The 'Royal Marines' ('RM') are the
marines and amphibious infantry of the
United Kingdom and, along with the
Royal Navy and
Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the
Naval Service [2]. They are also the United Kingdom's amphibious force and specialists in mountain and Arctic warfare. A core component of the country's Rapid Deployment Force, the Corps is able to operate independently in all types of terrain and is highly-trained as a
commando force. It is a force designed to be able to quickly deploy and fight in any terrain in the world.
Role
The Royal Marines are a maritime-focused, amphibious, light infantry force capable of deploying at short notice in support of the United Kingdom Government's military and diplomatic objectives overseas and are optimised for highly manoeuvreable operational situations. As the
United Kingdom Armed Forces' specialists in cold weather warfare the Corps provide lead element expertise in the NATO Northern Flank and are optimised for high altitude operations.
In common with the other armed forces, the Royal Marines can provide resources for Military Aid to Civil Authority and Military Aid to Civil Power operations.
Command, Control and Organisation
The overall head of the Royal Marines is Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II, in her role as
Commander-in-Chief of the
British Armed Forces. The highest rank in the Royal Marines is the
Captain-General. This is, however, a ceremonial rank, which is equivalent to
Admiral of the Fleet in the
Royal Navy,
Field Marshal in the
British Army and
Marshal of the Royal Air Force. The current Captain-General is
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The highest rank available to a serving Royal Marines officer is
General.
Actual command of the Royal Marines is vested in the
Commander-in-Chief Fleet with the
Commandant-General Royal Marines, a
Major-General, embedded within the CINCFLEET staff as Commander UK Amphibious Force (COMUKAMPHIBFOR).
The operational capability of the Corps comprises a number of Battalion-sized units, three of these are designated as "Commandos":
★
40 Commando (known as ''Forty'' Commando) based at Norton Manor Barracks,
Taunton,
Somerset
★
42 Commando (known as ''Four Two'' Commando) based at Bickleigh Barracks,
Plymouth,
Devon
★
45 Commando (known as ''Four Five'' Commando) based at Condor Barracks,
Arbroath,
Angus,
Scotland
★
Commando Logistic Regiment based at
Chivenor, Devon
★ UK Landing Force Command Support Group based at Stonehouse Barracks, Plymouth
★
Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines based at
HM Naval Base Clyde,
Helensburgh,
Argyll and Bute
★
Special Boat Service based at Royal Marines Barracks
Poole,
Dorset
★
1 Assault Group Royal Marines based at Royal Marines Barracks
Poole,
Dorset
Each of these formations is commanded by a
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Marines, who may have sub-specialised in a number of ways throughout his career.
3 Commando Brigade
Main articles: 3 Commando Brigade
Operational Control (OPCON) of the three Commandos and the Commando Logistics Regiment is delegated to
3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, of which they are a part. Based at Stonehouse Barracks, the Brigade exercises control as directed by either CINCFLEET or the
Permanent Joint Headquarters. As the main combat formation of the Royal Marines, the Brigade has its own organic capability to support it in the field:
★
UK Landing Force Command Support Group which comprises
[3]:
:
★ CSG Headquarters Troop
:
★ Signals Squadron
::
★ Two HQ
satellite communications Troops
:
★ Brigade Staff Squadron
:
★ Support Squadron
::
★
Brigade Patrol Troop
::
★ Electronic Warfare Troop (Y Troop)
::
★ Air Defence Troop
::
★ Tactical Air Control Parties
::
★
Police Troop
:
★ Logistics Squadron
::
★ Motor Transport Troop
::
★ Catering Troop
::
★ Stores Troop
::
★ Equipment Support Troop
★ 539 Assault Squadron
The Brigade also holds Operational Control of three attached army units from
The Rifles,
Royal Artillery and
Royal Engineers.
Independent Elements
The independent elements of the Royal Marines are:
★
Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is responsible for the security of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and other security-related duties. It also provides a security detachment at the Northwood military headquarters near London; as well as specialist boarding party support for the Royal Navy worldwide, for roles such as embargo enforcement, counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency activities of the Royal Navy. It is commando-sized, however the structure differs to reflect its role; it bears the colours, battle honours and customs of the former 43 Commando.
