On the unit history section why isn't there a Royal Marines bit

Discussion in 'Network Information, Suggestions and Feedback' started by Kellard, May 2, 2017.

  1. Kellard

    Kellard Active Member

    The corps was huge, much larger than any infantry formation and significantly more varied. They were not all Special Forces many being Engineers, Police, Landing Craft Crew, Ships Detachment, Anti Aircraft Gunners, Port Operators etc. Surely they deserve their own section?
     
    Kellard, May 2, 2017
    #1
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    The unit history section was driven by how much content was posted on those units. Maybe there arent too many Bootneck threads.
     
    Owen, May 2, 2017
    #2
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Dunno.
    There might have been one that was merged into 'Commandos'.
    Commandos

    Dbf remembers these organisational things far better than I, though. Will see.

    Always happy to add a section when someone asks, but its more about the likely activity than size of the unit as to whether they stand or fall.
     
    von Poop, May 2, 2017
    #3
  4. Kellard

    Kellard Active Member

    I thought I asked this a few days ago but I must have failed to post the question. Surely with so many serving and such diverse roles they deserve a section of their own?
     
    Kellard, May 3, 2017
    #4
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Charley Fortnum, May 3, 2017
    #5
    Owen likes this.
  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    (Threads merged.)

    Sorry, I can't recall there ever having been a sub-section here dedicated solely to RM.

    As said, there isn't one because either no one's asked for it before or there hasn't been enough noticeable traffic to warrant it.

    Maybe it's that chicken / egg thing: if there were a dedicated area, it might generate more interest. (But I didn't notice any real increase e.g. when the five Foot Guards regiments, which are now merged under Bde of Gds, had their own spaces.)

    Many regiments/corps could be justified on the basis of size alone, never mind variation of role, or participation in theatres, but to be blunt it often boils down to this: who's prepared to post solid info under what is after all Unit Histories, in order to make it available to others, and/or informally field some subsequent queries? Otherwise, a new section will just become yet another ring-fenced area where people ask the same general questions on how to conduct their research, as occurs already under the Military Genealogy heading and where we all do our best to help out.

    (I'd love someone to take up a Yeomanry baton for instance. Fascinating - to me anyway - how various units morphed and were utilised throughout their history.)


    Any takers then? Anyone got specific Unit data that'd be useful to others when shared/posted? Missing personnel, POW lists, Rolls, Diaries, Reports, Journals, Photos ... ... please post it up under Unit History and let's see what it leads to.
     
    dbf, May 3, 2017
    #6
  7. Kellard

    Kellard Active Member

    Thanks, Mind if I make the case for one?
    During the Second World War over 100,000 men served in the Corps and at it's height the strength was more than 70,000 and of those little more than one in ten became commandos.
    From the Corps the following units were formed -
    16 Infantry Battalions
    1 Machine Gun Battalion
    1 Mobile Battalion
    4 Training/ Holding Battalions
    1 Field Artillery Regiment
    1 Light Anti Tank Regiment
    2 Searchlight Regiments
    3 Heavy AA Regiments
    1 Light AA Regiment
    2 Coastal Artillery Regiments
    1 Fortress Regiment
    1 Siege Artillery Regiment
    2 Armoured Support Regiments
    1 Independent Armoured Support Squadron
    1 Amphibious (Landing Vehicle Tracked) Regiment
    3 Engineer Regiments
    8 Large Independent Engineer Companies
    1 Civil Engineering Reconstruction Battalion.
    Landing Craft Flotillas (amounting to 70% of all used by the Allies in Europe and the Mediterranean)
    5 HQ Infantry Brigades
    2 HQ MNBDO (Brigade size units)
    1 HQ AA Brigade
    1 Divisional HQ
    20 Signal Companies
    Royal Marines Police Service
    RM Police (Provost)
    9 Commando Groups
    2 Commando Engineer Groups
    1 Commando Brigade HQ
    50% of staff for the other Commando Brigade HQ's
    19 Detachments on Battleships (the largest detachment of which was 450 men including the band)
    87 Detachments on Cruisers (the largest detachment of which was 110 men including the band)
    4 Detachments on Royal New Zealand Navy Cruisers
    18 Detachments on Aircraft Carriers (largest detachment of which was 120 men including the band)
    8 Detachments on Monitors (largest detachment of which was 80 men including the band)
    2 Offshore Gun Fortresses
    2 Dutch Trawlers used for coastal convoy escort
    Pensioners commanded and trained gun crews on Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships
    2 Jungle Warfare Schools (one in the New Forest and one in Scotland)
    1 Infantry Training Centre


    The RN Band Service suffered the largest proportion of men of any service in WW2 with the exception of Bomber Command. Ships detachments including the band took part in raids and land actions in Norway, Crete, Greece, Malaya and Singapore, Holland and France, Madagascar and Burma (and Korea a few years later) Royal Marines pilots flew in Norway to Okinawa and all places in between. They built airfields in Australia and in the pacific islands, fought as conventional infantry in NW Europe, raided the enemy coasts from Norway to Burma, built fortresses in Iceland and the Indian Ocean. Swimmer Canoeists blew up enemy shipping in France and the Mediterranean, divers disposed of underwater obstacles on the beaches of Normandy and Sicily and other divers disposed of booby traps and unexploded munitions in the occupied ports as they became liberated. Seachlight and AA Regiments fought in the Battle of Britain, NW Europe, Sicily, Egypt, Malta and Ceylon. One RM pilot sank a German cruiser and another became a Battle of Britain Ace And that does not begin to tell the whole story of their part in the war.

    If there was an RM section it might provoke more discussion
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
    Kellard, May 3, 2017
    #7
  8. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Sorry, I do understand and applaud your enthusiasm, but that's not what I meant.

    Since it's your suggestion, I think you could make a better case if you shared something which would help others with their research - rolls, diaries, transcribed interviews, obituaries, photos, battle reports etc - and thereby generate the "activity" VP mentioned. The current sections under Unit histories were a reflection of activity, so the door is open. Anyway, it'll not be my decision. :)
     
    dbf, May 3, 2017
    #8
    Owen and Rich Payne like this.
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Kellard, you've made me smile with this dogged creation of RM threads. :)
    Good stuff. New section here:
    Royal Marines
    I'll move what you've done so far in there.



    Really ought to sort the unit list into order of precedence... bet I never do, though. :unsure:
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2017
    von Poop, May 6, 2017
    #9
    Charley Fortnum likes this.
  10. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Did the RM recieve a spam ration in addition to hardtack ?
     
    Rich Payne, May 6, 2017
    #10
    Owen and dbf like this.

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