• Our Archive [you are here] has links to all Commando related content. Included are Rolls of Honour, and also our Nominal Rolls which are updated as and when we receive evidence of Commando service 
• Our Forum has all the thousands of questions asked, and information posted, since the website came into being;
• Our Gallery of over 11,000 images is one major part of the website. However there is a considerable amount of valuable information included elsewhere.

Our nominal rolls sometimes show service numbers against names. These should be treated as possible but not confirmed. They are often transcribed from war diaries or lists provided by veterans themselves and occasionally errors are found.

 

Service Records
This Archive does NOT have access to official military service records of any individual. They are an essential source of information for those looking for information and getting a copy of them is the best starting point. You can apply for them. Most Service Records have now been transferred to The National Archives (TNA) and can be applied for with a Freedom of Information (F.O.I.) request.

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Unlike today in World War 2 and for some time afterwards not all Royal Marines were Commandos.

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Almost without exception, Second World War army service records contain numerous references to the ‘X Lists’. The X Lists recorded personnel who were absent from their regular units for one reason or another.

More files at the National Archives referencing WW2 Commandos can be searched here [search the National Archives].

 

Criteria for award of ALL medals issued since 1914 - UK Government website [view....].

POST WW2 QUALIFYING MEDAL EARNING THEATRE DESCRIPTIONS 
Palestine (GSM) 3 Sep 1945 to 30 Jun 1948
British Armed Forces were deployed in Palestine in response to a campaign by Jewish underground groups against British forces and officials in Mandatory Palestine between 1939 and 1947. Tensions arose between militant Jewish underground organisations and the British mandatory authorities following publication of the MacDonald White Paper of 1939, which proposed restrictions on Jewish immigration and independence for Palestine with an Arab majority after 10 years. Tensions within Palestine rose towards the end of WW II and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Malaya (GSM) 16 Jun 1948 to 31 Jul 1960
In the period after the Second World War the Malayan Communist Party, backed by China, sought to overthrow the British Administration in Malaya and to establish a communist republic. Following the formation of the Malay Races Liberation Army, the Federal Government declared a state of emergency following which substantial British Forces were deployed to defeat the insurgency.
Berlin Airlift (GSM) 25 Jun 1948 to 6 Oct 1949
The Berlin Airlift was the first major confrontation between the East and the West during the Cold War. It was known as Operation 'Plainfare' by the British and Operation 'Vittles' by the Americans. The divided city of Berlin lay deep in Soviet territory and was connected to West Germany by formally agreed road, rail, waterway and air 'corridors'. Anxious to oust their former American, British and French allies, the Soviets embarked on a progressive strangulation of the city, beginning in January 1948. Currency reforms, opposed by the Russians, were introduced in West Germany in June 1948 and were to be the catalyst that sparked the Berlin Blockade in earnest. Access between West Berlin and West Germany was prohibited on the ground. Two-and-a-half million Berliners, as well as the Allied garrisons, needed to be supplied with food, fuel and the means to continue production and export. The only way to supply the city was by the three air corridors into Berlin from Hamburg, Hanover and Frankfurt. Britain, the United States and other Western Allies flew aircrafts of supplies into Berlin's Tempelhof, Gatow and Tegal airports. Initially the situation was improvised and uncoordinated, but soon developed into an efficient operation that at its peak was landing aircraft at three-minute intervals. Realising that the Western half of the city was coping well, the Russians lifted the blockade on 12 May 1949.
Yangtze (NGSM) 20 Apr 1949 to 31 Jul 1949
In 1949 Chinese Communist People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were involved in a protracted Civil War with Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang Nationalist forces. On April 20th PLA forces shelled the Royal Navy ship HMS Amethyst as she made her way up the Yangtze towards Nanking. The ship was trapped for three months 100 miles upriver under periodic bombardment before making a night-time escape on 30th July. Earlier attempts  by other ships to assist her escape had all failed.
Korea (UN) 27 Jun 1950 to 27 Jul 1954
At the end of the Second World War the Korean peninsula had been divided into North and South Korea. In June 1950 North Korean Communist forces invaded South Korea. An American led UN- approved coalition, including a British Commonwealth Brigade, was deployed to support the South against the North’s Chinese backed communist forces.
Canal Zone (GSM) 16 Oct 1951 to 19 Oct 1954
In October 1951, the Egyptian government pulled out of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, the terms of which granted Britain a lease on the Suez base for a further 20 years. Britain refused to withdraw from Suez and this resulted in a steady escalation of hostility towards Britain and increasing acts of sabotage and violence against British troops stationed in Egypt.
Kenya (AGSM) 21 Oct 1952 to 17 Nov 1956