★
Commando Training Centre: This is the training unit for the entire corps, and consists of three separate sections:
★
★ Commando Training Wing: This is the initial basic
commando training section for new recruits to the Royal Marines, and the
All Arms Commando Course.
★
★ Specialist Wing. This provides specialist training in the various trades which Marines may elect to join once qualified and experienced in a Rifle Company.
★
★ Command Wing: This provides command training for both officers and NCOs of the Royal Marines.
A Royal Marines Landing Craft Utility.
★
1 Assault Group Royal Marines: Provides training in the use of
landing craft and boats, and also serves as a parent unit for the three assault squadrons permanently-embarked on the
Royal Navy's amphibious ships.
★
★ 4 Assault Squadron -
HMS ''Bulwark''
★
★ 6 Assault Squadron -
HMS ''Albion''
★
★ 9 Assault Squadron -
HMS ''Ocean''
★
Special Boat Service (SBS) are naval
special forces and under the Operational Control of
Director Special Forces. The Service is battalion-sized and commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel with previous experience as a Swimmer Canoeist. Responsibilities include water-borne operations, Maritime Counter-Terrorism and other special forces tasks.
★
Royal Marines Band Service provides regular bands for the Royal Navy and provides expertise to train RN Volunteer Bands. Bandsmen have a secondary role as field hospital orderlies. Personnel may not be commando trained, wearing a blue beret instead of green; the band service is the only branch of the Royal Marines which admits women.
Structure of a Commando
The Commando Flash, sewn to the upper sleeve of a
DPM shirt.
The three Commandos are each organised into six
companies, further organised into
platoon-sized
troops, as follows:
★ Command Company
★
★ Main HQ
★
★ Tactical HQ
★
★ Reconnaissance Troop (includes a sniper section)
★
★ Mortar Troop (9 Barrels of 81mm) (Includes 4 MFC pairs)
★
★ Anti-Tank (AT) Troop (Milan - to be replaced Javelin ATGW)
★
★ Medium Machine Gun Troop
★ One Logistic Company
★
★ A Echelon 1 (A Ech1)
★
★ A Echelon 2 (A Ech2)
★
★ FRT
★
★ RAP
★
★ B Echelon (B Ech)
★ Two Close Combat Companies
★
★ Company Headquarters (Coy HQ)
★
★ 3 Close Combat Troops (Troop HQ, 3 Rifle Sections, Manoeuvre Support Section)
★ Two Stand Off Companies
★
★ Company Headquarters (Coy HQ)
★
★ Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) Troop (0.5" heavy machine guns)
★
★ AT Troop
★
★ Close Combat Troop
In general a rifle company Marine will be a member of a four-man
fire team, the building block of commando operations. A Royal Marine works with his team in the field and shares accommodation if living in barracks.
This structure is a recent development, formerly Commandos were structured similarly to light Infantry
Battalions. During the restructuring of the United Kingdom's military services the Corps evolved from a
Cold War focus on NATO's Northern Flank towards a more expeditionary posture.
Amphibious Ready Group
The Amphibious Ready Group is a mobile, balanced amphibious force, based on a Commando Group and its supporting assets, that can be kept at high readiness to deploy into an area of operations. The Amphibious Ready Group is normally based around specialist amphibious ships, most notably
HMS ''Ocean'', the largest ship in the British fleet. ''Ocean'' was designed and built to accommodate an embarked commando and its associated stores and equipment. The strategy of the Amphibious Ready Group is to wait "beyond the horizon" and then deploy swiftly as directed by HM Government. The whole amphibious force is intended to be self-sustaining and capable of operating without host-nation support. The concept was successfully tested in operations in
Sierra Leone.
Commando Helicopter Force
The
Fleet Air Arm Commando Helicopter Force uses both
Sea King transport and
Lynx Light lift/ light attack
helicopters to provide aviation support for the Royal Marines. It consists of both Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel. RN personnel need not be commando trained.
