United Kingdom Commando Force (UKCF), previously called 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), is the UK's

special operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...

-capable commando formation of 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 composed of

Royal Marine Commandos The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a company strength sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), landing craft cr ...

and commando qualified personnel from the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

. The brigade was formed 1 September 1943 at Dorchester with personnel from 102 RM Brigade, during 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 ...

, with a mixture of Army Commando and

Royal Marine Commando The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a company strength sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), landing craft cr ...

units, and was deployed to the

South-East Asian Theatre of World War II The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of the campaigns of the Pacific War in the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Philippines, Thailand, Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, Indochina, British rule in Burma, Burma, British Raj, India ...

to conduct operations against the invading forces of

Imperial Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

, such as the

Burma Campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

. After the Second World War, the Army Commandos were disbanded and the brigade became a Royal Marine formation. Recently, United Kingdom Commando Force has again become a mixed formation with the addition of commando qualified soldiers from the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

and

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

to provide support for the

. Since the end of the Second World War, it has been involved in a number of engagements such as the

Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...

Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

History

Second World War

Between September and November 1943, in Scotland, 102nd Brigade, Royal Marines Division, was detached from the division, to form the independent 3rd Special Service Brigade – a joint British Army-Royal Marines formation. The founding commander was Brigadier Wilfrid Nonweiler and it was composed of the following units: * No. 1 Commando (Army); * No. 5 Commando (Army); * No. 42 Commando (Royal Marines); and * No. 44 Commando (Royal Marines). Nos. 1 and 5 Commandos had already earned battle honours as units in, respectively, the

North African North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

campaigns. Because "Commando", at the time, implied a company/battalion-sized unit, the name "Special Service" was instead used for British commando brigades. (However, the term "Commando Brigade" was often used informally, because "Special Service" was unpopular and had a superficial similarity to the name of the notorious German

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...

(SS).) The brigade was later officially renamed 3rd Commando Brigade. On 10 November 1943, elements of the brigade embarked at

Gourock Gourock ( ; ) is a town in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area and formerly a burgh of the County of Renfrew in the west of Scotland. It was a resort town, seaside resort on the East shore of the upper Firth of Clyde. Its ma ...

, bound for

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It was intended that the brigade would be used in operations against Japanese forces in the South-East Asia theatre, such as the

Burma campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

. However, the limited shipping capacity available at the time meant that the relocation was prolonged and the components of the brigade were not reunited until late 1944. Lt Col.

Peter Young Peter or Pete Young may refer to: Sports * Peter Dalton Young (1927–2002), English rugby union player * Peter Young (cricketer, born 1961), Australian cricketer * Pete Young (born 1968), American baseball player * Peter Young (rugby league) (fl. ...

was transferred from the

Normandy campaign Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

to become

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, f ...

of 3rd Commando Brigade. Young succeeded Nonweiler as commander of the brigade. During January 1945, the brigade was involved in the campaign to recapture Arakan, including the battles of Myebon peninsula and Kangaw. The brigade was then withdrawn to India to prepare for

Operation Zipper During World War II, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya, as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore in Operation Mailfist. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it ...

, a proposed amphibious operation to recapture the Malayan peninsula. The atomic bombs against Japan precipitated an earlier

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

than expected. The 3rd Commando Brigade moved to secure

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

– a British

crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by Kingdom of England, England, and then Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English overseas possessions, English and later British Empire. There was usua ...

that was under Japanese occupation in 1941–45. During 1946, British Army personnel and units within the 3rd Commando Brigade were demobilised or transferred elsewhere and it became a Royal Marine formation.

Post Second World War

3 Commando Brigade's most high-profile operation after the war was the

, when it took part in the

amphibious assault Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...

against

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

ian targets. During Operation Musketeer, units of the brigade made a helicopter-borne assault. 1971 saw the withdrawal of British forces from the Far East and

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. The brigade returned to the UK with other British units. It moved to Stonehouse Barracks in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

, where it remains to this day.

Operation Corporate

The brigade's next large operation was in 1982.

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

invaded An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of co ...

the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...