Kenya was put under a state of emergency from October 1952 to December 1959, due to the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule.
Cyprus (GSM) 1 Apr 1955 to 18 Apr 1959
In 1955 the guerilla movement, EOKA, led by Colonel Georgios Grivas, sought the unification of Cyprus under Greek rule which led to an escalation of guerrilla attacks on the island’s Turkish minority population, British Forces and property. A state of emergency was declared, following which Field Marshal Sir John Harding was appointed Governor of the island.
Near East (Suez) (GSM) 31 Oct 1956 to 22 Dec 1956
In 1956, President Gamel Abdel Nassar decided to nationalise the Suez Canal after an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of the Aswan Dam was withdrawn. French, British and Israeli forces then invaded Egypt. British troops were deployed primarily to regain Western control of the Suez Canal but were withdrawn under intense American diplomatic pressure.
Arabian Peninsula (GSM) 1 Jan 1957 to 30 Jun 1960
Historic disagreements about land and associated oil rights, and resentments over the Sultan’s authority led Imam Ghalib and his brother Talib to rebel against the Sultan of Muscat. After initial setbacks, in 1955 the Sultan called for assistance from UK forces. It was not until British Forces were deployed that the rebels were dislodged from their territory in the Jebel Akhbar mountains.
Congo (ONUC) 10 Jul 1960 to 30 Jun 1964
Opération des Nations Unies au Congo, abbreviated to ONUC, was a United Nations peacekeeping force established after the United Nations Security Council Resolution 143 of 14 July 1960. The formation of troops was a response to the Congo Crisis.
Brunei (GSM) 8 Dec 1962 to 23 Dec 1962
British Forces were deployed by air and sea following an attempted coup against the Sultan of Brunei led by the North Kalimantan National Army which enjoyed strong covert support from Indonesia. The coup was successfully suppressed.
Borneo (GSM) 24 Dec 1962 to 11 Aug 1966
The Indonesian–Malaysian confrontation erupted into a violent conflict which stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of Malaysia. Initial Indonesian attacks into East Malaysia relied heavily on local volunteers who had been trained by the Indonesian Army. However, when the infiltration forces became more organised, the British responded in 1964 by launching their own operations.
Cyprus (GSM) 21 Dec 1963 to 26 Mar 1964
By December 1963 relations between the majority Greek-Cypriot and the minority Turkish-Cypriot communities had deteriorated. There were armed clashes between the two sides, particularly in Nicosia. Forces from Greece, Turkey and Britain were deployed to keep the peace and a ‘Green Line’ was established to keep the two sides apart.
Cyprus (UNFICYP) 27 Mar 1964 to present
UN Security Council Resolution 186 recommended the formation of UNFICYP on 4 Mar 1964 following intercommunal fighting between the Greek and Turkish communities on Cyprus. The Force became operational on 27 Mar 1964 as a joint civilian/military security corps and remains ongoing today.
Radfan (GSM) 25 Apr 1964 to 31 Jul 1964
This uprising was thought to be a result of the Federation of South Arabia preventing the collection of tolls from passing camel caravans resulting in a loss in income and led to local Qutaibi inhabitants attacking the British on the Aden to Mecca caravan route, which passed through Dhala. This conflict led to the deployment of British troops.
South Arabia (GSM) 1 Aug 1964 to 30 Nov 1967
This campaign is related to the Radfan Campaign, because both were Egyptian-inspired attempts to end not only the British presence in Aden but also the embryonic Federation of South Arabia. This three year long campaign was to see numerous terrorist attacks on both civilian and military targets.
Malay Peninsula (GSM) 17 Aug 1964 to 11 Aug 1966
This campaign was an extension of the conflict in Borneo where British and Malaysian troops were operating against Indonesian insurgents. In 1964, the Indonesian President decided to attack the Malaysian mainland. Parachute landings were made in Johore while other troops managed to land across the Malacca Straits from Indonesian Sumatra. Between November 1964 and March 1965 there were five attempts to establish guerrilla groups in Johore, all of which failed.
Northern Ireland (GSM) 14 Aug 1969 to 31 July 2007
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces operation in Northern Ireland from August 1969 to July 2007. British troops were initially deployed at the request of the Unionist government of Northern Ireland to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). After the 1998 Belfast Agreement, the operation was gradually scaled down. Its role was to assert the authority of the Government of the UK in Northern Ireland.
Dhofar (GSM) 1 Oct 1969 to 3 Sep 1976
The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. British troops were deployed alongside Omani and Iranian forces, which led to the defeat of the rebels.
Rhodesia 1 Dec 1979 to 20 Mar 1980
Operation AGILA was the multi-national force tasked with keeping the peace between 22,000 guerrilla fighters and the Rhodesian forces during the ceasefire in the run-up to the 1980 elections.
South Atlantic (Falklands) 2 Apr 1982 to 21 Oct 1982
On 2 April 1982, Argentinean forces invaded the British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands. A UK Task Force was swiftly dispatched to regain the islands sovereignty. British forces landed on 21 May 1982 and after a series of engagements culminating in the liberation of Port Stanley, the Argentineans surrendered on 14 June 1982.
Gulf War (GSM) 2 Aug 1990 to 7 Mar 1991
