The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid (in France), before being combined under one commander for service in Normandy during Operation Overlord.

They trained in amphibious and cliff assault, artillery observer, CQB/CQC, cold-weather warfare, combat and patrolling techniques in urban areas, commando style raids, counter-ambushes, demolition, gathering field intelligence, infiltrating, learning about the toxic environment from chemical weapons to protect when operations, marksmanship, motor vehicle operations, mountain warfare, orienteering, physical fitness, reconnaissance tactics, SERE, signalling, silent killing, tactical emergency medical, tracking tactics, use a map and compass, and weapons (including the use of captured enemy small-arms).

Many officers, NCOs and trainee instructors initially attended various courses at the all forces Special Training Centre at Lochailort in Scotland.

Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books from Nazi Germany's armed trawler Krebs.

This enabled German naval codes to be read at Bletchley Park, providing the intelligence needed to allow allied convoys to avoid U-boat concentrations.

Its aim was to destroy the German installations at Vågsøy, supported by the RAF who provided air cover and attacked the airfield at Herdla near Bergen.

The naval part of the force consisted of one cruiser, four destroyers and two landing ships; the warships began the operation with a shore bombardment of Måløy island.

House-to-house fighting ensued, but by 1345 hours it was over and the force re-embarked soon afterwards; 15,000 tons of shipping and all German installations were destroyed, as well as warehouses, dockyards and fish-oil processing plants.

The Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942, involved over 6,000 Canadian soldiers supported by large British naval and Allied air force contingents.

The craft carrying No 5 group of No 3 Commando, approaching the coast to the east, were not warned of the presence of a German coastal convoy that had been located by British "Chain Home" radar stations at 2130 hours.

Thus, a handful of determined British soldiers neutralised the most dangerous German coastal battery in the area of the raid for the most critical period of the operation.

The plan was for 1st Special Service Brigade comprising Nos 3, 4, 6 and 45 Commando (RM) to land at Ouistreham in Queen Red sector (the most easterly).

The 1st Special Service Brigade, under the command of Brigadier Lord Lovat, were piped ashore in the second wave led by No 4 Commando with the two French Troops first, as agreed amongst themselves.

Leaving the mopping-up to the infantry, the Commandos withdrew from Ouistreham to join other units in their brigade, moving inland to join-up with the 6th Airborne Division.

He instructed his personal piper, Bill Millin, to play the commandos ashore, in defiance of specific orders not to allow such an action in battle.

The commandos arrived later than expected by about an hour and a half, for which Lord Lovat apologised to Lieutenant Colonel Richard Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, of the 7th Parachute Battalion.

During an attack on the village of Bréville on 12 June, Lord Lovat was seriously wounded while observing an artillery bombardment by the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division.

About the same time there were plans to send 1 Commando Brigade to the Far East, but due to the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes over the New Year and in January, they returned to mainland Europe.

It was during this period of operations that Lance Corporal Henry Eric Harden, a medical orderly of the RAMC attached to 45 RM Commando, posthumously won the Victoria Cross.

With complete disregard for his own safety, Cpl Harden rescued two of his wounded comrades from a field that was under heavy machine gun and mortar fire.

Operation Plunder started at 1800 hours on 23 March with a barrage of 5,500 guns along the 35 km front and a bomber raid on the city of Wesel.

By 19 April, the 1st Commando Brigade had reached Lunenburg and prepared for its final operation, the crossing of the river Elbe and the advance beyond to Neustadt.

Reaching there on 3 May, No.6 Commando was the first to arrive and began sorting out the dead and the survivors of the prison ship Cap Arcona that had been attacked by the RAF by mistake whilst moored in the Bay of Lübeck.