Osprey Elite 57 : The Royal Marines 1939-1993

The Admiral's Regiment was formed in 1664 and the name 'Marines' first appears in the records in 1672. Since then Marines have taken part in more battles on land and sea, all over the world, than has any other branch of the British Armed Forces. Their bravery and achievements during the war of Spanish Succession are commemorated by Gibraltar being the only battle honour worn on the Royal Marines badge and on the colours, and throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Corps played a major part in the wars which created the British Empire. World War 1 saw Royal Marines detachments deployed in all ships of destroyer size and they also took part in some of the famous actions ashore, winning honours for their bravery at the raid on Zeebrugge. In 1942, the first Royal Marines Commandos were formed, and these units fought across Europe, taking part in campaigns in Sicily, Italy, and the Dalmatian Coast. In every year bar one since the end of the Second World War the Royal Marines have been engaged on active duty somewhere in the world. In 1982 they played a leading part in the recapture of the Falkland Islands, and coming right up to date, 1991 saw the Royal Marines involved in the Gulf War and in mounting a major humanitarian relief operation. In recent times, Royal Marines have been deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in a number of roles and are still serving with the NATO implementation Force today. Nick Van Der Bijl covers the history, organisation, uniforms and insignia of these remarkable troops, with colour plates by Paul Hannon.

Contents

• Introduction
• Royal Marine Units
• Organisation
• Operations WWII
• Post-War Operations
• Northern Ireland
• The Falklands and the Gulf
• The Plates