Training
Royal Marines undergo the longest basic training regime of any
Infantry force in the world (32 weeks), at the
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) at
Lympstone,
Devon. The Royal Marines is the only part of the
British Armed Forces where Officers and Other Ranks are trained at the same location. Much of the basic training is carried out on the rugged terrain of
Dartmoor and Woodbury common with a significant proportion taking place at night. Before beginning
Royal Marines recruit training the potential recruit must attend a
Potential Royal Marine Course (PRMC) held at CTCRM. PRMC lasts 3 days and assesses physical ability and intellectual capacity to undertake the recruit training. Officer candidates must also undertake the
Admiralty Interview Board.
Officers and Marines undergo the same training up to the commando tests, thereafter Marines go on to employment in a rifle company while Officers continue training. Officer courses are required to meet higher standards in the Commando tests.
Basic training
The first weeks of training are spent learning basic skills that will be used later. This includes much time spent on the parade ground and on the rifle ranges. Physical training at this stage emphasizes all-round body strength, in order to develop the muscles necessary to carry the heavy weights a marine will use in an operational unit. Key milestones include a gym passout at week 9 (not carried out with fighting order), which shows that a recruit is ready for the Bottom Field, a battle swimming test, and learning to do a "regain" (i.e. climb back onto a rope suspended over a water tank). Most of these tests are completed with the ever present "fighting order" of 32 lb (14.5 kg) of equipment. Individual fieldcraft skills are also taught at this basic stage.
The Commando Course
The culmination of training is a period known as the Commando Course. Following the Royal Marines taking on responsibility for the
Commando Role with the disbandment of the Army Commandos at the end of
World War II, all Royal Marines, except those in the
Royal Marines Band Service, complete the Commando course as part of their training (see below). Key aspects of the course include climbing and ropework techniques, patrolling, and amphibious operations.
This intense phase ends with a series of tests which have remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Again, these tests are done with a "fighting order" of 32 lb (14.5kg) of equipment.
The commando tests are taken on consecutive days; they include;
★ A nine-mile (14.5 km) speed march, carrying full fighting order, to be completed in 90 minutes; the pace is thus 10 minutes per mile (6 min/km or 6 mph).
★ The Endurance course is a six mile, (9.65 km), course across rough terrain at Woodbury Common near Lympstone, which includes tunnels, pipes, wading pools, and an underwater culvert. The course ends with a four-mile run back to
CTCRM. Followed by a marksmanship test, where the recruit must hit 6 out of 10 shots at a target representing a fig. 11 target at 200 m. To be completed in 73 minutes (71 minutes for Royal Marine officers), these times were recently increased by one minute as the route of the course was altered. The Course ends at the 25m range where the recruit must then put at least 6 out of 10 shots on target without cleaning their weapon.
★ The Tarzan Assault Course. This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot vertical wall. It must be completed with full fighting order in 13 minutes, 12 minutes for Royal Marine officers. The
Potential Officers Course also includes confidence tests from the Tarzan Assault Course, although not with equipment.
★ The Thirty miler. This is a 30 mile (48 km) march across Dartmoor, wearing fighting order, and additional safety equipment. It must be completed in 8 hours for recruits and 7 hours for Royal Marine officers, who must also navigate the route themselves, rather than following a DS with the rest of a syndicate and carry their own equipment.
The day after the 30 mile (48 km) march, any who failed any of the tests may attempt to retake them.
Completing the Commando Course successfully entitles the recruit or officer to wear the coveted
green beret but does not mean that the Royal Marine has finished his training. That decision will be made by the troop or batch training team and will depend on the recruit's or young officer's overall performance. Furthermore, officer training still consists of many more months.
Training to be a Royal Marine takes 32 weeks. The last week is mainly administration and preparing for the pass out parade. Recruits in their final week of training are known as the King's Squad.
After basic and commando training, a Royal Marine Commando will normally join a unit of
3 Commando Brigade. There are three Royal Marines Commando infantry units in the Brigade: 40 Commando located at
Norton Manor Camp
near
Taunton in
Somerset, 42 Commando at
Bickleigh Barracks, near
Plymouth,
Devon, and 45 Commando at HMS Condor,
Arbroath on the east coast of
Scotland.
Non Royal Marine volunteers for Commando training undertake the
All Arms Commando Course
There is also a Reserve Commando Course run for members of the
Royal Marines Reserve and Commando units of the
Territorial Army.
