No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando
Encyclopedia
No. 48 Commando was a Royal Marine battalion
size formation in the British Commandos
, formed in 1944 during the Second World War. No. 48 Commando was assigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade
and served in North West Europe, taking part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend
and Antwerp before being disbanded in January 1946
the British Prime Minister
. He called for specially trained troops that would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast". At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, but by 1943 there role had changed into lightly equipped assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.
The man selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral
Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli and the Zeebrugge raid
in the First World War. Initially the Commandos were a British Army
formation the first Royal Marine Commando was formed in 1942. The Royal Marine Commandos like all British Commandos went through the six week intensive commando course at Achnacarry
. The course in the Scottish Highlands concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations and demolitions both by day and by night. In 1943 the commando formation had been standardised, into a small headquarters,five fighting Troops, a Heavy Weapons troop and a signals platoon. The fighting Troops consisted of 65 all ranks divided into two 30 man sections which in turn were divided into three ten man sub sections. The Heavy Weapons Troop was made up of 3 inch Mortar and Vickers machine gun
teams.
No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando was the last commando unit formed during the Second World War in March 1944. It was formed by the conversion of the 7th Royal Marine Battalion and the Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisations (MNBDOs) defence battalions to commando duties. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
James Moulton it carried out a shortened commando course at Achnacarry and then joined the all Royal Marine 4th Special Service Brigade
alongside No. 41
, No. 46 and No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commandos.
Assigned to the Normandy landings 4th Special Service Brigade was given the task to seize a number of coastal villages, including Luc-sur-Mer
, St. Aubin-sur-Mer
Langrune-sur-Mer
. They then had to push inland and capture the heavily fortified strong point near the radar station at Douvres
. They were required to hold on for 48 hours before they were relieved.
Landing on the Canadian Juno Beach
No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando was the first Commando unit to land near Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and started the assault on Langrune-sur-Mer which was liberated after heavy fighting and severe losses. They then held a position awaiting reinforcement and equipment to land.
The rest of 4th Special Service Brigade having landed No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando carried out two attacks to take a hill near the village of Dozule
. After the failure of both attacks No. 48 was reinforced by No. 46 and No. 47 Commandos. Reinforced No.48 Commando bypassed the village of Dozule to occupy the high ground at point 120, in the process cutting off a number of retreating Germans and destroying their vehicles.
No.4 Special Service Brigade instead of being withdrawn after 48 hours continued in the Allied advance to the Seine. On route liberating Pont l'Eveque
, Saint-Maclou
, Pavilly
, Yerville
, Motteville
, Yvetot
, Bermonville
and Valmont
before coming out of the line on 18 August 1944.
4th Special Service Brigade returned to the front line to take part in the Battle of the Scheldt
and Operation Infatuate
in November 1944, tasked with the liberation of the island of Walcheren
.
On 1 November No. 48 Commando landed in the South from tank landing craft under German shell fire captured their first objective a row of concrete gun emplacements, on the southern shoulder of the gap and then moved on to their next objective a radar station that had been abandoned by the German defenders. Their next objective an artillery battery was assaulted by Y Troop which resulted in all the Troop being either killed or wounded before they could reach it. Calling for naval gunfire support from H.M.S. Roberts and 2nd Canadian Division the position was next assaulted by Z Troop. Z Troop's assault also failed with half of them being killed or wounded by German mortar
fire. The position was again targeted by the 2nd Canadian artillery and RAF rocket firing Hawker Typhoon
s. Assaulted again by No. 48 Commando the battery was eventually captured and 100 Germans made prisoner of war
. No. 48 Commando's next objective was the capture of Zouteland, which was planned for 2 November. The attack started at dawn following a bombardment from H.M.S. Erebus
the garrison surrendered after two hours of fighting.
Following the Battle of the Scheldt No. 48 Commando raided across the Maas River in Holland and then took part in the army of occupation in Germany.
and Special Boat Service
can all trace their origins to the Commandos.
s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
size formation in the British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
, formed in 1944 during the Second World War. No. 48 Commando was assigned 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...
and served in North West Europe, taking part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
and Antwerp before being disbanded in January 1946
Background
The British Commandos were formed in 1940, by the order of Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
the British Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. He called for specially trained troops that would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast". At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, but by 1943 there role had changed into lightly equipped assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.
The man selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli and the Zeebrugge raid
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
in the First World War. Initially the Commandos were a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
formation the first Royal Marine Commando was formed in 1942. The Royal Marine Commandos like all British Commandos went through the six week intensive commando course at Achnacarry
Achnacarry
Achnacarry is a small hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of Highland, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west....
. The course in the Scottish Highlands concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations and demolitions both by day and by night. In 1943 the commando formation had been standardised, into a small headquarters,five fighting Troops, a Heavy Weapons troop and a signals platoon. The fighting Troops consisted of 65 all ranks divided into two 30 man sections which in turn were divided into three ten man sub sections. The Heavy Weapons Troop was made up of 3 inch Mortar and Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
teams.
