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42 Commando Royal Marines (42 CDO RM)
Former WO1(GSM) Peter Padley MBE
Table of Content
Hong Kong
Malta
Suez Canal
HMS Bulwark
Borneo
Falklands Conflict
Raised from 1st Bn Royal Marines in August 1943, as part of an expanding Commando force, 42 Commando underwent a rigorous Commando training period at Achnacarry, Scotland before deploying with the 3rd Special Service Brigade to India in November 1943.
Delayed en-route because of enemy action the Commando eventually arrived in India in November 1944. They underwent a further period of training before being committed to an operation against the Japanese on the Arakan Peninsula at Myebon. On 22nd January 1945 42 and No 1 Commando landed near Kangaw with the task of cutting the Japanese escape route to Rangoon. Occupying a mangrove swamp both units were ordered to capture Hill 170 – a heavily wooded ridge occupied by the 54th Japanese Division. Two days of vicious hand-to-hand fighting followed before the enemy was driven from the ridge but after a few days of relative calm – with the exception of incoming artillery fire – the Japanese counter-attacked the ridge at dawn on 31st January. After repeated attacks the enemy was eventually driven off the ridge leaving their dead, dying and wounded amongst the Commando positions. It is estimated that some 350 Japanese dead were found in close proximity to the forward Commando positions.
After the engagement the XV Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison, issued a Special Order of the Day to 3 Commando Brigade (formerly 3rd Special Service Brigade) stating:
“The Battle of Kangaw has been the decisive battle for the whole Arakan Campaign and that it was won was very largely due to your magnificent defence of Hill 170”.
The Battle Honour ‘Kangaw’ was awarded to 42 Commando for their action during the period 22nd to 31st January 1945 and to this day the battle is celebrated by 42 Commando annually as a memorable day in the history of the unit.
42 Commando eventually returned to India with the Brigade to prepare for the planned amphibious assault of Malaya but with the Japanese surrender the formation was diverted to the British colony of Hong Kong to assist in restoring the administration of the colony and guarding Japanese prisoners of war.
In 1947 42 Commando, with other Brigade Units, moved to Malta and from there were deployed to Palestine in 1948 and the Suez Canal Zone early the following year. Shortly after returning to Malta in March 1949 the Brigade moved back to Hong Kong where communist China was posing a serious threat to the colony. With an increasing communist insurgent problem the Brigade was moved to Malaya in June 1950 where during two years of jungle operations members of 42 Commando received 5 Military Crosses (MC), 1 Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and 2 Military Medals (MM) for individual acts of gallantry. Two Unit members were killed due to terrorist action with 11 injured. Moving back to Malta in 1952 42 Commando returned to the United Kingdom in September 1954 after 10 years of non-stop overseas service.
Located in the small village of Bickleigh, to the north of Plymouth and on the southern edge of Dartmoor, 42 Commando took on responsibility for Commando Training and the running of Command and Specialist courses but even in this relatively ‘settled’ environment the Commando found themselves being deployed to the Suez Canal on Operation ‘MUSKETEER’ in late 1956. ‘42’ suffered 4 killed and 14 injured during the Suez operation.
The use of helicopters during Operation ‘MUSKETEER’ had proved their usefulness in putting a large assault force speedily onto an objective and in March 1960 the Commando embarked onto HMS Bulwark – recently converted from a Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier to Commando Carrier – with the helicopters of 848 Naval Air Squadron. Arriving in Singapore in June 1960 the Commando undertook amphibious and helicopter exercises in the Far and Middle East and it was these exercises stood 42 Commando in good stead when in 1961, while exercising in the Middle East; they were deployed to Kuwait when it was threatened by an increasingly belligerent Iraq!
Back in Singapore in December 1962 42 Commando were rapidly deployed to Labuan , a small island lying approximately 8 miles off the coast of Borneo, to mount an operation on the town of Limbang in Sarawak , Borneo to secure the release of the British Resident and 13 other hostages being held by insurgents of the North Kalimantan National Army (Tentara Nasional Kalimantan Utara), On the morning of 12th December 1962 ‘L’ (Lima) Company, commanded by Captain Jeremy Moore – later to command British Land Forces during the Falklands Conflict – carried out a frontal attack on Limbang town. In the ensuing operation five Royal Marines were killed with 6 injured. 12 rebels were killed during the raid. The hostages were found in the local hospital and released.
During the period 1962/66 42 Commando alternated between Singapore and the jungles of Borneo on counter insurgency operations and in 1967 the Commando, embarked on HMS Albion , deployed to Aden to provide ‘cover’ during British troop withdrawals from the protectorate. 42 Commando were the last British Unit to leave Aden and once embarked on HMS Albion returned to Singapore where the Commando were to spend the next 4 years deploying onto amphibious exercises from either of the LPH (Landing Platform Helicopter) Commando Carrier or one of the Fearless LPD’s (Landing Platform Docks).
