| Unit name | Corps of Royal Marines |
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| Dates | 1664 – Present |
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| Country | (1664–1707) (1707–1800) (1801–present) |
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| Branch | Royal Navy |
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| Command structure | Naval Service |
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| Type | Commando |
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| Role | Amphibious warfareSpecial Forces support |
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| Size | 7,420 Personnel and 970 Reserve Personnel |
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| Garrison | COMUKAMPHIBFOR (Portsmouth)40 Commando (Taunton)42 Commando (Plymouth)45 Commando (Arbroath)Fleet Protection Group (HMNB Clyde)Commando Logistic Regiment (Chivenor)1 Assault Group (Poole)Commando Training Centre (Lympstone) |
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| Ceremonial chief | HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE, AC, QSO, PC |
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| Ceremonial chief label | Captain-General |
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| Colonel of the regiment | Major-General F H R Howes |
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| Colonel of the regiment label | Commandant-General |
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| Nickname | RoyalBootiesBootnecksThe Corps |
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| Motto | ''Per Mare, Per Terram'' ("By Sea, By Land") |
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| Identification symbol | |
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| Identification symbol label | Commando flash |
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| Identification symbol 4 | RM |
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| Identification symbol 4 label | Abbreviation |
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| March | Quick: "A Life on the Ocean Wave"Slow: "Preobrajensky" |
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| Website | Royal Marines |
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| Anniversaries | }} |
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The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines (RM), are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service. They are also the United Kingdom's specialists in amphibious warfare, including the operation of landing craft; mountain warfare; and Arctic warfare. A core component of the country's Rapid Deployment Force, the Corps's 3 Commando Brigade is capable of operating independently and is highly trained as a commando force. It is trained to deploy quickly and fight in any terrain. The Royal Marines have the longest basic infantry training course of any NATO combat troops.
Manpower
The Royal Marines have a regular manpower of 7,420 personnel. In addition the Royal Marines have a part time volunteer reserve force (RMR) of 970 personnel, giving a total of 8,390 Royal Marines. This makes the Royal Marines the largest force of its type in the
European Union, and it is the only European force capable of carrying out amphibious operations at
brigade level. The Royal Marines are the second largest force of its type in
NATO.
History
The Royal Marines were formed as part of the Naval Service in 1755. However, it can trace its origins back as far as 28 October 1664 when at the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company "the Duke of York and Albanys maritime regiment of foot" was first formed up, when English soldiers first went to sea to fight the Spanish and prevent them from reaching the fortress of Gibraltar.
The Royal Marines served throughout the Napoleonic Wars in every notable naval battle on-board the Royal Navy's ships and participated in multiple amphibious actions. The marines continued in their on-board function after the war, taking a prominent part in the navy's anti-piracy and anti-slavery actions. In 1855 they were newly designated as the ''Royal Marines Light Infantry'', serving in the Crimean war in numerous amphibious raids on Russian forces.
The Corps underwent a notable change after 1945 however, when the Royal Marines took on the main responsibility for the role and training of the British Commandos. The Royal Marines have an illustrious history, and since their creation in 1942 Royal Marines Commandos have engaged on active operations across the globe, every year, except 1968.
Notably they were the first ever military unit to perform an air assault insertion by helicopter, during the Suez Crisis in 1956.
Role
The Royal Marines are a maritime-focused, amphibious, highly specialised
Light - medium force of
commandos capable of deploying at short notice in support of the United Kingdom Government's military and diplomatic objectives overseas and are optimised for expeditionary warfare: operational situations requiring highly manoeuvreable, normally amphibious, forces. As the
United Kingdom Armed Forces' specialists in
cold weather warfare the Corps provide lead element expertise in the
NATO Northern Flank and are optimised for high altitude operations, with jungle training still carried out when deployments allow.
In common with the other armed forces, the Royal Marines can provide resources for Military Aid to the Civil Community and Military Aid to the Civil Power operations and have done so.
Command, control and organisation
The overall head of the Royal Marines is
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in her role as
Commander-in-Chief of the
British Armed Forces.
The ceremonial head of the Royal Marines is the Captain General Royal Marines (equivalent to the Colonel-in-Chief of a British Army regiment). The current Captain-General is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Full Command of the Royal Marines is vested in the Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET) with the Commandant-General Royal Marines, a Major-General, embedded within the CINCFLEET staff as Commander UK Amphibious Force (COMUKAMPHIBFOR).
