The 1st Special Service Brigade was a commando brigade of the British Army. Formed during the Second World War, it consisted of Army Commandos and Royal Marines Commandos. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid (in France), before being combined under one commander for service in Normandy during Operation Overlord. On 6 December 1944, the Brigade was redesignated 1st Commando Brigade, removing the title Special Service and its association with the German SS.
History
Recruiting for the Commandos began in 1940 when a call was made for volunteers from certain formations that were still in Britain at the time. It was also decided that the Divisional Independent Companies that had been originally raised from Territorial Army Divisions would be disbanded and used to raise the new Commando units along with other men who had seen service in Norway and elsewhere. Subsequent recruiting for the Commandos was also conducted in the various theatres of war and among foreign nationals joining the Allies.
Initially, each 'Commando' was to consist of a headquarters plus ten troops of 50 men each, including three officers; this changed in 1941 to six troops of 65 men per Commando, including a Heavy Weapons Troop. Each Commando unit was initially responsible for the selection and training of its own officers and men. Commando soldiers received extra pay from which they had to find their own accommodation whenever they were in Britain. They trained in amphibious and cliff assault, artillery observer, CQB/CQC, cold-weather warfare, combat and patrolling techniques in urban areas, commando style raids, counter-ambushes, demolition, gathering field intelligence, infiltrating, learning about the toxic environment from chemical weapons to protect when operations, marksmanship, motor vehicle operations, mountain warfare, orienteering, physical fitness, reconnaissance tactics, SERE, signalling, silent killing, tactical emergency medical, tracking tactics, use a map and compass, and weapons (including the use of captured enemy small-arms). Many officers, NCOs and trainee instructors initially attended various courses at the all forces Special Training Centre at Lochailort in Scotland. Also in the Scottish Highlands, Combined Operations established a substantial all forces amphibious training centre at Inveraray, and in 1942 a specific Commando Training Centre at Achnacarry near Spean Bridge. All field training was conducted with live ammunition.
Commanders Brigadier The Lord Lovat, DSO, MC (wounded 12 June 1944) Brigadier Derek Mills-Roberts (from 12 June 1944) Brigadier Peter Young (from May 1945)
Formation No. 3 Commando No. 4 Commando (Until September 1944) No. 6 Commando No.45 Commando (RM) No.46 Commando (RM) (From September 1944) No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
Independent actions Before the formation of the brigade, each Commando fought independently in various actions, being employed as directed by Combined Operations Headquarters.
No 4 Special Service Battalion was formed from Nos 3 and 8 Independent Companies in November 1940 and saw their first action in Guernsey during Operation Ambassador. At the end of February 1941 they were designated No 3 Commando. No. 3 Special Service Battalion was formed from Nos 4 and 7 Independent Companies in late October 1940. In February 1941 they were named No 4 Commando. No 6 Commando saw action in Norway in December 1941. Nos 3 and 4 Commando were involved in the raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway in March 1941.
Operation Claymore
Operation Claymore was a raid on the Lofoten Islands, on the 4 March 1941, by Nos 3 and 4 Commando, 52 Norwegians of Norwegian Independent Company 1 and demolition teams from 55 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers. The force made an unopposed landing and generally continued to meet no opposition. They achieved their objective of destroying fish-oil factories and some 3,600 tonnes (800,000 gallons) of oil and glycerine (some of the oil being destined for use in munitions) Through naval gunfire and demolition parties, 18,000 tons of shipping was sunk. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books from Nazi Germany's armed trawler Krebs. This enabled German naval codes to be read at Bletchley Park, providing the intelligence needed to allow allied convoys to avoid U-boat concentrations. The British experienced only one accidental injury and returned with some 228 German prisoners, 314 loyal Norwegian volunteers and a number of Quisling collaborators.
Operation Archery
Operation Archery was a raid in December 1941 by Nos 2, 3, 4 and 6 Commando with a small party of Norwegians. Its aim was to destroy the German installations at Vågsøy, supported by the RAF who provided air cover and attacked the airfield at Herdla near Bergen. The naval part of the force consisted of one cruiser, four destroyers and two landing ships; the warships began the operation with a shore bombardment of Måløy island. The commandos were split into five groups, one landed to the west of South Vågsøy to secure the area and then moved up to the town. The second group landed to the north of the town to prevent German reinforcements getting in. The third group landed on Måløy to deal with the guns and garrison there, but the Navy had done their job well, the guns were silent. The fourth group landed in the town itself, which proved to be the main centre of resistance, the last group was kept on board ship to act as a floating reserve.
