He called for specially trained troops that would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast".

[4] The man initially selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Gallipoli and the Zeebrugge raid in the First World War.

The course in the Scottish Highlands concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations and demolitions both by day and by night.

[10] For a raiding force the normal British Army regimental or battalion structure was deemed[by whom?]

[7][11] The commando had no special equipment issued: they carried small arms identical to those of other British infantry forces – Lee–Enfield rifles, Bren light machine guns and Thompson submachine guns (plus from Operation Torch onwards until after the war, the US M1 Garand).

It had to wait for its men to arrive from the independent companies, who continued to guard the British coastline in the face of a potential German invasion.

The award was unique: he is the only soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for a naval action, and in that it was recommended by the enemy.

[10] Kangaw became one of the most intense battles of the whole Burma campaign and during the fighting Lieutenant George Arthur Knowland earned the commando's second Victoria Cross.

[10] In March 1945 the commando withdrew back to India to prepare for Operation Zipper, the planned invasion of Malaya.

[10] Sergeant Thomas Frank Durrant Victoria Cross citation: For great gallantry, skill and devotion to duty when in charge of a Lewis gun in HM Motor Launch 306 in the St Nazaire raid on 28 March 1942.

The Motor Launch subsequently went down the river and was attacked by a German destroyer at 50 to 60 yards range, and often closer.

After a running fight, the Commander of the German destroyer called on the Motor Launch to surrender.

Sergeant Durrant's gallant fight was commended by the German officers on boarding the Motor Launch.

[17]Lieutenant George Knowland Victoria Cross citation: In Burma on 31 January 1945, near Kangaw, Lieutenant Knowland was commanding the forward platoon of a Troop positioned on the extreme North of a hill which was subjected to very heavy and repeated enemy attacks throughout the whole day.

Before the first attack started, Lieutenant Knowland's platoon was heavily mortared and machine gunned, yet he moved about among his men keeping them alert and encouraging them, though under fire himself at the time.

When the enemy, some 300 strong in all, made their first assault they concentrated all their effects on his platoon of 24 men but in spite of the ferocity of the attack, he moved about from trench to trench distributing ammunition, and firing his rifle and throwing grenades at the enemy, often from completely exposed positions.

The enemy was then less than 10 yards from him in dead ground down the hill so in order to get a better field of fire, he stood on top of the trench, firing the light machine gun from his hip and successfully keeping them at a distance until a Medical Orderly had dressed and evacuated the wounded men behind him.

Such was the inspiration of his magnificent heroism, that, though fourteen out of twenty-four of his platoon became casualties at an early stage, and six of his positions were overrun by the enemy, his men held on through twelve hours of continuous and fierce fighting until reinforcements arrived.

As it was, the final successful counter-attack was later launched from the vital ground which Lieutenant Knowland had taken such a gallant part in holding.