The operational capability of the Corps comprises a number of Battalion-plus sized units, of which three are designated as "Commandos":
40 Commando (known as ''Forty'' Commando) based at Norton Manor Barracks, Taunton, Somerset, England
42 Commando (known as ''Four Two'' Commando) based at Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth, Devon, England
45 Commando (known as ''Four Five'' Commando) based at RM Condor, Arbroath, Angus, Scotland
Commando Logistic Regiment based at Chivenor, Devon
30 Commando Information Exploitation Group based at
Stonehouse Barracks, Plymouth
Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines based at HM Naval Base Clyde, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute (Previously Comacchio Group).
Special Boat Service based at Royal Marines Base Poole, Dorset (although Full Command is retained by CINCFLEET, Operational Command of SBS RM is assigned to Director Special Forces).
1 Assault Group Royal Marines based at HM Naval Base Devonport, Plymouth, Devon.
With the exception of the Fleet Protection Group and Commando Logistic Regiment, which are each commanded by a full Colonel, each of these units is commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Marines, who may have sub-specialised in a number of ways throughout his career.
There is also a Mountain Leader Training Cadre based at Stonehouse Barracks, Plymouth.
3 Commando Brigade
Operational Command (OpCom) of the three Commandos and the Commando Logistics Regiment is delegated to
3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, of which they are a part. Based at Stonehouse Barracks, the Brigade exercises control as directed by either CINCFLEET or the
Permanent Joint Headquarters. As the main combat formation of the Royal Marines, the Brigade has its own organic capability to support it in the field, 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, a battalion sized formation providing information operations capabilities, life support and security for the Brigade HQ.
The Brigade also holds OpCom of attached army units from Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. 1 Bn The Rifles came under OpCom of the brigade from 1 April 08.
Independent elements
The independent elements of the Royal Marines are:
Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is responsible for the security of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and other security-related duties. It also provides specialist boarding parties and snipers for the Royal Navy worldwide, for roles such as embargo enforcement, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy and counter-insurgency activities of the Royal Navy. It is commando-sized, however the structure differs to reflect its role; it bears the colours, battle honours and customs of the former 43 Commando Royal Marines.
Commando Training Centre: This is the training unit for the entire corps, and consists of three separate sections:
*Commando Training Wing: This is the initial basic commando training section for new recruits to the Royal Marines, and the All Arms Commando Course.
*Specialist Wing: This provides specialist training in the various trades which Marines may elect to join once qualified and experienced in a Rifle Company.
*Command Wing: This provides command training for both officers and NCOs of the Royal Marines.
1 Assault Group Royal Marines: Provides training in the use of landing craft and boats, and also serves as a parent unit for the three assault squadrons permanently-embarked on the Royal Navy's amphibious ships.
4 Assault Squadron—
6 Assault Squadron—
9 Assault Squadron—
Special Boat Service (SBS) are naval special forces and under operational command of Director Special Forces. It is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel qualified as a Swimmer Canoeist. SBS Responsibilities include water-borne operations, Maritime Counter-Terrorism and other special forces tasks.
Royal Marines Band Service provides regular bands for the Royal Navy and provides expertise to train RN Volunteer Bands. Musicians have a secondary role as field hospital orderlies. Personnel may not be commando trained, wearing a blue beret instead of green; the band service is the only branch of the Royal Marines which admits women.
Structure of a Commando
The three Commandos are each organised into six companies, further organised into platoon-sized troops, as follows:
Command Company
* Main HQ
* Tactical HQ
* Reconnaissance Troop (includes a sniper section)
* Mortar Troop (9 Barrels of 81 mm)
* Anti-Tank (AT) Troop (Javelin ATGW)
* Medium Machine Gun Troop
One Logistic Company
* A Echelon 1 (A Ech1)
* A Echelon 2 (A Ech2)
* FRT
* RAP
* B Echelon (B Ech)
Two Close Combat Companies
* Company Headquarters (Coy HQ)
* Three Close Combat Troops (Troop HQ, 3 Rifle Sections, Manoeuvre Support Section)
Two Stand Off Companies
* Company Headquarters (Coy HQ)
* Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) Troop (0.5" heavy machine guns)
* AT Troop
* Close Combat Troop
In general a rifle company Marine will be a member of a four-man fire team, the building block of commando operations. A Royal Marine works with his team in the field and shares accommodation if living in barracks.