Specialist training
Royal Marines may then go on to undertake specialist training in a variety of skills; Platoon Weapons Instructor, Mortar operator, signals, clerks,
sniper, PT instructor,
Mountain Leader,
Swimmer Canoeist, chef, Landing Craft coxswain, Telecommunications Technician (Tels Tech) etc.
Training for these specialisations may be undertaken at CTCRM or in a joint environment, such as the
Defence School of Transport at Leconfield or the
Defence Police College.
Some marines are trained in military
parachuting to allow flexibility of insertion methods for all force elements. Marines complete this training at
RAF Brize Norton but are not required to undergo Pre Parachute Selection Course (P-Company) training with the
Parachute Regiment.
Current weapons
★
L85A2 IW -
5.56 x 45 mm (Individual Weapon)
★
L86A2 LSW -
5.56 x 45 mm (Light Support Weapon)
★
L110A1 Light Machine Gun
5.56 x 45 mm belt or magazine.
★
L82A1 Barrett -
.50 inch (12.7 mm) BMG (Browning Machine gun) anti-materiel sniper rifle
★
L96A1 Sniper Rifle -
7.62 x 51 mm Accuracy International bolt-action sniper rifle
★
L115A1 Sniper Rifle -
.338 Lapua Magnum Accuracy International bolt-action sniper rifle
★
L7A2 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) - the
FN MAG 7.62 x 51 mm belt-fed machine gun.
★
L1A1 Heavy Machine Gun .50 inch (12.7 mm) BMG (Browning Machine gun)
★
LAW 80 (
Light Anti-tank Weapon)
★
MILAN wire guided anti-tank missile (in the process of being replaced by the
Javelin Anti-Tank missile)
★
L16A2 81 mm Mortar (High Explosive, Smoke and Illuminating ammunition)
★
L9A1 Browning -
9 x 19 mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol
★
L107A1 -
9 x 19 mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol
★
L17A2 UGL (Under-slung Grenade Launcher) - Attachment to L85A2
History
Traditions and insignia
The Royal Marines have a proud history and unique traditions. Their colours (flags) do not carry individual battle honours in the manner of the regiments of the British Army but rather the "globe itself" as the symbol of the Corps. The regimental quick march is ''A Life on the Ocean Wave''.
The badge of the Royal Marines is designed to commemorate the history of the Corps. The Lion and Crown denotes a Royal regiment.
King George III conferred this honour in 1802 "in consideration of the very meritorious services of the Marines in the late war."
The "Great Globe itself" surrounded by laurels was chosen by
King George IV as a symbol of the Marines' successes in every quarter of the world. The laurels are believed to honour the gallantry they displayed during the investment and capture of
Belle Isle, off
Lorient, in April–June 1761.
The word "
Gibraltar" refers to the
Siege of Gibraltar in 1704. It was awarded in 1827 by George IV as a special distinction for the services of four of the old Army Marine regiments (Queen's Own Marines, 1st Marines, 2nd Marines, 3rd Marines). All other honours gained by the Royal Marines are represented by the "Great Globe". As a consequence, there are no battle honours displayed on the
colours of the four battalion sized units in the corps.
When referring to individual Commandos: 45 Commando is referred to as "four-five" rather than "forty-five commando" as is 42 Commando, 40 Commando is "forty".
The only units which carry colours are 40 Commando, 42 Commando, 45 Commando, and the Fleet Protection Group (which is the custodian of the colours of 43 Commando).
The fouled anchor, incorporated into the emblem in 1747, is the badge of the
Lord High Admiral and shows that the Corps is part of the
Naval Service.
''Per Mare Per Terram'' ("By Sea, By Land"), the motto of the Marines, is believed to have been used for the first time in 1785.
The regimental quick march of the Corps is ''
A Life on the Ocean Wave'', while the slow march is ''
Preobrajensky''.
Dress headgear is a white Wolseley pattern
pith helmet surmounted by a ball, a distinction once standard for artillerymen. This derives from the part of the Corps that was once the Royal Marine Artillery.
The Royal Marines are one of six regiments allowed by the Lord Mayor of London to march through the City as a regiment in full array. This dates to the charter of Charles II that allowed recruiting parties of the Admiral's Regiment of 1664 to enter the City with drums beating and colours flying.
