Royal Marine units on Crete 1941

[jon prince]

Can anyone please help me, I'm looking for information on Royal Marine units present on Crete during the invasion of 1941. It's on behalf of a friend who's work coleague is researching his grandfather (don't have a name or number I'm afraid) and mentioned he was a 'Royal Marine Commando' on Crete and was made P.O.W.. Yet I've been unable to find any reference to R.M. Commando's on Crete, only 2 Battalions of the Army 'Layforce' Commando.

The only R.M. units I've found are a number of Coastal and anti-aircraft artillery units detached from Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation 1, there's also a mention of a Royal Marine Battalion from the same organisation, and of a R.M. 'composite' Battalion that took part in the fighting and acted as rear-guard (any information on this unit would be very welcome also, I understand they were Artillery and other R.M. personnel re-roled as infantry?). I'd assumed that either the gentlemans grandfather was Royal Marines, and he'd assumed that he would have been a Commando as most are now. If he'd been part of tthe compositre Battalion mentioned above that would perhaps explain how he was P.O.W. if the unit was rearguard. Or he may have been a member of Layforce Commando and the gentleman's assumed that 'Commando' only meant Royal Marines.

Any help greatly apporeciated.

[CharlesRollinsWare]

Jon;

You are doing well on your own! All the Royal Marines on Crete were part of the Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation, commanded by Maj-Gen. E. C. Weston, RM. This unit was, in fact, most of the combat portions a force conceived in the 30s that was never entirely funded or completed. The unit was split apart all over the island defending the coastal sections in all the sectors. The unit contained a Coastal Defense Regiment [Battalion] (X, Y & Z Batteries) with 4" guns, the 2nd (RM) AA Regiment [Battalion] with three Heavy AA Batteries (A, B & C] with 3" guns, the 23rd (RM) Light AA Battery [which arrived without its guns and manned an array of LMGs and at least one 2# ATG], the 11th Searchlight Regiment [which only had its HQ and S Troop on hand], as well headquarters contingent to provide command and control for all of these elements. It was tied into the myriad of Royal Artillery Coastal Defense and AA units on the island serving in much the same role. The unit provided enough personel to form a composite COMPANY that served as infantry in the Canea/Suda sector.

This force should, in no way, be confused with the army "Layforce" Commandos (A & D Battalions) that arrived as reinforcements over 24-27 May that formed the fresh portion of the covering force during the withdrawal to the evacuation points on the southern coast of the island.

Hope this helps.

Mark E. Horan

[phylo_roadking]

Mark, I'd need to check on this - but there is a small chance that Layforce were described in-theatre as Royal Marines. There was a deception plan put in place at the time of their dispatch to the Middle East, that the word "commando" would NOT be mentioned in despatches at ANY time. Some of the companies were given spurious battalion IDs as part of divisions in North Africa, but its not impossible that some were referred to when necessary as Royal Marines. Its been years since I had this stuff to hand, I'll try and get hold of Charles Messenger's "The Commandos".

[Carlos Marighela]

Wasn't Evelyn Waugh part of Layforce? I seem to recall his Sord of Honour trilogy gave an excellent, if somewhat jaundived, fictional view of his participation in the campaign.

[phylo_roadking]

Yes, He was Laycock's G2 Intelligence officer....one of the two other officers Laycock took with him when he ASKED to be evacuated to Egypt as too vital to be lost. Pity about all the REST of his men....! So THAT'S basically why his account had to be fictional" - in good old Monty Python terms...."Run away! Run away!"