This structure is a recent development, formerly Commandos were structured similarly to British Army light Infantry Battalions. During the restructuring of the United Kingdom's military services the Corps evolved from a Cold War focus on NATO's Northern Flank towards a more expeditionary posture.
Amphibious Task Group
Formerly known as the Amphibious Ready Group, the Amphibious Task Group (or ATG) is a mobile, balanced
amphibious warfare force, based on a Commando Group and its supporting assets, that can be kept at high readiness to deploy into an area of operations. The ATG is normally based around specialist amphibious ships, most notably , the largest ship in the British fleet. ''Ocean'' was designed and built to accommodate an embarked commando and its associated stores and equipment. The strategy of the ATG is to wait "beyond the horizon" and then deploy swiftly as directed by HM Government. The whole amphibious force is intended to be self-sustaining and capable of operating without host-nation support. The concept was successfully tested in operations in
Sierra Leone.
Commando Helicopter Force
The
Commando Helicopter Force forms part of the
Fleet Air Arm. The force comprises four helicopter squadrons and is commanded by the
Joint Helicopter Command. It consists of both
Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Marines personnel. RN personnel need not be commando trained. The Commando Helicopter Force is neither under the permanent control of
3 Commando Brigade nor that of the Commandant General Royal Marines but rather is allocated to support Royal Marines units as required. It uses both
Sea King transport and
Lynx Light lift
helicopters to provide aviation support for the Royal Marines.
Training and selection
Royal Marines recruit training is the longest basic modern
infantry training programme of any NATO combat troops. The Royal Marines are the only part of the
British Armed Forces where officers and other ranks are trained at the same location, the
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) at
Lympstone,
Devon. Much of the basic training is carried out on the rugged terrain of
Dartmoor and
Woodbury Common with a significant proportion taking place at night.
Selection
Initially all potential recruits are required to attend a series of entrance/aptitude tests and interviews at the Armed Forces Careers office (AFCO) to assess the suitability of all applicants. A series of physical assessments are also conducted including a hearing test, sight test and drug test in the form of a urine sample. As well as two 1.5 mile runs (2.4 km) the first to be completed within 12 minutes 30 seconds with 1 minute break before another 1.5 mile run to be completed at best effort but under 10 minutes 00 seconds, both set at a 2 degree incline on a running machine.
Then, before beginning Royal Marines recruit training the potential recruit must attend a Potential Royal Marine Course (PRMC) or Potential Officer Course (POC) held at CTCRM. PRMC lasts three days and assesses physical ability and intellectual capacity to undertake the recruit training. Officer candidates must also undertake the Admiralty Interview Board.
Officers and Marines undergo the same training up to the commando tests, thereafter Marines go on to employment in a rifle company while Officers continue training. Officer candidates are required to meet higher standards in the Commando tests.
Basic training
The first weeks of training are spent learning basic skills that will be used later. This includes much time spent on the parade ground and on the
rifle ranges. The long history of the Royal Marines is also highlighted through a visit to the
Royal Marines Museum in
Southsea,
Hampshire.
Physical training at this stage emphasizes all-round
physical strength,
endurance and
flexibility in order to develop the
muscles necessary to carry the heavy equipment a marine will use in an operational unit. Key milestones include a gym passout at week 9 (not carried out with fighting order), a battle
swimming test, and learning to do a "regain" (i.e. climb back onto a rope suspended over a water tank). Most of these tests are completed wearing fighting order of 32 lb (14.5 kg) of
Personal Load Carrying Equipment. Individual
fieldcraft skills are also taught at this basic stage.
The Commando Course
The culmination of training is the Commando course. Following the Royal Marines taking on responsibility for the
Commando role with the disbandment of the
Army Commandos at the end of World War II, all Royal Marines, except those in the
Royal Marines Band Service, complete the Commando course as part of their training (see below). Key aspects of the course include
climbing and
ropework techniques,
patrolling, and
amphibious warfare operations.
This intense phase ends with a series of tests which have remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Again, these tests are done in full fighting order of 32 lb (14.5 kg) of equipment.
The Commando Tests are taken on consecutive days and all four tests must be successfully completed within a seven day period; they include;
A nine mile (14.5 km) speed march, carrying full fighting order, to be completed in 90 minutes; the pace is thus 10 minutes per mile (9.6 km/h or 6 mph).
