The Royal Marines are the United Kingdom's amphibious forces and a core component of their Rapid Reaction Force. They are lightly equipped, able to operate independently in all terrains, and highly trained as a commando force.
History
The first unit of English naval infantry, originally called the "Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot" they soon became known as the "Admiral's Regiment," formed on October 28, 1664, and the name "Marines" first appeared in official records in 1672. However, the naval infantry remained a part of the British Army until 1755, when "His Majesty's Marine Forces," fifty companies in three divisions, headquartered at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth, were formed under Admiralty control. In 1802, they were titled the "Royal Marines."
Throughout the 18th and 19th century the Royal Marines played a major part in winning Britain the largest empire ever known.
The "Royal Marine Artillery" were formed as a separate unit in 1804. In 1855, the naval infantry forces were renamed the "Royal Marines, Light Infantry" and in 1862 the name was slightly altered to "Royal Marine Light Infantry." It was not until 1923 that the separate artillery and light infantry forces were formally amalgamated into the "Corps of Royal Marines."
During the Great War, Royal Marines took part in the amphibious landing at Gallipoli in 1915, and, in 1918, led the raid at Zeebrugge.
During World War II the Royal Marine's infantry battalions were reorganised as Commandos from 1942 to join the Army Commandos. In 1946 the Army Commandos were disbanded, leaving the Royal Marines to continue the Commando role (with supporting Army elements).
A small number served as pilots, indeed it was a Royal Marine officer who led the attack by a formation of Blackburn Skuas that sank the German Cruiser Konigsberg .
In the 20th century, the Royal Marines took part in most of the major conflicts that the United Kingdom was involved in. For the first part of the century, their role was the traditional one of shipboard infantry for boarding parties and small landings, and also manning turrets on cruisers and battleships. That continued during the Second World War, but a new role came into being, that of the Commandos.
Commandos were first raised from the British Army as elite forces to be used in raiding operations and to seize particularly tough objectives in larger operations. The first Royal Marine Commandos came into being not much later. A total of four Commando brigades were raised during the war, and Royal Marines were represented in all of them. A total of nine battalions of RM Commandos were raised during the war, numbered from 40 to 48.
1 Commando Brigade had just one RM battalion, No 45 Commando. 2 Commando Brigade had two RM battalions, Nos 40 and 43 Commandos, 3 Commando Brigade again two, Nos 42 and 44 Commandos. 4 Commando Brigade was entirely Royal Marine after March 1944, comprising Nos 41, 46, 47 and 48 Commandos.
1 Commando Brigade took part in the assaults on Sicily and Normandy, and campaigns in the Rhineland and crossing the Rhine; 2 Commando Brigade was involved in the Salerno landings, Anzio, Comacchio and operations in the Argenta Gap ; 3 Commando Brigade in Sicily, and Burma; and 4 Commando Brigade in Normandy and operations in the Schledt Estuary at Walcheren during the clearing of Antwerp.
In January 1945, two further RM brigades were formed, 116th Brigade and 117th Brigade. Both were conventional infantry, rather than in the Commando role. 116th Brigade saw some action in the Netherlands, but 117th Brigade was hardly used operationally.
Royal Marines were involved in the Korean War, although often, little is said about their presence. No 41 Commando was reformed in 1950, and was originally envisaged as a raiding force for use against North Korea. It performed this role until after the landing of X Corps at Wonsan. It was then put into the line, as part of 1st Marine Division, and took part in the famous retreat from Chosin Reservoir. After that, a small amount of raiding followed, before the Marines were withdrawn from the conflict in 1951.
After a part in the long Malayan Emergency, the next action came in 1956, during the Suez Crisis. Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade, and Nos 40, 42 and 45 Commando took part in the operation. It marked the first time that a helicopter assault was used operationally to land troops. British and French forces defeated the Egyptians, but after pressure from the United States, and French Domestic pressure, they backed down.
Further action in the Far East was seen during the Konfrontasi. Nos 40 and 42 Commando went to Borneo at various times to help keep Indonesian forces from causing trouble in border areas. The most high profile incident of the campaign was a company strength amphibious assault by Lima Company of 42 Commando. The assault was made at the town of Limbang to rescue hostages.
From 1969 onwards Royal Marine units regularly deployed to Northern Ireland during The Troubles.
The Falklands War provided the backdrop to the next action of the Royal Marines. Argentina invaded the islands in April 1982. A British taskforce was immediately despatched to recapture them, and given that an amphibious assault was to be necessary, the Royal Marines were heavily involved. 3 Commando Brigade was brought to full warfighting strength, with not only 40, 42 and 45 Commando, but the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Parachute Regiment attached. The troops were landed at San Carlos Water at the western end of East Falkland, and proceeded to 'yomp' across the entire island to the capital, Port Stanley, which fell on 14 June 1982. Not only was 3 Commando Brigade deployed, but a Royal Marines divisional headquarters deployed, under Major General Jeremy Moore, who was commander of British land forces during the war.
