British Armed Forces - General & Miscellaneous, 20th Century American History - World War II, European Theater - World War II - Campaigns & Individual Battles, 20th Century British History - World War II, Commandos and Special Forces, Great Britain - Worl
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Overview
In its short but active life 48 Royal Marine Commando was always in the thick of the fighting. In fact, its story encapsulates the course of the final year of the war in Europe. The last Commando to be formed in the Second World War, 48 RM Commando was raised in March 1944 specifically for the Normandy invasion. After just three months' training it landed alongside Canadian troops on Juno Beach, losing almost forty per cent of its men in a whirlwind of fire as it came ashore. Later that day it attacked the German strongpoint at Langrune suffering even more casualties. By the evening of 6 June the Commando was down to half its original strength. After a spell in the line as infantry in the bloody battles for Normandy, the Commando took part in the chase across northern France with 6th Airborne Division and helped to clear the Channel ports. In November 1944 it undertook its second amphibious assault during Operation Infatuate, the landings on the island of Walcheren at the mouth of the River Scheldt. In the final months of the war, 48 RM Commando held the river line along the Maas carrying out numerous raids across its tidal reaches into German-held Holland and then taking part in the army of occupation in Germany. During the whole of this period it was in almost continuous contact with the enemy. Combining eye-witness accounts, unit war diaries, published and unpublished sources, this is a comprehensive history of Britain's youngest Commando, seen through the eyes of those who were there.Book Details
Published
March 17, 2005
Publisher
The History Press Ltd
Pages
288
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780750940047