, and 3 Commando Brigade, reinforced by

2 Para The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), is a formation of the Parachute Regiment, part of the British Army, and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade. 2 PARA is an airborne light infantry battalion capable of a wide ran ...

and

3 Para The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom), Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne forces, Ai ...

, was one of the two main British land formations that took part in operations to recapture the islands. The brigade landed at

San Carlos Water San Carlos Water is a bay/fjord on the west coast of East Falkland, facing onto the Falkland Sound. Name Despite its Spanish language, Spanish-sounding name, there is a wide discrepancy with the Spanish usage, for in Spanish "Estrecho de San C ...

and marched across

East Falkland East Falkland () is the largest island of the Falkland Islands, Falklands in the South Atlantic, having an area of or 54% of the total area of the Falklands. The island consists of two main land masses, of which the more southerly is known as L ...

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

. Argentine units were defeated in several sharp engagements, and their forces surrendered on 14 June.

Gulf War

In the aftermath of the 1991

, the brigade was deployed on a non-combat task in northern

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. The Iraqi

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

had suffered immensely during the war and in its aftermath, and the brigade was used due to its rapid deployment ability. It provided

humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and Humanitarian Logistics, logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homelessness, homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. Th ...

to the Kurds and saved many from

starvation Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, de ...

21st century

RM Jackal Vehicle in Afghanistan MOD 45150600

Recently, the brigade has been involved in two major campaigns, including

Operation Veritas Operation Veritas was the codename used for British military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in 2001. British forces played a supporting role to the American Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition, the British contributi ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

, 2001 and 2002, and

Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...

during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Iraq, however, saw heavy fighting occur in the early stages of the campaign, as the brigade made its first

in over 20 years by landing on the

Al-Faw peninsula The Al-Faw peninsula (; also transliterated as ''Fao'' or ''Fawr'') is a peninsula in the Persian Gulf, located in the extreme southeast of Iraq. The marshy peninsula is southeast of Iraq's third largest city, Basra, and is part of a delta for t ...

in south-east Iraq. In 2006, the brigade returned to Afghanistan on

Operation Herrick Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assi ...

, replacing

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999–2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readines ...

, where intense fighting occurred. In 2022, 3 Commando Brigade was rebranded to the United Kingdom Commando Force (UKCF), a process that started in 2020 and completed in 2024.

Organisation

Royal Marines in Afghanistan MOD 45156093

The UK Commando Force contains Royal Marines,

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and

personnel. When operating as part of the combined United Kingdom / Netherlands Landing Force, the 1st Marine Combat Group of the Dutch

Korps Mariniers The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps () is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy, one of the four Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The marines trace their origins to the establishment of the on 10 Decembe ...

is also attached to the brigade. The subordinate units are:

Headquarters, UK Commando Force, at
RM Stonehouse Stonehouse Barracks, or RM Stonehouse, is a military installation at Stonehouse, Plymouth. It is the home of the United Kingdom Commando Force, UK Commando Force and referred to by Royal Marines Commando, commandos as 'the spiritual home of the ...

* Commander, UK Commando Force is

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

Jamie M. Norman ** Commando EOD Troop from

33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Engineers. It is based at Carver Barracks, Essex. Organization Today the regiment consists of: * 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S), in Wimbish Wimbish is a small rural vil ...

Headquarters,
45 Commando 45 Commando Royal Marines (pronounced "four-five commando") is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within UK Commando Force, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of the Fleet Comman ...
, at
RM Condor RM Condor is a large Royal Marines base located near Arbroath in East Angus, Scotland. The base also houses 7 (Sphinx) Battery Royal Artillery, part of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. History The base was first constructed as a nava ...

* Command Company * Logistics Company * Whisky Company (W Coy) * X-Ray Company (X Coy) * Yankee Company (Y Coy) * Zulu Company (Z Coy)

Headquarters,
40 Commando 40 Commando RM is a battalion-sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within UK Commando Force, the principal Commando formation, under the operational command of the Fleet Commander. Their barracks are at Norton Manor ...
, at
RM Norton Manor Norton Manor Camp, or RM Norton Manor, is a Royal Marines base located near Norton Fitzwarren, north west of Taunton, Somerset, in England. It is home to 40 Commando. In 2016, the government announced that Norton Manor Camp would be closed by ...