3 Commando Brigade were not deployed in the 1991 Gulf War, but they were deployed to northern Iraq in the aftermath to provide aid to the Kurds. The remainder of the 1990s saw no major warfighting deployments, other than a division headquarters to control land forces during the short NATO intervention that ended the Bosnian war.
More recently Royal Marine detachments have been involved in operations in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and East Timor.
2002, saw a deployment of Royal Marines to Afghanistan, where contact with enemy forces was expected. However, in the end, no Al-Qaida or Taliban forces were found. Any frustrations that deployment brought at the lack of combat were relieved in early 2003, when the UK's first amphibious assault for over 20 years was mounted to capture the Al Faw peninsula in Iraq. 40 and 42 Commandos, 3 Commando Brigade headquarters, and supporting units were deployed for operations. The attack proceeded well, with light casualties.
Training
Marines undergo a long basic training regime at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) at Lympstone , Devon. The Royal Marines are unique amongst British forces, in that both officers and recruits are trained in the same place and undergo the same rigorous training. Much of the basic training is carried out on the rugged terrain of Dartmoor. A large amount of training is done at night.
Basic Training
The first weeks of training are spent learning basic skills which will be used later. This includes much time spent on the parade ground and on the rifle ranges. Physical training at this stage emphasizes all-round body strength, in order to develop the muscles necessary to carry the heavy weights a marine will use in an operational unit. Key milestones include a test to climb a thirty foot rope, a battle swimming test, and learning to do a "regain" (i.e. climb back onto a rope suspended over a water tank). All these tests are completed with the ever present "fighting order" of 32lbs of equipment. Individual fieldcraft skills are also taught at this basic stage.
The Commando Course
The culmination of training is a period known as the Commando Course. Since the creation of the British Commandos during World War II, all Royal Marines, except those in the Royal Marines Band Service, complete the Commando course as part of their training (see below). Key aspects of the course include climbing and ropework techniques, patrolling, and amphibious operations.
This intense phase ends with a series of tests which have remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Again these tests, and indeed virtually all the training, is done with a "fighting order" of 32lbs of equipment.
The commando tests are taken on consecutive days, they include;
- A six-mile speed march, carrying full fighting order, to be completed in 60 minutes; the pace is thus 1 mile in 10 minutes.
- The Endurance course is a one-and-a-half mile course across rough terrain at Woodbury Common near Lympstone, which includes tunnels, pipes, wading pools, and an underwater culvert. The course ends with a four-mile run back to CTCRM. Followed by a marksmanship test. To be completed in 72 minutes, 70 minutes for Royal Marine officers.
- The Tarzan Assault Course. This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot vertical wall. It must be completed with full fighting order in 13 minutes, 12 minutes for Royal Marine officers.
- A nine mile speed march. This test requires recruits to speed march 9 miles in 90 minutes carrying full fighting order.
- The Thirty miler. This is a 30 mile march across Dartmoor, wearing fighting order, and additional safety equipment. It must be completed in 8 hours for recruits and 7 hours for Royal Marine officers, who must also navigate the route themselves, rather than following a DS with the rest of a syndicate.
The day after the 30 mile march, any who failed any of the tests may attempt to retake them.
Completing the Commando Course successfully entitles the recruit or officer to wear the coveted green beret but does not mean that the Royal Marine has finished his training. That decision will be made by the troop or batch training team and will depend on the recruits or young officer's overall performance.
After basic and commando training, a Royal Marine Commando will normally join a unit of 3 Commando Brigade. There are three Royal Marines Commando infantry units in the Brigade: 40 Commando located at Norton Manor near Taunton in Somerset, 42 Commando at Bickleigh , near Plymouth, Devon, and 45 Commando at Arbroath on the east coast of Scotland.
Specialist Training
Royal Marines may then go on to undertake specialist training in a variety of skills. Possibly volunteering for the Special Forces with the Special Boat Service. Other specializations include, sniper training, platoon weapons, drill instructor, PT instructor, mountain leader (specialists in ski-ing and arctic warfare), support weapons, pilot training, or amphibious training.
Current Weapons
- The SA80A2 - Controversial 5.56 mm assault rifle (accepts M16A2 magazines)
- The Minimi Light Machine Gun 5.56 mm belt or magazine (from SA80/M16) procured as an ad hoc stop gap due to the failings of the LSW
- The Light Support Weapon (LSW) - Controversial 5.56 mm magazine fed light machine gun based on SA80
- The Barret 50 Calibre Rifle - 0.5 inch BMG (Browning Machine gun) anti materiel sniper rifle
- The L96A1 Sniper Rifle - 7.62x51 mm bolt-action sniper rifle
- The 7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun - the famous FN MAG 7.62 x 51 belt fed machine gun with option of tripod for sustained fire role
- The 0.5 inch Browning Heavy Machine Gun
- The LAW94 Light Anti Tank Rocket
- The MILAN wire guided anti-tank missile
- The 81mm Mortar
- The Accuracy International .338 Lapua Long Range Rifle
- The Browning Hi-Power - 9mm paraballum semi automatic pistol
- The Sig Sauer P228 - 9mm paraballum semi automatic pistol
Organization
Commando Units
Until recently, Commando Units were structured similarly to Army battalions, but beginning in the late 1990s, Commando units were reorganised to meet the new challenges present after the end of the Cold War, and their formation structure and equipment now differs from that of British Army infantry battalions.
