One Commando Brigade

Royal Marine Commandos

1st to land; World War II

The previous page was: "Malta"

One Commando; in World War II the very first landing on enemy held territory was in occupied Sicily. It was led by 40 Commando and 41 Commando, they were the Royal Marines part of One Commando Brigade which was allocated this prestigious task.

There were nine Royal Marines Commando Units they were all fully prepared and ready for action. As the reserve force, they were Britain's weapons in waiting; their striking power would prove to be most effective.

Their exact target was known only to the High Command.

Their destination was a sandy bay in southern Sicily, 'Commando Cove' it was re-named.

Their task was an attack to silence and put out of action the enemy coastal defences of the main beach. It had to be done before the 1st Canadian Division was put ashore.

Malta

Thus Peter Young

"The infantry can do our job, but only we, the Commandos can do it in the time allotted. You must get ashore, even if you have to swim, and I hope some of you will return as you will be very useful for the next show."

Thus Peter Young to his men before the first assault on Sicily.

Peter Young of 3 Army Commando landing at Cassibile Beach as dawn was breaking through, was attacking from the eastern side of the island; his landing-craft had been indifferently handled and landed late.

3 Commando had started boarding their landing craft just after midnight 10th July 1943; their coxswains could not find the landing beaches; he was not amused. They landed unopposed at dawn.

'Commando Cove' they called it

The Royal Marine Commandos were drenched by the sprays of sea water from the rough seas before getting ashore; they landed un-noticed.

Memories of the landmarks that they had been shown in the preparational training; were clearly embedded in their minds, and each man knew exactly what his job was.

41 Commando Royal Marines (nick named Lumsden's Commandos) at 03:00 hours landed on 10th July 1943 on a smaller beach close to the main beach; 'Commando Cove' they called it; at the most southerly tip of the island.

41 Commando landed first scaling the rocky cliffs until they were at the top. Taking the enemy by total surprise they soon mopped up the Italian resistance.

Quickly they secured a bridgehead posting sentries where needed and blowing up anything that might prove to be an obstacle to the Canadians landing.

When Lumsden's Commandos had passed through the bridgehead; Manners took his men forward towards their next objectives.

'Manner's Commando'

Landed Ten Minutes Behind

The second 40 Commando Royal Marines (nicknamed Lieutenant-Colonel 'Manner's Commando') landed on time ten minutes behind.

They passed quickly through the bridgehead moving to the left to attack the next batch of coastal defences. All expected resolute opposition and they were all prepared to overcome it.

Nothing was left to chance as anticipated the moon was in its first quarter shedding a little light. step by step the defences were silenced and destroyed.

Each explosion forcing more fear into the enemy; while giving much pleasure to the Commandos. Each time they took another position from the enemy they, the Italians threw up their arms in surrender.

They moved forward wiping out machine gun post after machine gun post. Moving on quickly they lost no time clearing the huge pill boxes of their garrison, and then they set about the batteries of heavy guns, destroying the breaches so they would fire again.

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Enemy strong point at Casa della Marza

The Commandos joined up with the Canadians who had all landed safely. Together they pushed inland from the main beaches.

They came across resistance at an enemy strong point at Casa della Marza. The Commandos cleared the main building without difficulty.

Then two heavy machine guns opened up from dark positions in opposite corners of the enclosure. Both quickly changed their minds and surrendered when the Commandos began their advance for an assault.

A sniper was permanently dislodged from a tower surmounting the Casa.

Commandos fired a green success flare

Manners Commandos fired a green success flare to show that they had fulfilled all of their objectives.

One Commandos green flare went up showing all of the territory had been captured from point to point.

Daylight was breaking a solitary flight of spitfires demonstrated the RAF's mastery of the skies.

Landing craft bringing more Canadian Forces were streaming towards the beaches with no opposition.

All had been accomplished within five hours. The Royal Marines had been allotted this mission, even if the resistance had been fiercer; it is not likely that the Commandos would have failed.

This triumph was the reason the Royal Marines had been chosen for the invasion so long awaited by the world.

After the occupation of Sicily

After the occupation of Sicily 40 and 41 Commandos took part in the first landings in Italy itself.

During the night 7th September 1943 Lieutenant-Colonel Manner's Commando secured a bridgehead at Vibo Vanetia, in the face of opposition from enemy mortars and 88mm guns, and captured the town.

Later 40 Commando Royal Marines made another landing in advance of the 8th Army at Termoli on the Adriatic Coast.

On 9th September 1943 Lieutenant-Colonel Lumsden's Commando landed with the 5th Army at Marina, to the west of Salerno. In company with an Army Commando they took the town of Vietri and seized La Mollina defile.

This defile they held against numerous determined German counter-attacks for five days until they were relieved by the main force's advancing towards Naples on.

Like their forefather's

During these operations, the two Royal Marine Commandos had performed tasks which were wholly in keeping with the traditions and functions of the Corps.

Their forbearers had made such landings at Gibraltar and Belle Isle, at Gallipoli, and on a hundred other beaches all over the globe.

The Commandos of the United Kingdom are the Royal Marine Commandos they are the Royal Navy's Regiment of the Sea. Their future was written in their past and the past will be written in the future.

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