* Command Company * Logistics Company * Information Warfare Company * Alpha Company (A Coy) * Bravo Company (B Coy) * Charlie Company (C Coy)

Headquarters,
42 Commando 42 Commando is a unit within the UK Commando Force. Based at Norton Manor, Royal Marines Condor and 42 Commando are based at Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth. Personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. All Roya ...
, at
RM Bickleigh RM Bickleigh, or Bickleigh Barracks, is a military installation at Bickleigh, South Hams which is currently used by 42 Commando. History The barracks were built by A French & Co and completed in early 1940 during the Second World War. In 1950 ...

* Command Company * Logistics Company * Juliet Company (J Coy) * Kilo Company (K Coy) * Lima Company (L Coy) * Mike Company (M Coy)

Headquarters, 43 Commando (Fleet Protection Group), at
HMNB Clyde His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...

* Headquarters Squadron * Oscar Squadron (O Sqn) * Papa Squadron (P Sqn) * Romeo Squadron (R Sqn)

Headquarters, 47 Commando (Raiding Group), at
RM Tamar Royal Marines Tamar or more commonly RM Tamar, is a Royal Marines military installation specialising in landing craft training and operations located on the northern bank of Weston Mill Lake at the north end of HMNB Devonport at Plymouth in De ...

* 539 Raiding Squadron (539 RS) * 10 (Landing Craft) Training Squadron * 11 Amphibious Trials and Training Squadron, at

RM Instow RM Instow, also known as Arromanches Camp, is a military installation operated by the Royal Marines at Instow in North Devon located south west of Barnstaple, Devon, and north east of Bideford, Devon, England. History The site, which was esta ...

* Logistics Squadron

Headquarters, 30 Commando Information Exploitation (IX) Group, at
RM Stonehouse Stonehouse Barracks, or RM Stonehouse, is a military installation at Stonehouse, Plymouth. It is the home of the United Kingdom Commando Force, UK Commando Force and referred to by Royal Marines Commando, commandos as 'the spiritual home of the ...

* Headquarters Squadron Text was copied from this source, which is available under a
Open Government Licence v3.0
© Crown copyright. ** Intelligence Cell ** Information Activities Cell *

Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron The Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) is a squadron-sized sub-unit of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, 30 Commando (IX) Group that provides specialist reconnaissance to Headquarters, United Kingdom Commando Force, UK Comman ...

(SRS) * Yankee Squadron (Y Sqn) ** Air Defence Troop * Communications Squadron * Logistics Squadron ** Royal Marines Police Troop * Base Squadron

Headquarters, Commando Logistic Regiment, at RM Chivenor

* Headquarters Squadron * Equipment Support Squadron * Logistic Support Squadron ** 383 Commando Petroleum Troop (''Army Reserves'') * Medical Squadron * Landing Force Support Squadron * Viking Squadron, at Stanley Barracks, Bovington Garrison

Headquarters, 24 Commando Regiment, Royal Engineers, at RM Chivenor

* 56 Commando Headquarters and Support Squadron ** Commando Diving Team * 54 Commando Squadron * 59 Commando Squadron * 131 Commando Squadron (''Army Reserves'') * 24 Cdo

REME The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full ...

Workshop

Headquarters, 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, at
Royal Citadel, Plymouth The Royal Citadel in Plymouth, Devon, England, was built in the late 1660s to the design of Sir Bernard de Gomme. It is at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound, and encompasses the site of the earlier fort that had been bu ...

* 7 (Sphinx) Battery, at

RM Condor RM Condor is a large Royal Marines base located near Arbroath in East Angus, Scotland. The base also houses 7 (Sphinx) Battery Royal Artillery, part of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. History The base was first constructed as a nava ...

