| No. 62 Commando | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1941–43 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Commando |
| Role | Amphibious warfare Close-quarters combat Desert warfare Direct action Raiding |
| Size | 55 men maximum |
| Part of | Combined Operations Special Operations Executive |
| Garrison/HQ | Anderson Manor,Poole |
| Nickname | Small Scale Raiding Force |
| Engagements | Second World War |
No. 62 Commando or theSmall Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) was aBritish Commando unit of theBritish Army during the Second World War. The unit was formed around a small group of commandos under the command of theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE). They carried out a number of raids before being disbanded in 1943.
The commandos were formed in 1940 by order ofWinston Churchill, the BritishPrime Minister. He called for specially trained troops who would "develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast".[1] At first they were a small force of volunteers who carried out small raids in enemy-occupied territory,[2] but by 1943 their role had changed and they had become lightly equipped assault infantry specialising in spearheading amphibious landings.[3]
The man initially selected as the commander of the force wasAdmiral SirRoger Keyes, himself a veteran of the landings atGalipoli and theZeebrugge raid during theFirst World War.[4] Keyes resigned in October 1941 and was replaced by AdmiralLouis Mountbatten.[5]
By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered for commando training and what became known as theSpecial Service Brigade was formed into 12 units called commandos.[5] Each commando numbered about 450 men and was commanded by alieutenant colonel. Each was divided intotroops of 75 men and further divided intosections of 15 men.[5] Commandos were all volunteers seconded from other British Army regiments, and retained their owncap badges and remained on their regimental rolls for pay.[6] All volunteers went through a six-week intensive commando course atAchnacarry in the Scottish Highlands, which concentrated on fitness, speed marches, weapons training, map reading, climbing, small boat operations, and demolitions both by day and by night.[7]
By 1943 the commandos had moved away from small raiding operations and most of them had been formed intobrigades of assault infantry to spearhead future Allied landing operations. Three units were left unbrigaded to carry out smaller-scale raids.[8]
No. 62 Commando, formed in 1941, consisted of a small group of 55 commando-trained personnel working under theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE), where it was also known as the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF).[9] Under the operational control ofCombined Operations Headquarters, No. 62 Commando was commanded byMajorGustavus Henry March-Phillipps.[10] Its first operation,Operation Postmaster, was in January 1942, when March-Phillipps led the seizure of an Italian liner, a German tanker and a yacht fromFernando Po.[9][11]The SSRF used HM MTB 344, amotor torpedo boat nicknamedThe Little Pisser because of its outstanding turn of speed. The SSRF carried out a number of cross-channel operations, but had mixed fortunes.Operation Barricade andOperation Dryad were complete successes, butOperation Aquatint, on 12/13 September 1942 atSainte-Honorine on the coast ofNormandy, resulted in the loss of all the men involved, including March-Phillipps.[9] One member of the raiding party, CaptainGraham Hayes MC, managed to reach France and eventually made his way to Spain, but was betrayed by a French double agent and handed to the Germans.[12] After nine months' solitary confinement inFresnes Prison he was executed on 13 July 1943.[13]
With the loss of March-Phillipps, MajorGeoffrey Appleyard was temporary given command.[14] On 3/4 October 1942 the SSRF carried out a raid on the Channel Island ofSark, codenamedOperation Basalt, with men fromNo. 12 Commando attached. After the raid a number of dead and wounded Germans were found tied up (they had been shot while trying to escape), which resulted in the prisoners captured in theDieppe raid being tied up and the Nazi GermanCommando Order dictating the execution of all captured commandos.[9] On 17 October 1942, Lieutenant ColonelBill Stirling, elder brother ofDavid Stirling and an experienced SOE agent, was appointed its commanding officer.[15]: 8 [16]
In early 1943 No. 62 Commando was disbanded and its members were dispersed among other formations. A number went to theMiddle East and served in theSpecial Boat Squadron, most notably MajorAnders Lassen, the only member of theSpecial Air Service awarded theVictoria Cross during the war.[9][17] Appleyard also went to the Middle East and helped to form the 2ndSpecial Air Service with Bill Stirling from a detachment of No. 62 Commando. Neither Lassen nor Appleyard survived the war.[14]
The followingbattle honours were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War.[18]