This edition is #18 in the 'Battle Orders' series and covers the WWII history and organization of the British Commandos. Though now as much a household word as anything to come out of this war, prior to WWII there was no such organization. It was developed by the British Army to provide a light hit-and-run strike force whose job was to keep German forces occupied in defending coastal installations instead of being available for the major fronts.

As such, only the best in terms of abilities, physical strength, and technical expertise were sought. This tended to tick off regular army units as it was seen as taking the best of their men (which it did). The unfortunate result of this is that after the war, those who were in the Commandos and returned to regular units when the commando units were disbanded, were regularly passed over for job opportunities and promotions. This pettiness is still prevalent in today's military, unfortunately.

The author takes us through the initial organization of these units and, as the job changes, provides insights into the newer mission objectives. It also covers the training and equipment of Commando units, that includes newer tactics as by 1944 it was no longer just a hit-and-run group. These men were now expected to spearhead major assaults and so the units were increased in number and scope to carry out the new mission.

In addition to the background information on Commandos, the book looks in some depth at several of their operations; both small and large, successful and less than so. These include raids on Vaasago in Norway, the St. Nazaire Operation in western France and operations in Burma during 1945.  These operations are complete with superbly drawn maps to help show the extent of the battles.

Overall, it is another fascinating Osprey book, bringing in a greater understanding of the subject and a book that I can highly recommend.

March 2006

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