01.08.1943 formation of 44 Royal Marine Commando, Royal Marines, from the disbanded 3rd Battalion, Royal Marines. Their first CO was Lt Col. F.C. Horton RM.

01.08.1943 - 06.09.1943 specialist training at Ashurst to prepare for commando training. 

07.09.1943 - 02.10.1943 Commando Depot  (Commando Basic Training Centre), Achnacarry. 33 Officers and 532 Marines began the training. At the completion of the Course, there were 28 Officers and 411 Marines, the remainder having been injured or considered unsuitable. Three died during this training: Sergeant E.H. Gibson RM, Corporal A. Dooley RM, and Marine W.H. Farrell RM. 

Theatre of operations - Far East forming part of 3 Special Service (Commando) Brigade. 

13.11.1943 embarked with No.5 Commando H.M.T. Reina del Pacifico at Liverpool.

15.11.1943 departure Liverpool joining Convoy KMF26. There were two enemy air attacks on the convoy during the voyage.

08.12.1943 arrival Aden remaining at anchor for 5 days with troops staying on board.

13.12.1943 departure Aden in convoy for India.

19.12.1943 arrival Bombay, India.

20.12.1943 to Kedagon, India, remaining for 2 months.

22.02.1943 embarked H.M.L.S.I.(L) Keren in convoy with a brief stop at Madras.

04.03.1943 disembarked by landing craft Cox's Bazaar, a small port South of Chittagong, and proceeded to Nhila and then St Martin's Island off the coast of Burma opposite the coastal village of Alethangyaw.

 

December 1945 44RM Commando provided two 30 man detachments to escort Japanese prisoners from Hong Kong back to mainland Japan. The SS Samvannah departed from Hong Kong on 4 February 1946 with 1800 Japanese POWs under escort (Source: Lloyds Shipping Lists, Guildhall Library, London).

1946 redesignated 44 Commando RM, then further redesignated 40 Commando RM in March 1947. [ref. RMRO 141 of 1947.]