42 Commando

40 Commando, Royal Marines
Cap Badge of the Royal Marines
Active	1943-
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Marines
Type	Marine Infantry
Role	Commando
Size	One battalion
Part of	Naval Service
Garrison/HQ	Bickleigh Barracks, Devon
Motto	Per Mare Per Terram (By Sea By Land) (Latin)
Commanders
Captain-General	HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Captain-General, Royal Marines)
Insignia
Commando Flash

42 Commando RM is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet.

Roled as a Commando light infantry unit, 42 Cdo RM is capable of a wide range of operational tasks. Based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth, personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. Whilst 3 Commando Brigade RM are the principal cold weather warfare formation, personnel are capable of operating in a variety of theatres including tropical jungle, desert or mountainous terrain.

All personnel will have completed the Commando course at the Commando Training Centre at Lympstone in Devon, entitling them to wear the green beret, with attached personnel having completed the All Arms Commando Course.

The title is pronounced as "Four Two Commando"

Contents 1 History 1.1 WW2 1.2 Post-WW2 1.3 Return to UK 1.4 Falklands Conflict 1.5 Recent History 2 References

History

WW2

The Unit was formed in August 1943 and sailed for India where it was involved in the Burma campaign.^[1] In Burma during January 1945, following the capture of the Myebon Peninsular, 3 Commando Brigade was given the task of making a further landing near Kangaw, with the intention of cutting Japanese lines of withdrawal down the coast. On 22 January 1945, 42 Royal Marines Commando (Lt Col H H Dales) together with No 1 Commando landed and occupied positions in the mangrove swamp.

Subsequently the Commando was ordered to capture a heavily wooded ridge known as Hill 70. Two days of hand-to-hand fighting were necessary before the Japanese could be driven from the ridge, and no sooner were they dislodged than they subjected it to heavy artillery fire. After a lull of several days, the Japanese counterattacked at dawn on 31 January 1945. The enemy attacked repeatedly. In spite of heavy casualties to the Commando, the Japanese were finally beaten off and withdrew leaving their dead lying thickly among forward Commando positions.

In a Special Order of the Day to 3 Commando Brigade, Lt Gen Sir Philip Christison, Commander of XV Corps, concluded. "The Battle of Kangaw has been the decisive battle of the whole Arakan campaign, and that it was won was very largely due to your magnificent defence of Hill 170^[2]

Post-WW2

Following the Second World War 2 Commando Brigade (Nos. 2, 9, 40(RM) and 43(RM)) disbanded leaving 3 Commando Brigade (42(RM), 44(RM) and 45(RM)). The Commando was involved in operations during the confrontation with Indonesia (Borneo) throughout the following decade and was based in Singapore at the RNAS Sembawang or HMS Simbang ^[3][4]

Return to UK

After the return the UK the Commando was deployed to Northern Ireland, the New Hebrides in 1980 and exercised regularly overseas. Recently the Commando had seen operational service in South Georgia, Montserratt in 1995, Iraq and Afghanistan. ^[5]

Falklands Conflict

In 1982, following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands, the Commando deployed on Operation Corporate. On 21 May the Commando were Brigade reserve at San Carlos under Lt. Col. N. F. Vaux RM. The unit was deployed to seize Mount Kent in a night move by helicopter. By 4 June the unit had moved forward, mostly under cover of darkness, to positions west of high ground overlooking Stanley and the last Argentine stronghold. After days of probing reconnaissance, a Brigade assault took place on the night of 11/12 June in which the Commando's task was to secure Mount Harriet on the Brigade right flank.

By moonlight and in freezing temperatures, 42 Commando moved undetected through enemy minefields in a 9km right-flanking movement to surprise the enemy in their rear. Consecutive assaults by "K" and "L" Companies followed, up steep slopes onto company positions . Against strong resistance and continuous artillery bombardment, the Marines prevailed. By first light more than 30 enemy had been killed and over 300 prisoners taken as 42 Commando consolidated on Mount Harriet. 42 Commando suffered 2 fatalities themselves – one on Mount Harriet and one on Wall Mountain.

For the bravery shown in the attack on Mount Harriet, 42 Commando was awarded 1 DSO, 1 Military Cross, 4 Military Medals and 8 men were Mentioned in Dispatches.^[6]

Recent History

The new millennium saw the Commando deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan.

References

v • d • e British Commando Forces Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade• Special Boat Service 40 Commando• 42 Commando• 45 Commando• Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines Commando Logistic Regiment • 1 Assault Group RM• Brigade Patrol Troop• Armoured Support Group RM 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery • 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers• Special Forces Support Group

---

No comments have been added.

Your name:
City:
Country:	USA UK India Pakistan UAE Saudi Arabia Germany Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burund Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Rep Chad Chile China Columbia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic DR Congo Denmark Djiboutil Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eq Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Grenadines Guatemala Guinea Bissau Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Neth Antilles Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Rawanda Romania Russia Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Korea South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts_Nevis St Lucia Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvala UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Western Samoa Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe
Your comments:
Security check * (Please enter the number into adjoining box)