The Endurance course is a six mile (9.65 km) course across rough moorland and woodland terrain at Woodbury Common near Lympstone, which includes tunnels, pipes, wading pools, and an underwater culvert. The course ends with a four mile (6 km) run back to CTCRM. Followed by a marksmanship test, where the recruit must hit 6 out of 10 shots at a 25m target simulating 200 m. To be completed in 73 minutes (71 minutes for Royal Marine officers). Originally 72 minutes, these times were recently increased by one minute as the route of the course was altered.
The Tarzan Assault Course. This is an assault course combined with an aerial confidence test. It starts with a death slide (now known as the Commando Slide) and ends with a rope climb up a thirty foot near-vertical wall. It must be completed with full fighting order in 13 minutes, 12 minutes for officers. The Potential Officers Course also includes confidence tests from the Tarzan Assault Course, although not with equipment.
The 30 miler. This is a 30-mile (48-km) march across upland Dartmoor, wearing full fighting order, and additional safety equipment carried by the recruit in a daysack. It must be completed in eight hours for recruits and seven hours for Royal Marine officers, who must also navigate the route themselves, rather than following a DS (a trained Royal Marine) with the rest of a syndicate and carry their own equipment.
After the march, any who failed any of the tests may attempt to retake them up until the seven day window expires. If a recruit fails two or more of the tests, however, it is unlikely that a chance to re-attempt them will be offered.
Normally the seven to eight day schedule for the Commando Tests is as follows:
Saturday - Endurance Course
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Nine Mile Speed March
Tuesday - Tarzan Assault Course
Wednesday - 30 Miler
Thursday - Failed test re-runs
Friday - Failed test re-runs
Saturday - 30 Miler re-run if required
Completing the Commando course successfully entitles the recruit or officer to wear the green beret but does not mean that the Royal Marine has finished his training. That decision will be made by the troop or batch training team and will depend on the recruit's or young officer's overall performance. Furthermore, officer training still consists of many more months.
Training to be a Royal Marine takes 32 weeks. The last week is spent mainly on administration and preparing for the pass out parade. Recruits in their final week of training are known as the King's Squad and have their own section of the recruits' galley at Lympstone.
After basic and commando training, a Royal Marine Commando will normally join a unit of 3 Commando Brigade. There are three Royal Marines Commando infantry units in the Brigade: 40 Commando located at Norton Manor Camp near Taunton in Somerset, 42 Commando at Bickleigh Barracks, near Plymouth, Devon, and 45 Commando at RM Condor, Arbroath on the coast of Angus.
Non-Royal Marine volunteers for Commando training undertake the All Arms Commando Course.
There is also a Reserve Commando Course run for members of the Royal Marines Reserve and Commando units of the Territorial Army.
Specialist Training
Royal Marines after a period as a General Duties Rifleman may then go on to undertake specialist training in a variety of skills:
Commando Specialisations
Aircrewman
Assault Engineer
Armoured Support Group (Viking)
Armourer
Chef
Clerk
Combat Intelligence
Communications Technician
Drill Instructor
Driver
Heavy Weapons – Air Defence
Heavy Weapons – Anti-Tank
Heavy Weapons – Mortars
Information Systems
Landing Craft Coxswain
Medical Assistant
Metalsmith
Military Police
Mountain Leader
Platoon Weapons Instructor
Physical Training Instructor (PTI)
Reconnaissance Operator
Signaller
Swimmer Canoeist
Stores Accountant
Telecommunications Technician (Tels Tech)
Vehicle Mechanic (VM)
Yeoman of Signals
Commando Officer specialisations
Heavy Weapons Officer
Intelligence Officer
Landing Craft Officer
Mountain Leader
Pilot
Physical Training and Sports Officer
Signals Officer
Special Boat Service Officer
Staff Officer
Weapons Training Officer
Platoon Weapons
Training for these specialisations may be undertaken at CTCRM or in a joint environment, such as the Defence School of Transport at Leconfield, The School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (SEME) based at Bordon or the Defence College of Policing and Guarding.
Some marines are trained in military parachuting to allow flexibility of insertion methods for all force elements. Marines complete this training at RAF Brize Norton but are not required to undergo Pre Parachute Selection Course (P-Company) training due to the arduous nature of the commando course they have already completed.
Current weapons and equipment
The Royal Marines operate a diverse range of vehicles, weapons and landing craft.
