3 Commando Brigade (British Army)
3 Commando Brigade is the main commando manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. The brigade is made up mainly of Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando Qualified Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen.
The brigade was formed in 1943, during the Second World War with a mixture of army commando and Royal Marine commando units and served in the Burma Campaign. After the Second World War the army commandos were disbanded and the brigade became a Royal Marine formation. Recently the Brigade has again became a mixed army and marine formation with the addition of an army infantry battalion, artillery regiment and engineer regiment alongside three Royal Marine battalions and support services. Since the end of the Second World War it has served in the Suez crisis, Falklands War, Gulf War and the War in Afghanistan.
3 Commando Brigade can trace its origins back to World War II, when it was formed as the 3rd Special Service Brigade. The Commandos were formed as forces to perform raids on occupied Europe. Many of these raids were relatively small affairs, but some were very large, such as the 1942 Dieppe Raid, and the attack on St. Nazaire to cripple the dry dock there.
The 3rd Special Service Brigade was formed in 1943 and sailed for the Far East and saw action against the Japanese in the Burma Campaign. On 6 December 1944 the Brigade was re named 3rd Commando Brigade, removing the hated title Special Service and its association with the German SS.[2] In January 1945 they were involved in the battles to secure the Myebon peninsula and Kangaw, holding a key position during the battle of Hill 170 against repeated Japanese attacks. The Brigade was then withdrawn to India to prepare for the amphibious assault on Malaya, but the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan ended the war before the planned invasion. Instead the Brigade moved to Hong Kong to secure the Crown Colony. In 1946 the Army Commandos in the Brigade were disbanded and the Brigade became a Royal Marine Commando formation.
The Brigade is commanded by a Royal Marines Brigadier and contains Royal Marines, Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Brigade headquarters staff are located at Stonehouse Barracks,Plymouth, Devon with the majority of the subordinate formations in South West England. By 2003 the brigade’s constituent Commando units had been re-organised in accordance with the Commando 21 re-structuring.
The subordinate units are:
- 40 Commando Royal Marines, based at Norton Manor Camp in Taunton, Somerset.
- 42 Commando Royal Marines, based at Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth
- 45 Commando Royal Marines, based at RM Condor, Arbroath
- Commando Logistic Regiment, based at RM Chivenor, Devon
- 539 Assault Squadron, Royal Marines
- Royal Marines Armoured Support Group, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
- 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, based at Royal Citadel, Plymouth
- 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
- 1st Battalion The Rifles
- 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group which comprises[6]:
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- CSG Headquarters Troop
- Signals Squadron
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- Two HQ Satcomm Troops
- Electronic Warfare Squadron (Y Squadron)
- Brigade Staff Squadron
- Support Squadron
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- Brigade Patrol Troop
- Air Defence Troop
- Tactical Air Control Parties
- Police Troop
- Logistics Squadron
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- Motor Transport Troop
- Catering Troop
- Stores Troop
- Equipment Support Troop
Helicopter support is provided by the Commando Helicopter Force of the Fleet Air Arm, based at RNAS Yeovilton.
The Special Forces (SF) element is usually provided by units of the Special Boat Service (SBS). SF support will be allocated from the Director Special Forces, as required for tasking.
The attached army units consist of commando-trained units from the British Army. They are attached to the brigade and provide close-support, field artillery and integral combat engineer support
When the Brigade is operating as the United Kingdom/Netherlands Landing Force the Operational Control of one Marine Infantry Battalion, a Mortar Company, 7th SBS Troop (NL) and a Combat Service Support element of the Korps Mariniers are delegated to the formation.
The Brigade structure has recently been enhanced with the formation of 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers subsuming 59 and 131 Squadrons and increasing the capacity to bring it into line with the deployable brigades of the British Army.
not army, navy
Navy/Royal Marines.