. * 8 (Alma) Commando Battery * 79 (Kirkee) Commando Battery * 23 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Commando Battery * 148 (Meiktila) Battery, at

RM Poole Royal Marines Base Poole (RM Poole) is a British naval base located in Napier Road in Hamworthy, a suburb of Poole, Dorset, England on the Poole Harbour and is the centre for Royal Marines Commandos activities. History The base was built in ...

* 29 Cdo

Workshop, at the Royal Citadel, RM Condor, RM Poole

Amphibious Task Group

Formerly known as the Amphibious Ready Group, the Amphibious Task Group (ATG) is a mobile, balanced

amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...

force, based on a Commando Group and its supporting assets, that can be kept at high readiness to deploy into an area of operations. The ATG was normally based around specialist amphibious ships, such as the former , the only helicopter carrier in the British fleet until she was decommissioned and sold to Brazil in 2018. ''Ocean'' was designed and built to accommodate an embarked commando and its associated stores and equipment. The strategy of the ATG is to wait "beyond the horizon" and then deploy swiftly as directed by HM Government. The whole amphibious force is intended to be self-sustaining and capable of operating without host-nation support. The concept was successfully tested in operations in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

. Since the disposal of both HMS ''Ocean'' and, in 2024/25, the Albion class assault ships, British amphibious forces are reliant on deployment from the

Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier The ''Queen Elizabeth''-class aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy consists of two vessels. The lead ship of her class, , was named on 4 July 2014 in honour of Elizabeth I and was commissioned on 7 December 2017. Her sister s ...

s and from amphibious warfare vessels of the

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...

. Aircraft of the Commando Helicopter Force can be accommodated on these vessels.

Commando Helicopter Force

The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) forms part of the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

. It comprises three helicopter squadrons and is commanded by

Joint Aviation Command The Joint Aviation Command (JAC), previously known as Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of all three services of the British Armed Forces and unmanned aerial vehicles of the B ...

(JAC). CHF is neither under the permanent control of Headquarters Commando Forces nor that of the Commandant General Royal Marines, but rather is allocated to support Commando units as required by JAC. It uses both Merlin HC4/4A medium-lift and Wildcat AH1 light transport/reconnaissance

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

s to provide aviation support to Commando Forces.

Commanders

Commanders have included: *1943–1944 Brigadier Wilfrid Nonweiler *1944 Brigadier

(acting) *1944–1945 Brigadier Campbell Hardy *1948–1951 Brigadier Campbell Hardy *1951–1952 Brigadier Cecil Phillips *1952–1954 Brigadier James Moulton *1954–1955 Brigadier

Ian Riches General Sir Ian Hurry Riches, (27 September 1908 – 23 December 1996) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1959 to 1962. Military career Educated at University College School, Riches joined the Royal ...

*1955–1957 Brigadier Reginald Madoc *1957–1959 Brigadier Robert Houghton *1959–1960 Brigadier Peter Hellings *1960–1962 Brigadier

Norman Tailyour General Sir Norman Hastings Tailyour, (12 December 1914 – 28 December 1979) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1965 to 1968. Military career Tailyour was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1933 ...

*1962–1964 Brigadier Francis Barton *1964–1965 Brigadier Leslie Marsh *1965–1966 Brigadier Anthony Willasey-Wilsey *1966–1968 Brigadier Ian Gourlay *1968–1970 Brigadier Peter Whiteley *1970–1972 Brigadier Patrick Ovens *1972–1975 Brigadier Roger Ephraums *1975–1977 Brigadier John Richards *1977–1979 Brigadier

Jeremy Moore Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore, (5 July 1928 – 15 September 2007) was a British senior Royal Marine officer who served as the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the ...

*1979–1981 Brigadier Michael Wilkins *1981–1983 Brigadier Julian Thompson *1983–1984 Brigadier

Martin Garrod Lieutenant General Sir John Martin Carruthers Garrod (29 May 1935 – 17 April 2009) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1987 to 1990. Military career Educated at Sherwood College, Nainital in India ...