The first Gulf War (2 Aug 1990 to 28 Feb 1991), codenamed Operation Desert Shield, encompassed operations leading to the build-up of troops and air power for the defence of Saudi Arabia. Operation Desert Storm (17 Jan 1991 to 28 Feb 1991) was a war waged by coalition forces from 34 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.
Air Operations Iraq (OSM) 16 Jul 1991 to 30 Apr 2003
1991 witnessed the start of coalition air patrols over the Northern Iraqi No-Fly Zone designed to protect Iraq’s Kurdish minority. The RAF contributed detachments of Jaguars, Harriers and Tornados to this operation over a period of nearly twelve years. In August 1992, the RAF based a detachment of six Tornado GR1s at Dhahran in Saudi Arabia to contribute to the maintenance of the Southern No Fly Zone, which was created to protect the Iraqi Shiite community. This detachment was later moved to Prince Sultan air base, Al Kharj. In late 1997, Iraq’s failure to comply with the requirements of the United Nations Special Commission on disarmament led to the dispatch of carrier-borne Harrier GR7s and more GR1s were deployed to Ali Al Salem air base, Kuwait, from where twelve aircraft eventually participated in Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. Soon afterwards, the Saudi commitment was taken over by Tornado F3s. Tornado GR1s and GR4s operating from Ali Al Salem continued to patrol the Southern No Fly Zone until 2003.
Cambodia (UNAMIC/UNTAC) 1 Oct 1991 to 30 Sep 1993
The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in 1992–93. The UN deployed to Cambodia to help maintain the ceasefire and provide experience in training the civilian population in how to avoid injury from land mines and booby traps.
Balkans (NATO)1 Jul 1992 to present
The NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprised of a series of actions undertaken by NATO to establish and then preserve peace during and after the Bosnian War. NATO’s intervention began largely as political and symbolic, but gradually expanded to include large-scale air operations and the deployment of approximately 60,000 soldiers under Operation Joint Endeavour.
Sierra Leone (OSM) 5 May 2000 to 31 Jul 2002
The UK began a military intervention in Sierra Leone in May 2000, codenamed Operation Palliser, following the outbreak of the Sierra Leone Civil War. The Civil War had erupted in early May 2000 when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) advanced on the country's capital, Freetown, which prompted the British government to dispatch an Operational Reconnaissance and Liaison Team to prepare to evacuate foreign citizens. On 6 May 2000 the RUF blocked the road connecting Freetown to the country's main airport Lungi. The next day, British soldiers began to secure the airport and other areas essential to the planned evacuation. British Forces subsequently assisted the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the Sierra Leone Army (SLA). The Sierra Leonean government eventually signed a ceasefire with the RUF that obliged the latter to enter the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) process. By September 2001, when the British training teams were replaced by an international force, the DDR process was almost complete. British forces continued to be involved in Sierra Leone by providing the largest contribution of personnel to the international training team and advising on a restructuring of the country.
Afghanistan (OSM) 11 Sep 2001 to present
NATO and Allied forces intervened in the ongoing Afghan civil war following the September 11 attacks, with the aim of dismantling al-Qaeda and preventing it having a safe base of operation in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. This includes the UK operations Op VERITAS, Op HERRICK and Op TORAL.
Iraq (Op TELIC) 20 Jan 2003 to 22 May 2011
A joint resolution of the US Congress, known as the Iraq Resolution, led to the 2003 invasion of Iraq under the authority of the UN Security Council Resolutions 678 and 687, essentially to use all necessary means to compel Iraq to comply with its international obligations. Prior to the invasion, the US and UK indicated that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction, which presented a world-wide threat. As a consequence, on 8 September 2002, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1441, which effectively provided Iraq with a final opportunity to comply with its obligations and disarm. Resolution 1441 strengthened the mandate of the UN Monitoring and Verification Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and led, ultimately, to a combined NATO invasion on 19 March 2003.
Libya (NATO) 19 Mar 2011 to 31 Oct 2011
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which authorised the creation of a No-Fly Zone in response to the Gaddafi regime’s efforts to suppress the mass uprising sparked by the so-called Arab Spring. The British contribution, codenamed Operation Ellamy, principally consisted of RAF air power and naval forces, which enforced the accompanying arms embargo. All operations were conducted under NATO command from 31 March 2011. The conflict in Libya ended in late October 2011, following which NATO confirmed it would end operations on 31 October 2011.
Iraq and Syria (OSM) (Op SHADER) 9 Aug 2014 to present
Operation SHADER is the UK’s contribution to the global coalition committed to defeating Daesh. The MOD is providing military support which includes training Kurdish and Iraqi security forces with over 320 tonnes of UK gifted weapons, UK gifted machine guns, ammunition and other military equipment. Since the Parliamentary vote, the RAF has flown successful strikes and provided valuable intelligence and surveillance.

