3 Commando

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History of the Unit

No.3 Commando was formed at Plymouth on 23 June 1940 under the command of Lt. Col. J.F. Durnford-Slater. Many of the original members of the Commando had served with the British Expeditionary Force in France and had been evacuated from Dunkirk.
Timeline extracts from the War Diary (refer to WD for full account.)

14.07.1940 Operation Ambassador, Guernsey, with 11 Independent Company.
24.10.1940 Special Service Brigade restructured. No.3 and No.8 Commandos form 4th Special Service Battalion, their HQ being at Brightlingsea.
26.02.1941 authorisation to restructure back to commando designations.
04.03.1941 Operation Claymore, Lofoten Islands, Norway.
27.12.1941 Operation Archery, Vaagso, Norway.
28.03.1942 Operation Chariot, St. Nazaire, France. Supplied 15 man detachment of demolition specialists.
19.08.1942 Operation Jubilee. Dieppe, France. Heavy losses sustained. [View Dieppe ROH]. As a result of the losses at Dieppe the Commando was then rested for replenishment.
24.02.1943 at 2300 hrs., embarked on board ship for Gibraltar.
07.03.1943 disembarked at Gibraltar.
11.04.1943 departed Gibraltar on HMS Queen Emma for Oran arriving 1800hrs leaving a short time later for Algiers.
14.04.1943 at 1100hrs No.3 Commando arrive at Algiers.
26.05.1943 at 1800hrs No.3 Commando arrive at Alexandria.
01.07.1943 No.3 Commando left Port Suez; disembarked ship 1630 at Port Said.
05.07.1943 embarked ship at Port Said for Sicily.
09.07.1943 Operation Husky, Sicily.
14.07.1943 the attack on Punta dei Malati Bridge near Lentini after which the total strength of the Commando was down to just over 250. Troops reorganised into HQ and four other Troops. 2 Troop became a Heavy Weapons Troop.
01.081943 Place: Masseria Tiralonga. Engaged normal troop training. Bdr. Laycock visited and inspected the camp. At 2359 enemy aircraft attacked shipping in Syracuse harbour.
05.08.1943 0600hrs. No.3 Commando engaged on a 'three day scheme' land at Syracusa Bay, Sicily.
08.08.1943 Fighting Strength of Commando now 14 Officers and 241 OR's.
11.08.1943 Commando moves to Cannizarro.
15.08.1943 Fighting Strength of Commando now 15 Officers and 217 OR's.
22.08.1943 Party went to '3 Commando Bridge' to erect crosses on all graves of commando personnel killed in Operation 'Agnone'.
23.08.1943 Fighting Strength of Commando now 15 Officers and 209 other ranks.
25.08.1943 Maj. Young DSO, MC, and 'Rey Force' consisting of Lieut. Reynolds and 20 OR's, and a Force of 13 OR's under Lieut J.F. Nixon, all left to carry out operations.
26.08.1943 0940hrs Maj Young DSO, MC, returns. No operations carried out last night due to rough weather. 5 Troop go to area Mt Etna for purpose of troop training. 1500hrs Maj. Young leaves.
27.08.1943
1200hrs Maj. P. Young DSO, MC, and Lieut. J.F. Nixon return. Lieut. Nixon with recce patrol of 12 men had landed at Bova Marina -6927- found the bridge was not mined and despite a thorough search could find no sign of soldiers or opposition. One civilian was brought back. No casualties.
1600hrs Five small recce parties under Capt. A.A.B. Ellis, Lieut. J. Cummings, Lieut. J.F. Nixon, Lieut. J.D. Reynolds, and Lieut. G. Pollard to cross tonight with jeeps and 22 Sets. Two patrols to Bova Marina, one to move East from there. Three patrols to Melito, one to move West and one North. Reports to Signal Base at Taormina.
1615hrs Capt. R.G. Waldie and 22 OR's, reinforcements from No.12 Commando, joined the unit at Cannizarro on arrival from the UK.
1845hrs Adjutant meets Maj. Franks at H.Q. S.R.S. Commando and S.R.S. to form force under Brigadier Curry, 44 Armd. Bde. with one Sqn 3 C.L.Y. and one battery 'Priests', ready to land at Bova Marina and exploit. Prepare to embark Catania at 1400hrs 28 Aug'43.
28.08.1943 1345hrs Capt. Moore, RAMC, returns. Reports all recce parties landed, without jeeps, at Bova Marina, as only one L.C.I. and one L.C.A. available. Maj. Young landed and brought back three civilians. L.C.I. hit by a 6" shell from a C.D. Battery but got back safely with the L.C.A. Sailed for Taormina 2030hrs First parties landed 0300hrs. Second 0415hrs. L.C.I. and L.C.A. sailed 0520hrs and arrived Taormina 1045hrs. Signal Base at Taormina had one message - O.K. from Cummings - at about 0900hrs.
30.08.1943 fighting strength of the Commando now 16 Officers and 222 OR's.
01.09.1943 Commando left Cantania by sea acompanied by the SRS.
03.09.1943 Operation Baytown, Reggio di Calabria, the toe of the Italian peninsula.
08.09.1943 Operation Ferdy, Porto San Venere (now Vibo Valentia), Italy, 2 Troops of No.3 Commando land with 40RM Commando.
05.10.1943 Operation Devon, Termoli, Italy.
After the actions in Italy the Commando returned to the UK for the preparation for the landings in Normandy and D-Day.
06.06.1944 Operation Overlord. One of the critical actions fought by No 3 after D-Day was at the river Orne and the capture of the Merville Battery to the flank of the landing beaches. The Battery was captured but at great loss to No 3 Commando. A brief replenishment in the UK followed at Worthing and then the unit was back in action again as part of the British Liberation Army. No.3 were involved in the actions during the crossing of the river Maas, the clearing of the Maas Rhine Triangle, the capture of Osnabruck, the crossing the Weser (Operation Widgeon) and Aller rivers, and finally the crossing of the River Elbe.
June 1945 No 3 Commando, along with No 6 Commando, were back in the UK preparing for the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland. No 4 Commando were still in Germany at Recklinghausen. At this time 233 OR's from No.4 Commando were posted to Nos. 3 and 6 Commandos, to bolster their numbers for the invasion, however Japan surrendered and the war ended.
November 1945 No.3 Commando disbanded.