History of the Unit

• 14.07.1940 Operation Ambassador, Guernsey, with 11 Independent Company.
• 24.10.1940 Special Service Brigade restructured. No.3 and No.8 Commandos form 4th Special Service Battalion, their HQ being at Brightlingsea.
• 26.02.1941 authorisation to restructure back to commando designations.
• 04.03.1941 Operation Claymore, Lofoten Islands, Norway.
• 27.12.1941 Operation Archery, Vaagso, Norway. 
• 28.03.1942 Operation Chariot, St. Nazaire, France. Supplied detachment of demolition specialists.
• 19.08.1942 Operation Jubilee. Dieppe, France. Heavy losses sustained. [View Dieppe ROH]. As a result of the losses at Dieppe the Commando was then rested for replenishment.
• 24.02.1943 at 2300 hrs., embarked on board ship for Gibraltar.
• 07.03.1943 disembarked at Gibraltar.
• 11.04.1943 departed Gibraltar on HMS Queen Emma for Oran arriving 1800hrs leaving a short time later  for Algiers.
• 14.04.1943 at 1100hrs No.3 Commando arrive at Algiers.
• 26.05.1943 at 1800hrs No.3 Commando arrive at Alexandria.
• 01.07.1943 No.3 Commando left Port Suez; disembarked ship 1630 at Port Said.
• 05.07.1943 embarked ship at Port Said for Sicily.
• 09.07.1943 Operation Husky, Sicily.
• 14.07.1943 the attack on Punta dei Malati Bridge near Lentini after which the total strength of the Commando was down to just over 250. Troops reorganised into HQ and four other Troops. 2 Troop became a Heavy Weapons Troop.
• 05.08.1943 0600hrs. No.3 Commando land at Syracusa Bay, Sicily.
• 27.08.1943 Capt. R.G. Waldie and 22 OR's, reinforcements from No.12 Commando, joined the unit at Cannizarro on arrival from the UK. 
• 30.08.1943 fighting strength of the Commando now 16 Officers and 222 OR's.
• 03.09.1943 Operation Baytown, Reggio di Calabria, the toe of the Italian peninsula.
• 08.09.1943 Operation Ferdy, Porto San Venere (now Vibo Valentia), Italy, 2 Troops of No.3 Commando land with 40RM Commando.
• 05.10.1943 Operation Devon, Termoli, Italy.
• After the actions in Italy the Commando returned to the UK for the preparation for the landings in Normandy and D-Day.
• 06.06.1944 Operation Overlord. One of the critical actions fought by No 3 after D-Day was at the river Orne and the capture of the Merville Battery to the flank of the landing beaches. The Battery was captured but at great loss to No 3 Commando.  A brief replenishment in the UK followed at Worthing and then the unit was back in action again as part of the British Liberation Army. No.3 were involved in the actions during the crossing of the river Maas, the clearing of the Maas Rhine Triangle, the capture of Osnabruck, the crossing the Weser (Operation Widgeon) and Aller rivers, and finally the crossing of the River Elbe.
• June 1945 No 3 Commando, along with No 6 Commando, were back in the UK preparing for the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland. No 4 Commando were still in Germany at Recklinghausen. At this time 233 OR's from No.4 Commando were posted to Nos. 3 and 6 Commandos, to bolster their numbers for the invasion, however Japan surrendered and the war ended.
• November 1945 No.3 Commando disbanded.

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