The commandos were formed in 1940, by the order of Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister.

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

[1] At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids against enemy occupied territory, [2] but by 1943 their role had changed into lightly equipped assault Infantry which specialised in spearheading amphibious landings.

[3] The man initially selected as the overall commander of the force was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes himself a veteran of the landings at Galipoli 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.

52 Commando was formed in the Middle East at Geneifa in August 1940, from volunteers from units serving in the Middle East and a small number of veterans from the Spanish Civil War who had escaped to Palestine after the French defeat in 1940.

[12] As 'D' Battalion they fought in the battle of Crete and were disbanded after the survivors returned to Egypt.

[13] The following Battle honours were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.