Weapons
L85A2 Rifle - 5.56 x 45 mm (Individual Weapon)
L110A1 Light Machine Gun 5.56 x 45 mm belt or magazine.
L115A3 Sniper Rifle - .338 Lapua Magnum Accuracy International bolt-action sniper rifle
L7A2 GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) - the FN MAG 7.62 x 51 mm belt-fed machine gun.
L1A1 Heavy Machine Gun .50 inch (12.7 mm) BMG (Browning Machine gun)
Javelin Anti-Tank missile
L16A2 81 mm Mortar (High Explosive, Smoke and Illuminating ammunition)
L107A1 - 9 x 19 mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol
L17A2 UGL (Under-slung Grenade Launcher) - Attachment to L85A2
Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife
Landing craft
Vehicles
Viking BvS 10 All Terrain Armoured Vehicles
Land Rover Wolf
Jackal (MWMIK)
Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
Traditions and insignia
The Royal Marines have a proud history and unique traditions. Their colours (flags) do not carry individual battle honours in the manner of the regiments of the British Army but rather the "globe itself" as the symbol of the Corps.
The badge of the Royal Marines is designed to commemorate the history of the Corps. The Lion and Crown denotes a Royal regiment. King George III conferred this honour in 1802 "in consideration of the very meritorious services of the Marines in the late war."
The "Great Globe itself" surrounded by laurels was chosen by King George IV as a symbol of the Marines' successes in every quarter of the world. The laurels are believed to honour the gallantry they displayed during the investment and capture of Belle Isle, off Lorient, in April–June 1761.
The word ''Gibraltar'' refers to the Siege of Gibraltar in 1704. It was awarded in 1827 by George IV as a special distinction for the services of four of the old Army Marine regiments (Queen's Own Marines, 1st Marines, 2nd Marines, 3rd Marines). All other honours gained by the Royal Marines are represented by the "Great Globe". As a consequence, there are no battle honours displayed on the colours of the four battalion-sized units in the corps.
When referring to individual Commandos: 45 Commando is referred to as "four-five" rather than "forty-five commando" as is 42 Commando, 40 Commando is "forty".
The only units which carry colours are 40 Commando, 42 Commando, 45 Commando, and the Fleet Protection Group (which is the custodian of the colours of 43 Commando).
The fouled anchor, incorporated into the emblem in 1747, is the badge of the Lord High Admiral and shows that the Corps is part of the Naval Service.
''Per Mare Per Terram'' ("By Sea By Land"), the motto of the Marines, is believed to have been used for the first time in 1775. But the first regiment that has used this motto was the italian marines San Marco Regiment
The regimental quick march of the Corps is "A Life on the Ocean Wave", while the slow march is the march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, awarded to the Corps by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma on the occasion of the Corps's tercentenary in 1964. Lord Mountbatten was Life Colonel Commandant of the Royal Marines until his murder by the IRA in 1979.
Dress headgear is a white Wolseley pattern pith helmet surmounted by a ball, a distinction once standard for artillerymen. This derives from the part of the Corps that was once the Royal Marine Artillery.
The Royal Marines are one of six regiments allowed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London to march through the City as a regiment in full array. This dates to the charter of Charles II that allowed recruiting parties of the Admiral's Regiment of 1664 to enter the City with drums beating and colours flying.
Their nickname "Bootneck" derives its origins from the leather 'stock' worn round the neck inside the collar by soldiers (''cf.'' Leatherneck).
Uniforms
For historical information regarding Marine uniforms, see''' History of the Royal Marines.
The modern Royal Marines retain a number of distinctive uniform items. These include the green "Lovat" service dress worn with the green beret, the dark blue parade dress worn with either the white Wolseley pattern helmet or white and red peaked cap, the scarlet and blue mess dress for officers and senior non-commissioned officers and the white hot-weather uniform of the Band Service.
Order of precedence
As the descendant of the old Marine Regiments of the
British Army, the Royal Marines used to have a position in the
order of precedence of the Infantry; this was after the 49th Regiment of Foot, the descendant of which is the
Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. Therefore, the Royal Marines would have paraded after the RGBW. This is because the 49th Foot was the last Regiment raised prior to the formation of the Corps of Marines as part of the Royal Navy in 1755. In 2007, the RGBW was amalgamated into a large Regiment—this new Regiment is placed last in the order of precedence, as it is a regiment of rifles. However as a result of the new Army amalgamations the Royal Marines have now been removed from the Infantry order of precedence and will now always take post, as a constituent part of the Naval Service, at the head of the parade alongside the Navy, or alone if the Navy are not represented. Thus, if only the infantry is represented, the Royal Marines would parade before the
Grenadier Guards, the senior infantry regiment in the Army.