Order of Precedence
As the descendant of the old Marine Regiments of the
British Army, the Royal Marines has a position in the
Order of Precedence of the Infantry; this is after the 49th Regiment of Foot, the descendant of which is the
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. Therefore, the Royal Marines would parade after the RGBW. This is because the 49th Foot was the last Regiment raised prior to the formation of the Corps of Marines as part of the Royal Navy in 1755. In 2007, the RGBW was amalgamated into a large Regiment — this new Regiment is placed last in the order of precedence, as it is a regiment of rifles. As a consequence, the Royal Marines have moved behind the
Royal Anglian Regiment, which is the linear descendent of the 48th Foot, at position number six in the new Order of Precedence. However, when the
Royal Navy is on parade, then the Royal Marines parade with them at the extreme right of the line.
Alliances
★ -
Royal New South Wales Regiment
★ -
1st Commando Regiment
★ -
Barbados Defence Force
★ -
Korps Mariniers (Bond of Friendship)
★ -
United States Marine Corps (Bond of Friendship)
Royal Marines who gained fame in other fields
★
Geoffrey Palmer Actor
★
Tom Sharpe Author
★
Paddy Ashdown politician
★
Pete Goss Yachtsman
★
Blondie Hasler Yachtsman
★ Major General
Julian Thompson CB OBE Military Historian
★
Evelyn Waugh Author
★
Bruce Parry Broadcaster and Explorer
See also
★
Potential Royal Marine Course
★
Royal Navy
★
United Kingdom Special Forces
★
British Army
★
UK topics
★
Hannah Snell
★
Samuel Stransham
★
Anthony Blaxland Stransham
★
Achnacarry
★
Royal Marines Reserve
★
Warship, a
BBC television drama series
★
Corps of Colonial Marines
★
United States Marine Corps
References
1. How many people are there in the Royal Navy?, Royal Navy Website, accessed 25 August 2007
2. United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2005 Glossary
3. DCI Gen 271-01 dated 19 October 2001
★ ''A Brief Chronology of Marines History 1664-2003'', Royal Marines Museum
[1]
★ ''Historical Records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment, 3rd Foot, Formerly Designated the Holland Regiment'', by H. R. Knight, 1905.
★ ''The Whitefoord Papers; Being the Correspondence and Other Manuscripts of Colonel Charles Whitefoord and Caleb Whitefoord, from 1739 to 1810'', by Charles Whitefoord, Clarendon press, 1898. Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books. Charles Whitefoord served in Wynyard's (4th Marines), Gooch's, and the 5th Marines in the 1740s.
★ ''Historical record of the Royal marine forces'', by Paul Harris Nicolas, Thomas and Boone, London, 1845. Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books.
★ ''Per Mare, Per Terram: Reminiscences of Thirty-two Years' Military, Naval, and Constabulary Service'' by William Henry Poyntz, Economic Print. & Publ. Co. (1892). Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books.
★ ''Britain's sea soldiers : a history of the Royal Marines and their predecessors and of their services in action, ashore and afloat, and upon sundry other occasions of moment'', by Cyril Field, Liverpool:The Lyceum Press, 1924, (2 vol.) Covers British Marines until around 1900. Very well written.
★ ''Britain's Sea Soldiers: A Record of the Royal Marines during the War 1914-1919'', by General Sir H.E. Blumberg, Devonport, 1927. Very detailed with excellent maps. The USMC used the maps from this book for their studies of Gallipoli in the 1920s and 30s that led to the formation of US amphibious doctrine in 1935.
★ ''By Sea and Land'' by Robin Neillands, 1987, Cassell Military Paperbacks, ISBN 0-304-35683-2. Traces the history of the Corps until the end of the Falkands Campaign in 1982. Very readable.
External links
★
Royal Marines website
★
Rum Ration - THE unofficial website for the Royal Marines and Royal Navy
★ ''
'Long, hard struggle' for green beret'',
BBC News Online Scotland, 31 May 2002 — First woman to pass the All Arms Commando Course
★ ''
Superwoman Pip's green beret test'',
BBC News Online Scotland, 31 May 2002
★
The Marine Society
★
Royal Navy ranks, professions, and trades in World War 2, including Royal Marines
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