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The first unit of English naval infantry, originally called the "Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot" they soon became known as the "Admiral's Regiment," formed on October 28, 1664, and the name "Marines" first appeared in official records in 1672. However, the naval infantry remained a part of the British Army until 1755, when "His Majesty's Marine Forces," fifty companies in three divisions, headquartered at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth, were formed under Admiralty control. In 1802, they were titled the "Royal Marines."
Throughout the 18th and 19th century the Royal Marines played a major part in winning Britain the largest empire ever known.
The "Royal Marine Artillery" were formed as a separate unit in 1804. In 1855, the naval infantry forces were renamed the "Royal Marines, Light Infantry" and in 1862 the name was slightly altered to "Royal Marine Light Infantry." It was not until 1923Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 Events January 1 Grouping of all UK railway companies into four larg that the separate artillery and light infantry forces were formally amalgamated into the "Corps of Royal Marines."
During the Great War, Royal Marines took part in the amphibious landing at GallipoliThe Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli in 1915 during the First World War. A combined Allied operation was mounted in order to eventually capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. The attempt failed, and an estimated in 1915Events January 12 The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of Congress. January 12 United States House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote. January 13 An earthquake (6. 8 in Richter scale) in Avezzano, Ital, and, in 1918Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long)., led the raid at ZeebruggeZeebrugge ( French: Zeebruges is a harbor-town at the coast of Belgium in Bruges. The harbor is important for ferries to the United Kingdom, import and export of cars and the marine. There is an expressway to Bruges which connects Zeebrugge to the Europea.
During World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough the Royal Marine's infantry battalions were reorganised as CommandoCommando (military) is an individual, a military unit, or a style of military operation Commando (movie) is the title of a 1985 film Commando (game) is also a 1985 computer game, unrelated to the film Commando (verb) To not wear underwear''.s from 1942 to join the Army Commandos. In 1946 the Army Commandos were disbanded, leaving the Royal Marines to continue the Commando role (with supporting Army elements).
A small number served as pilots, indeed it was a Royal Marine officer who led the attack by a formation of Blackburn Skuas that sank the German Cruiser Konigsberg .
In the 20th century, the Royal Marines took part in most of the major conflicts that the United Kingdom was involved in. For the first part of the century, their role was the traditional one of shipboard infantry for boarding parties and small landings, and also manning turrets on cruisers and battleships. That continued during the Second World War, but a new role came into being, that of the Commandos.
Commandos were first raised from the British Army as elite forces to be used in raiding operations and to seize particularly tough objectives in larger operations. The first Royal Marine Commandos came into being not much later. A total of four Commando brigades were raised during the war, and Royal Marines were represented in all of them. A total of nine battalions of RM Commandos were raised during the war, numbered from 40 to 48.
1 Commando Brigade had just one RM battalion, No 45 Commando. 2 Commando Brigade had two RM battalions, Nos 40 and 43 Commandos, 3 Commando Brigade again two, Nos 42 and 44 Commandos. 4 Commando Brigade was entirely Royal Marine after March 1944, comprising Nos 41, 46, 47 and 48 Commandos.
1 Commando Brigade took part in the assaults on Sicily and Normandy, and campaigns in the Rhineland and crossing the Rhine; 2 Commando Brigade was involved in the Salerno landings, Anzio, Comacchio and operations in the Argenta Gap ; 3 Commando Brigade in Sicily, and Burma; and 4 Commando Brigade in Normandy and operations in the Schledt Estuary at Walcheren during the clearing of Antwerp.
In January 1945, two further RM brigades were formed, 116th Brigade and 117th Brigade. Both were conventional infantry, rather than in the Commando role. 116th Brigade saw some action in the Netherlands, but 117th Brigade was hardly used operationally.
Royal Marines were involved in the Korean War, although often, little is said about their presence. No 41 Commando was reformed in 1950, and was originally envisaged as a raiding force for use against North Korea. It performed this role until after the landing of X Corps at Wonsan. It was then put into the line, as part of 1st Marine Division, and took part in the famous retreat from Chosin Reservoir. After that, a small amount of raiding followed, before the Marines were withdrawn from the conflict in 1951.
After a part in the long Malayan Emergency, the next action came in 1956, during the Suez Crisis. Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade, and Nos 40, 42 and 45 Commando took part in the operation. It marked the first time that a helicopter assault was used operationally to land troops. British and French forces defeated the Egyptians, but after pressure from the United States, and French Domestic pressure, they backed down.
Further action in the Far East was seen during the Konfrontasi. Nos 40 and 42 Commando went to Borneo at various times to help keep Indonesian forces from causing trouble in border areas. The most high profile incident of the campaign was a company strength amphibious assault by Lima Company of 42 Commando. The assault was made at the town of Limbang to rescue hostages.
From 1969 onwards Royal Marine units regularly deployed to Northern Ireland during The Troubles.
The Falklands War provided the backdrop to the next action of the Royal Marines. Argentina invaded the islands in April 1982. A British taskforce was immediately despatched to recapture them, and given that an amphibious assault was to be necessary, the Royal Marines were heavily involved. 3 Commando Brigade was brought to full warfighting strength, with not only 40, 42 and 45 Commando, but the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Parachute Regiment attached. The troops were landed at San Carlos Water at the western end of East Falkland, and proceeded to ' yomp' across the entire island to the capital, Port Stanley, which fell on 14 June 1982. Not only was 3 Commando Brigade deployed, but a Royal Marines divisional headquarters deployed, under Major General Jeremy Moore, who was commander of British land forces during the war.
3 Commando Brigade were not deployed in the 1991 Gulf War, but they were deployed to northern Iraq in the aftermath to provide aid to the Kurds. The remainder of the 1990s saw no major warfighting deployments, other than a division headquarters to control land forces during the short NATO intervention that ended the Bosnian war.
More recently Royal Marine detachments have been involved in operations in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and East Timor.
2002, saw a deployment of Royal Marines to Afghanistan, where contact with enemy forces was expected. However, in the end, no Al-Qaida or Taliban forces were found. Any frustrations that deployment brought at the lack of combat were relieved in early 2003, when the UK's first amphibious assault for over 20 years was mounted to capture the Al Faw peninsula in Iraq. 40 and 42 Commandos, 3 Commando Brigade headquarters, and supporting units were deployed for operations. The attack proceeded well, with light casualties.