
698:
422:
403:
384:
371:
359:. Retrieved
355:"unit index"
349:
340:
331:
310:
305:Haskew, p.48
289:
238:
141:
133:
95:
93:
63:J. C. Haydon
45:
27:
25:
760:Timberforce
750:Layforce II
740:Forfarforce
635:Royal Navy:
233:No. 48 (RM)
229:No. 47 (RM)
225:No. 46 (RM)
221:No. 41 (RM)
207:No. 44 (RM)
203:No. 42 (RM)
185:No. 43 (RM)
181:No. 40 (RM)
811:Categories
755:Northforce
688:Brigades (
282:References
235:Commandos.
209:Commandos.
187:Commandos.
165:Commandos.
163:No.45 (RM)
84:cap badges
42:Background
90:Formation
80:regiments
60:Brigadier
745:Layforce
274:and the
262:and the
136:brigades
76:sections
276:Pacific
264:Balkans
98:became
429:
410:
391:
72:troops
361:8 May
272:Burma
268:India
260:Italy
215:with
199:No. 5
195:No. 1
193:with
177:No. 9
173:No. 2
171:with
159:No. 6
155:No. 4
151:No. 3
149:with
120:No. 5
100:No. 1
690:List
427:ISBN
408:ISBN
389:ISBN
363:2010
231:and
205:and
183:and
161:and
122:and
102:and
26:The
813::
692:):
319:^
298:^
278:.
227:,
223:,
219:,
201:,
197:,
179:,
175:,
157:,
153:,
126:.
38:.
463:e
456:t
449:v
435:.
416:.
397:.
365:.
23:.
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