{{order of precedence |
before= As part of Naval Service, assumes precedence before all Army units |
title= Infantry order of precedence|
after= Grenadier Guards
}}
Affiliations
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Early connections date from Balaclava in the Crimean War and Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny, but the main association stems from World War II. In July 1940, after the fall of Dunkirk, the 5th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders served with the Royal Marine Brigade for over a year. When HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk in December 1941, the Royal Marines survivors joined up with the remnants of the 2nd Battalion, in the defence of Singapore. They formed what became known as 'The Plymouth Argylls', after the association football team, since both ships were Plymouth manned. Most of the Highlanders and Marines who survived the bitter fighting were taken prisoner by the Japanese. The Royal Marines inter-unit rugby football trophy is the 'Argyll Bowl', presented to the Corps by the Regiment in 1941. A message of greetings is sent to the Regiment each year on their Regimental Day, 25 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.
Alliances
:
Royal New South Wales Regiment - (
British Commonwealth)
:
1st Commando Regiment - (
British Commonwealth)
:
Barbados Defence Force - (
British Commonwealth)
:
Falkland Islands Defence Force- (British Overseas Territory -
British Overseas Territories)
:
Special Service Group (Bond of Friendship, early formation with
40 Commando and
Special Air Service) and
Special Naval Warfare Forces (Bond of Friendship, early formation with Royal Marines and
US Navy SEALs)
:
Korps Mariniers (Bond of Friendship)
:
United States Marine Corps (Bond of Friendship)
See also
Royal Marines Reserve
Royal Marines Museum
Achnacarry
Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps
:Category:Royal Marines personnel and its subcategories, for people who have served in the corps
References
''A Brief Chronology of Marines History 1664-2003'', Royal Marines Museum
''Historical Records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment, 3rd Foot, Formerly Designated the Holland Regiment'', by H. R. Knight, 1905.
''The Whitefoord Papers; Being the Correspondence and Other Manuscripts of Colonel Charles Whitefoord and Caleb Whitefoord, from 1739 to 1810'', by Charles Whitefoord, Clarendon press, 1898. Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books. Charles Whitefoord served in Wynyard's (4th Marines), Gooch's, and the 5th Marines in the 1740s.
''Historical record of the Royal marine forces'', by Paul Harris Nicolas, Thomas and Boone, London, 1845. Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books.
''Per Mare, Per Terram: Reminiscences of Thirty-two Years' Military, Naval, and Constabulary Service'' by William Henry Poyntz, Economic Print. & Publ. Co. (1892). Searchable full text available on-line at Google Books.
''Britain's sea soldiers : a history of the Royal Marines and their predecessors and of their services in action, ashore and afloat, and upon sundry other occasions of moment'', by Cyril Field, Liverpool:The Lyceum Press, 1924, (2 vol.) Covers British Marines until around 1900.
''Britain's Sea Soldiers: A Record of the Royal Marines during the War 1914-1919'', by General Sir H.E. Blumberg, Devonport, 1927. Very detailed with excellent maps. The USMC used the maps from this book for their studies of Gallipoli in the 1920s and 30s that led to the formation of US amphibious doctrine in 1935.
''By Sea and Land'' by Robin Neillands, 1987, Cassell Military Paperbacks, ISBN 0-304-35683-2. Traces the history of the Corps until the end of the Falkands Campaign in 1982.
''Uniforms of the Royal Marines'' by Charles Stadden, 1997, ISBN 0-9519342-2-8
External links
Royal Marines website
Royal Marines Band Service website
Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps (RMVCC) Portsmouth website
Download Royal Marines Registers of Service (1842–1925). The National Archives official website
Potential Royal Marines Commando official forum (for men wishing to join)
"Rum Ration": The Navy Network – unofficial website for the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Royal Marines Museum website
Marine Society website
Royal Navy ranks, professions, and trades in World War 2, including Royal Marines
Royal Navy Battle Honours including Royal Marine Corps Memorable Dates, 1939-1945
Category:British Armed Forces
Category:Military of the United Kingdom
Category:British Commandos
Category:Military units and formations of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War
Category:1664 establishments
Category:1755 establishments in Great Britain
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