No 9 Army Commando

Many original members of No.9 originated from No’s 6&7 independent companies coming together under the command of No.2 Special Service Brigade in the autumn of 1940.
C.O. was LtCol. J.M. Sagaert R.E. After the Commando reorganisation the unit was redesignated No.9 Commando and H.Q. was at Criccieth in North Wales.

The first operational raid by the Commando was on the nights of 22nd/23rd November 1941 operation ‘Sunstar’ on the French coast at Houlgate.
A successful landing and evacuation was affected without loss.

After this raid LtCol R Todd assumed command of the unit.
The next involvement by men of No.9 was the famous St.Nazaire raid in March 1942.

No.9 Commando were then called on to reinforce the garrison in Gibraltar during the lead up to the Torch landings in North Africa .The unit remained in Gibraltar until March 1943 after which it returned to the UK for refitting.
After being posted to the Mediterranean and arriving there in November 1943 No 9 were in action again on the islands of Tremiti and Pianosa.
Operation ‘Partridge was next in December 1943 in the river Garigliano area.

The Commando received great losses after heavy fighting in the early months of 1944 at Anzio and Monte Ornito before leaving the area in March ’43 for Naples.
Later operations by No 9 included Operation ‘Darlington11’ in May 1944 operation ‘Gradient’ in August 1944. This latter operation featured men on bicycles attacking a garrison. The garrison did not exist so a local telephone exchange was ransacked instead.
In the latter stages of the war No 9 operated in Greece and finally saw its last involvement at Commachio and Argenta in April 1945. The following year the Commando along with other Army Commando units was disbanded.

Download: History Of 9 Commando – Overseas, 11 Sep 43 – 8 May 45