The German garrison in the town was larger than expected and reinforcements had to be requested from the group to the west, from the floating reserve and from elements of the group on Måløy. House-to-house fighting ensued, but by 1345 hours it was over and the force re-embarked soon afterwards; 15,000 tons of shipping and all German installations were destroyed, as well as warehouses, dockyards and fish-oil processing plants. 98 Germans were taken prisoner along with 4 'Quislings', 77 Norwegians also decided to come with them back to Britain. The German garrison had around 150 killed, the British lost 19 men and 57 wounded and the Norwegian force lost 1 man and 2 wounded. The after-effects of the raid had far reaching consequences, as the Germans took reprisals against the Norwegian population which prompted protests from the Norwegian King Haakon VII and the government-in-exile. The Germans also reinforced and strengthened their defences which tied down troops that could have been used elsewhere.
Operation Jubilee, (Dieppe raid)
The Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942, involved over 6,000 Canadian soldiers supported by large British naval and Allied air force contingents. The objective was to seize the port, gather intelligence and assess the German response. The raid was also intended to use air power to draw the Luftwaffe into a large, planned encounter.
Lieutenant Colonel John Durnford-Slater's mission, with No. 3 Commando, was to neutralize a German coastal battery (code named GOEBBELS), near Berneval on the extreme left flank. This battery could engage the landing at Dieppe, some six kilometres to the west. The three 170 mm and four 105 mm guns of 2/770 Batterie had to be put out of action by the time the main force approached the beach. The craft carrying No 5 group of No 3 Commando, approaching the coast to the east, were not warned of the presence of a German coastal convoy that had been located by British "Chain Home" radar stations at 2130 hours. S-boats escorting a German tanker torpedoed some of the landing craft and disabled the escorting Steam Gun Boat 5. Subsequently Motor Launch 346 and Landing Craft Flak 1 combined to drive off the German boats, but the Group was dispersed, with some losses. The enemy's coastal defences were also alerted. Only a handful of commandos under the Second in Command, Major Peter Young, landed and scaled the barbed wire-laced cliffs. 18 Commandos reached the perimeter of the GOEBBELS Battery via Bernevall and engaged their target with small-arms fire. Unable to destroy the guns, their sniping of the crews prevented the guns from firing effectively on the main assault. Thus, a handful of determined British soldiers neutralised the most dangerous German coastal battery in the area of the raid for the most critical period of the operation.
No. 4 Commando was tasked with landing on the extreme right flank; they landed in force and destroyed their targets, providing the only big success of the operation. Most of No 4 returned safely to England. This portion of the raid was considered a model for future commando operations. Lord Lovat became famous as an officer on Orange Beach (and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his part). Captain Patrick Porteous, attached to No. 4 Commando, was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.
Formation of the Brigade The brigade was assembled under one commander in 1943 and trained to operate as a formation in preparation for Operation Overlord and the Normandy landings.
D-Day, Sword
The plan was for 1st Special Service Brigade comprising Nos 3, 4, 6 and 45 Commando (RM) to land at Ouistreham in Queen Red sector (the most easterly). No 4 Commando were augmented by 1 and 8 Troops (both French) of No 10 (Inter Allied) Commando. No 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando was formed in January 1942 and included Nos 1 and 8 Troops (French), 4 Troop (Belgian), Dutch Troop, Norwegian Troop, Polish Troop, X Troop (German and Austrian, Hungarians and Greeks), Yugoslav Troop, which often served detached in other theatres. In August 1942 they were involved in the Dieppe raid. They also took part in the Normandy Landings and fought across North Western Europe.
The assault on Sword began at about 03:00 with an aerial bombardment of the German coastal defences and artillery sites. The naval bombardment began a few hours later. At 07:30, the first units reached the beach. These were the amphibious DD tanks of the 13th/18th Hussars; they were followed closely by the infantry of the 8th Infantry Brigade, part of the British 3rd Infantry Division.
The 1st Special Service Brigade, under the command of Brigadier Lord Lovat, were piped ashore in the second wave led by No 4 Commando with the two French Troops first, as agreed amongst themselves. The British and French personnel of No. 4 Commando had separate targets in Ouistreham: the French, a blockhouse and the Casino; the British, two batteries overlooking the beach. The blockhouse proved too strong for the Commandos' PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti Tank) weapons, but the Casino was taken with the aid of a Centaur tank. The Commandos achieved both battery objectives only to find that the guns had been removed. Leaving the mopping-up to the infantry, the Commandos withdrew from Ouistreham to join other units in their brigade, moving inland to join-up with the 6th Airborne Division.
Lord Lovat reputedly waded ashore wearing a white pullover under his battledress, with "Lovat" inscribed on the collar, while armed with an old Winchester rifle. He instructed his personal piper, Bill Millin, to play the commandos ashore, in defiance of specific orders not to allow such an action in battle.