Landing on Sword Beach 30 minutes before the rest of the brigade, their first objectives were to capture a German strong point and gun battery in Ouistreham.

After the Dunkirk evacuation, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale.

Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated, "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."

The volunteers were informed of the intended role for the commandos and that training would be "tough and demanding and any who could not measure up to the standard required would be returned to their parent unit without any leave of appeal".

The next day the unit boarded HMS Queen Emma, but on 22 February 1941, after they anchored at Scapa Flow, their real objective was divulged.

[15] Another item of escape equipment issued was a pair of trouser fly buttons that, when placed one on top of the other, became a small compass.

While this was happening a new second in command (2IC) was appointed, Major Charles Vaughan, and a Captain Lord Lovat joined the unit as the training officer.

[19] The St Nazaire raid had the objective of destroying the Normandie dry dock, which would prevent its use by any large German warship if that had been damaged or in need of repair.

Three of the six including Lieutenant Pennington were killed before they were able to land, when their Motor Launch was engaged by the German coastal defence batteries.

However, the two commando troops were discovered cutting the barbed wire beach obstacles and German machine guns opened fire.

Vaughan left shortly afterwards to take over command of the Commando Depot at Achnacarry and was succeeded by Lord Lovat with Major Derek Mills-Roberts becoming the 2IC.

[26][27] Originally conceived in April 1942, "Operation Rutter" was to conduct a major division-sized raid on a German held port of Dieppe on the French channel coast and to hold it for the duration of at least two tides.

Leaving a section from A Troop to deal with them the rest of the Group ran the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the rear of the battery, bypassing German infantry positions on the way.

The new troop with mortar and Vickers machine gun sections provided the heavy weapons needed for their new role as assault infantry.

The 6th Airborne Division and 1st Special Service Brigade would be responsible for holding the left flank of the Allied bridgehead of the invasion of Normandy.The method.

[51] For the landing each man carried a rucksack weighing 80 pounds (36 kg) containing extra ammunition, for the Brens, mortars, Vickers K guns and PIATs.

4 Commando were in the second wave and landed behind the initial assault battalion, from the East Yorkshire Regiment, part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

The French commander Capitaine de frégate Philippe Kieffer was just about to order an all-out assault by both troops, when reports that British amphibious tanks were in Ouistreham reached him.

Sending a guide to bring one forward, the tank arrived in front of the Casino and proceeded to destroy the German gun emplacements.

As they advanced, a tank from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars joined them, just in time to engage German snipers who had started shooting at E and F Troops.

Holding fire until the last minute, the Germans were beaten back but A Troop found themselves surrounded on three sides and forced to withdraw.

At the same time an artillery Forward Observation Officer arrived from brigade, he contacted the 25 pounder guns attached to the 6th Airborne Division and requested 12 rounds of rapid fire.

Problems capturing Caen meant the commandos and airborne division had to remain to secure the left flank along the line of the Orne.

5 Troop, unable to use the streets, advanced by mouse-holing - blowing holes in house walls with ready-made charges every man carried.

[70] On 3 November the commandos gave control of Flushing to the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division and prepared to move by sea to support the rest of the brigade at Westkapelle.

By now intelligence from Dutch residents and prisoners had revealed that the remaining Germans were holed up in the wooded area between Domburg and Vrouwenpolder.

Lieutenant Colonel Dawson allocated stretches of the coast to each troop and taking the offensive to the enemy, started a programme of raids on Schouwen-Duiveland.

4 Commando front the two French troops crossed the channel to Schouwen and Lieutenant Colonel Dawson accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces in the region.

During a visit in October 1945, Lieutenant General Robert Sturges informed them that the War Office had decided to disband all army commandos.

[78] In the British Army battle honours are awarded to regiments that have seen active service in a significant engagement or campaign, generally (although not always) one with a victorious outcome.