In a Commando unit, a Royal Marine is a member of ‘the team’. ‘The team’ is a 4 man fire team, the building block of commando operations. A Royal Marine works with his team ‘in the field’ and lives with them in his accommodation. 4 man fire teams seem to be an idea taken from the basic force structures of the SBS and is also used by the SAS.
The 3 battalion sized Royal Marine Commando Units 40 Commando, 42 Commando and 45 Commando, are organized into six companies as follows:
- One Command company
- One Logistic company
- Two Close Combat companies
- Two Stand Off companies armed with heavy machine guns
Amphibious Ready Group
The Amphibious Ready Group is a mobile, balanced amphibious force, based on a Commando Group and its supporting assets, that can be kept at high readiness to deploy into an area of operations. The Amphibious Ready Group is normally based around specialist amphibious ships, most notably HMS Ocean, the largest ship in the fleet. Ocean was designed and built to accommodate an embarked Commando unit and its associated stores and equipment. The strategy of the Amphibious Ready Group is to wait 'beyond the horizon' and then deploy swiftly as directed by HM Government. The whole amphibious force is intended to be self-sustaining and capable of operating without host-nation support. The concept was successfully tested in operations in Sierra Leone.
Supporting Units
3 Commando Brigade not only consists of Royal Marines units, but also of combat support elements provided by other branches of the armed forces, mainly the Army. These include the Commando Logistic Regiment, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery (based in Plymouth) and 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers (based in Barnstaple). These units provide the specialist artillery, combat service logistic, signals, and engineer support for the Brigade. All Army ranks serving with the brigade also undergo Commando training on the All Arms Commando Course.
In practice in specific operations 3 Commando Brigade is configured to the task at hand with the attachment or detachment of units. For instance in the 1982 Falklands War two battalions of Parachute Regiment and a squadron of light tanks were attached to the brigade.
Units of the Royal Marines
- 3 Commando Brigade: The main formation of the Royal Marines, 3 Commando Brigade contains the following units belonging to the Corps itself.
- Command Support Group
- 40 Commando
- 42 Commando
- 45 Commando
- 539 Assault Squadron
- Commando Logistic Regiment
- 1 Assault Group: This provides training in the use of landing craft, and also serves as a parent unit for the three assault squadrons based on the Royal Navy's assault ships.
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Fleet Protection Group: This is the home defence unit of the Royal Marines, performing various tasks outside the remit of 3 Commando Brigade, including protection of nuclear weapons and provision for the Northern Ireland patrol squadron. The FPG maintains the traditions of 43 Commando.
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Commando Training Centre: This is the training unit for the entire corps, and consists of three seperate sections:
- Commando Training Wing - this is the initial basic commando training section for new recruits to the Royal Marines, and also provides the commando training for members of other units attached to 3 Commando Brigade.
- Specialist Wing - this provides specialist training following completition of the initial commando course.
- Command Wing - this provides command training for both officers and NCOs of the Royal Marines
Traditions and Insignia
The Royal Marines have a proud history and unique traditions; they have so many battle honours that the "globe itself" has become the symbol of the Corps.
The badge of the Royal Marines is designed to commemorate the history of the Corps. The Lion and Crown denotes a Royal regiment. King George III conferred this honour in 1802 "in consideration of the very meritorious services of the Marines in the late war."
The "Great Globe itself" surrounded by laurels was chosen by King George IV as a symbol of the Marines' successes in every quarter of the world. The laurels are believed to honour the gallantry they displayed during the investment and capture of Belle Isle, off Lorient, in April through June 1761.
The word "Gibraltar" refers to the Siege of Gibraltar in 1704. It was considered by George IV to be one of the most glorious achievements of the Marines and he decided that the word should represent the honours they had earned.
The fouled anchor, incorporated into the emblem in 1747, is the badge of the Lord High Admiral and shows that the Corps is part of the Royal Navy.
Per Mare Per Terram ("By Sea, By Land"), the motto of the Marines, is believed to have been used for the first time in 1785.
The regimental quick march of the Corps is 'A Life on the Ocean Wave'.
Resources
The Royal Navy's Web site is http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/ ; the Royal Marines' pages begin at http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/141.html . Everything on that Web site is subject to Crown copyright protection. "Crown copyright material may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring specific permission. This is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and not being used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context."
See also
Last updated: 02-07-2005 01:19:33
Last updated: 04-25-2005 03:06:01