Operations
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...
James Moulton it carried out a shortened commando course at Achnacarry and then joined the all Royal Marine 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...
alongside No. 41
41 Commando
41 Commando or No. 41 Commando was a unit of Royal Marines trained as Commandos during the Second World War. They were part of the all Royal Marine 4th Special Service Brigade that took part in the Normandy Landings in June 1944 and later that served in World War II, the Korean War, and in...
, No. 46 and No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commandos.
Assigned to the Normandy landings 4th Special Service Brigade was given the task to seize a number of coastal villages, including Luc-sur-Mer
Luc-sur-Mer
Luc-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Sights:* The "Maison de la Baleine". On January 15, 1885 a 40 ton and 19 meters long whale beached in Luc sur Mer...
, St. Aubin-sur-Mer
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, Calvados
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is located at the eastern end of Nan Sector of Juno Beach, one of the landing sites on D-Day, at the beginning of the Battle of Normandy, during World War II...
Langrune-sur-Mer
Langrune-sur-Mer
-References:*...
. They then had to push inland and capture the heavily fortified strong point near the radar station at Douvres
Douvres
Douvres is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:...
. They were required to hold on for 48 hours before they were relieved.
Landing on the Canadian Juno Beach
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando was the first Commando unit to land near Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and started the assault on Langrune-sur-Mer which was liberated after heavy fighting and severe losses. They then held a position awaiting reinforcement and equipment to land.
The rest of 4th Special Service Brigade having landed No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando carried out two attacks to take a hill near the village of Dozule
Dozulé
-See also:* Cross of Dozulé* Movement of Love Saint Juan Diego*Communes of the Calvados department-References:*...
. After the failure of both attacks No. 48 was reinforced by No. 46 and No. 47 Commandos. Reinforced No.48 Commando bypassed the village of Dozule to occupy the high ground at point 120, in the process cutting off a number of retreating Germans and destroying their vehicles.
No.4 Special Service Brigade instead of being withdrawn after 48 hours continued in the Allied advance to the Seine. On route liberating Pont l'Eveque
Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados
Pont-l'Évêque is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France. It has given its name to a type of soft cheese .-Population:-Transport:* A13 autoroute* A132 autoroute...
, Saint-Maclou
Saint-Maclou
Saint-Maclou is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.It has two chateaux within its boundaries: the chateau de St Maclou-la-Campagne just outside the village, and the Chateau du Mont...
, Pavilly
Pavilly
Pavilly is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A town of farming and light industry situated by the banks of the Austreberthe River in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D4, D142, D22 and the D67...
, Yerville
Yerville
Yerville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small farming and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D929 with the D142 road...
, Motteville
Motteville
Motteville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some northwest of Rouen at the junction of the D20, D89, D53 and the D336 roads...
, Yvetot
Yvetot
Yvetot is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-History:The name is of Scandinavian origin . The town is most likely of Scandinavian origin too. There is also a locality in Bromölla municipality in southern Sweden bearing the same name...
, Bermonville
Bermonville
Bermonville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some northeast of Le Havre, at the junction of the D926 and the D29...
and Valmont
Valmont, Seine-Maritime
Valmont is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated some northeast of Le Havre, at the junction of the D10, D17, D28 and D69 roads. The village is surrounded by woodland...
before coming out of the line on 18 August 1944.
Battle of the Scheldt
Battle of the Scheldt
The 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...
and 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...
in November 1944, tasked with the liberation of the island of Walcheren
Walcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
.
On 1 November No. 48 Commando landed in the South from tank landing craft under German shell fire captured their first objective a row of concrete gun emplacements, on the southern shoulder of the gap and then moved on to their next objective a radar station that had been abandoned by the German defenders. Their next objective an artillery battery was assaulted by Y Troop which resulted in all the Troop being either killed or wounded before they could reach it. Calling for naval gunfire support from H.M.S. Roberts and 2nd Canadian Division the position was next assaulted by Z Troop. Z Troop's assault also failed with half of them being killed or wounded by German 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....
fire. The position was again targeted by the 2nd Canadian artillery and RAF rocket firing Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s. Assaulted again by No. 48 Commando the battery was eventually captured and 100 Germans made prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. No. 48 Commando's next objective was the capture of Zouteland, which was planned for 2 November. The attack started at dawn following a bombardment from H.M.S. Erebus
HMS Erebus (I02)
HMS Erebus was a World War I monitor launched on 19 June 1916 and served in both world wars. She and her sister HMS Terror are known as the Erebus class...
the garrison surrendered after two hours of fighting.
Following the Battle of the Scheldt No. 48 Commando raided across the Maas River in Holland and then took part in the army of occupation in Germany.
Legacy
No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando together with all the army commandos and some Royal Marine commandos was disbanded in 1946 and the commando role was taken over by the Royal Marines. However the present day Parachute Regiment, Special Air ServiceSpecial Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
and Special Boat Service
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
can all trace their origins to the Commandos.
Battle honours
The following Battle honourBattle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.
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