Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

. It is situated near the villages of Lympstone and Exton, between the city of

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

, and the town of

Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort situated on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe, southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of settl ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, England.

History

The site was established in 1940 as the "Royal Marines Depot Exton" and was renamed the "Royal Marines Depot Lympstone" later in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In February 1960, the Commando School Royal Marines, which had been based at Bickleigh Barracks, moved to the site. The site was renamed the "Commando Training Centre Royal Marines" in 1972.

Organisation

Roayl Marine Recruits Rope Climbing at CTCRM MOD 45152269

CTCRM is under the full command of Fleet Commander and responsible for providing

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

trained officers and other ranks for the front line. CTCRM is overseen by the Commandant CTCRM, a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

, Royal Marines. CTCRM is structured with three training wings (Command Wing, Commando Training Wing and Specialist Wing) each with its own commanding officer.

Courses

Candidates who wish to become Other Ranks are required to pass Recruit Orientation Phase (ROP) of four weeks before beginning the mainstream 32 weeks training. Before they start ROP they undergo academic, medical and interview assessments. New entry training for Royal Marines other ranks (culminating in a month long "commando course") is undertaken at CTCRM, at

Dartmoor Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers . The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...

, and at Woodbury Common, Devon, and is conducted over thirty-two weeks. Candidates who pass the commando course receive the award of the green beret, the distinguishing mark of a

. Those who wish to become Royal Marine Officers must pass the Potential Officers Course (POC). This is a four-day course that assesses physical and academic ability. Those who pass this and then perform well at the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) will be offered a place on the Young Officer Training course. This course lasts 15 months, of which 34 weeks are spent at CTCRM and the remainder at

Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, also known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

and on the West Coast of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. CTCRM delivers new entry training to an average of 800 recruits a year. Specialist Wing trains Royal Marines and non-commissioned officers in a wide variety of specialisations e.g.: platoon weapons instructors, mountain leaders, communications and information technology specialists.

Lympstone Commando

CTCRM is served by Lympstone Commando railway station on the " Avocet Line".FOI request sent throug
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Cadets

CTCRM is the home of Lympstone Division Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps, which is open to boys and girls aged 9 to 16 (who can serve until aged 18) from the local south east Devon area.

References

External links

CTCRM Lympstone Website
{{authority control Royal Marines training Organisations based in Devon Military academies of the United Kingdom Royal Marines bases Training establishments of the Royal Navy Commando training facilities Woodbury, East Devon