*1984–1986 Brigadier Henry Beverley *1986–1988 Brigadier Robin Ross *1988–1990 Brigadier Andrew Whitehead *1990–1992 Brigadier Andrew Keeling *1992–1994 Brigadier David Pennefather *1994–1995 Brigadier Jonathan Thomson *1995–1997 Brigadier Anthony Milton *1997–1998 Brigadier

Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...

*1998–1999 Brigadier David Wilson *1999–2001 Brigadier

Robert Fry Lieutenant General Sir Robert Alan Fry, (born 6 April 1951)Debrett's''Lt-Gen Sir Robert Fry, KCB, CBE'' Retrieved 15 August 2013 served as a Royal Marine for over 30 years and was involved in military operations in Northern Ireland, the Gulf, ...

*2001–2002 Brigadier Roger Lane *2002–2004 Brigadier James Dutton *2004–2006 Brigadier John Rose *2006–2007 Brigadier

Jeremy Thomas Jeremy Jack Thomas (born 26 July 1949) is a British film producer. He is the founder and chairman of Recorded Picture Company. He produced Bernardo Bertolucci's '' The Last Emperor'', which won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture. In 20 ...

*2007–2008 Brigadier David Capewell *2008–2008 Brigadier Buster Howes *2008–2009 Brigadier

Gordon Messenger General Sir Gordon Kenneth Messenger, (born 15 April 1962) is a retired senior Royal Marines officer who served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from May 2016 to May 2019. As a colonel he commanded 40 Commando during the Iraq War, and led th ...

*2010–2011 Brigadier Ed Davis *2011–2013 Brigadier Martin Smith *2013–2014 Brigadier Stuart M. Birrell *2014–2015 Brigadier

Charles Stickland Lieutenant General Sir Charles Richard Stickland, (born 16 May 1968) is a senior Royal Marines officer, who served as the Chief of Joint Operations from November 2021 to November 2024. He was Commandant General Royal Marines from January 2018 ...

*2015–2017 Brigadier Jim Morris *2017–2018 Brigadier

Gwyn Jenkins General (United Kingdom), General Sir Gwyn Jenkins is a senior Royal Marines officer serving as the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff since 15 May 2025. He served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), Vice-Chief of the ...

*2018–2020 Brigadier Matt Jackson *2020–2022 Brigadier Richard Cantrill *2022–2024 Brigadier Duncan Forbes *2024–present Brigadier James Norman

Battle honours

The following

Battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...

s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War. * Vaagso * Norway 1941 * St. Nazaire *

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

Normandy Landing The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

* Dives Crossing *

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places Netherlands * Flushing, Netherlands, an English name for the city of Vlissingen, Netherlands United Kingdom * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, England * The Flushing, a building in Suffolk, England ...

* Westkapelle *

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

* Leese * Aller * North-West Europe 1942 '44–45 * Litani * Syria 1941 * Steamroller Farm * Sedjenane 1 * Djebel Choucha * North Africa 1941–43 * Landing in Sicily * Pursuit to Messina *

Sicily 1943 Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

* Landing at Porto San Venere *

Termoli Termoli ( Molisano: ''Térmëlë'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) on the south Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a ...

Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...

* Monte Ornito *

Anzio Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...

Valli di Comacchio The Valli di Comacchio are a series of contiguous brackish lagoons situated to the south of Comacchio, close to the Adriatic coast of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. They lie within the comuni of Comacchio and Argenta in the provi ...

* Argenta Gap * Italy 1943–45 * Greece 1944–45 *

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

* Middle East 1941 '42 '44 * Alethangyaw *

Myebon Myebon ( Myebon Township) is a town of Mrauk-U District in Rakhine State, Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwes ...

Kangaw The Battle of Hill 170 was a battle between the British 3rd Commando Brigade and the Japanese 54th Division during the Second World War. The battle was fought in January 1945, as part of the Burma Campaign. The 3rd Commando Brigade were give ...

* Burma 1943–45

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

* * {{Naval Service (British), state=collapsed Royal Marine formations and units Amphibious landing brigades Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Falklands War Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Commando units and formations of the United Kingdom Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Iraq War The Rifles 1942 establishments in the United Kingdom N