 

Think Before You Share MOD Guidance to personnel on using of social networking sites.

 

 

 

 View here

London Gazette Supplement No. 1 Thursday 10 January 2019 [view....].

Photos of Royal Marines Football Teams from the 1890's thru to 2020 [view....].

Despatches during World War 2, submitted by commanders-in-chief, were published in The Gazette from 1941 until 1951 [View....].

National Library of Scotland Details of officers in the armed forces during WW1 and WW2.

Imperial War Museum Online Search Includes Film, Audio, and photos relating to Commandos.

BBC WW2 Peoples War A fabulous archive of WW2 memories, written by the public

St Nazaire Society Preserving and protecting the memory of Operation Chariot.

Combined Operations Excellent site with a wealth of facts and photos.

Pegasus Archive The Normandy landings with transcripts of Commando War Diaries.

Commando Ops in Norway Commando and other WW2 raids in Norway.

30AU The story of the wartime intelligence unit.

No 6 Commando Dedicated to No 6 Commando.

47 RM Commando Association Dedicated to 47RM Commando.

RN Clearance Divers Association Landing Craft Obstruction Clearance Units (LCOCU).

Operation Longcloth The Chindit operations 1943.

The Burma Campaign Site has a dedicated page on M.N.B.D.O. Group in the Far East.

 

Commando Gunner Regroup site of former members of 29 Commando Regiment RA.

The Royal Marines Official site about todays Royal Marines.

Defence Internet Home of the UK Ministry of Defence.

Soldier Magazine Keep up to date with current Soldier issues.

Forces Reunited - The British Armed Forces online community.

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V.C. and G.C. Association Dedicated to recipients of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross.

Westminster Abbey About the Combined Services Memorial.

Friends of the National Arboretum Website for Friends of the NMA.

The National Archives at Kew A must visit for records and official reports on Commandos.

National Museum of the Royal Navy HM Naval Base, Portsmouth.

Anwick Forge Makers of the CVA Army Commando Memorial.

Pegasus Bridge Memorial Museum Museum in Normandy with information on DDay.

Leger Battlefield Tours Escorted Battlefield tours to Europe.

 

As well as the rewards and pleasures associated with military life, there are particular demands and challenges that come out of the special nature of life in the Armed Forces. There are many layers of welfare support available. Contact details are on the link below.

 

Also included is a brief history of the former WW2 Army Commandos' Benevolent Fund, which is now managed by the Army Benevolent Fund.

 

You can contact SSAFA’s Forcesline helpline either by phone (0800 731 4880) or live chat during office hours. If it is outside of office hours and you need to talk to someone contact the Samaritans on 116 123. They listen and won't judge or tell you what to do.