It'll be interesting to see how things look in the future with the reconfiguration of the RM into a special operations force. I wouldn't be surprised if 24 and 29 are eventually disbanded and their specialists are just attached to the Commandos directly (especially now that 3 Commando Bde is dead).
Mark Jones
@mark18681918.bsky.social
2272 Followers
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Soon to be PhD student @cardiffuni.bsky.social/Prifysgol Caerdyd. Critical historian researching regimental identity, organisational culture & learning processes within the British Army during the Cold War.
(Image: IWM MH 30556)
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Just to make things really complicated, this doesn't extend to infantry battalions that were attached to 3 Commando Brigade from the Army. There was an attempt to make 1/Rifles an 'Army Commando' battalion as a permanent part of 3 Commando Brigade but it just didn't work.
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It's one of the reasons why the Royal Marine/USMC doesn't always work very well - the Royal Marines are their own 'arm' but beyond the RM Commandos (40, 45, and the host of specialist commandos that now exist) artillery, engineer support etc are Army units. Of course all considered 'Commandos'.
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It's quite common for soldiers and officers to transfer in and out of 29 Commando Regt RA, 7/RHA etc. It's by no means unusual for soldiers to attend both P Company and the AACC
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...Army Commandos (and gave different shoulder titles)
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It's the same with 24 Engineer Regiment who, surprise surprise, are badged Royal Engineer personnel. The Command Logistics Regiment is similar but, as I understand it, tends to have a higher proportion of Royal Marines than 24 or 29.
Technically Army personnel who pass the AACC are...
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As a charity worker, I can confirm that I got my job through woke 😅
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I might be wrong on this, but 29 Commando are (mostly) RA personnel who have passed the AACC, so the Bombardier thing may actually be correct...unless it's a specifically 29 thing not to use the rank/title
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Yep, we're of the same opinion 😅
'Brave Two Zero' style accounts sell really well this side of the pond (particularly during GWOT) so many memoirs tend to follow this pattern, sadly.
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Will be interesting to see how you find this (I'll keep my opinions to myself).
It's a pity more isn't written about 2/Mercians 2007 tour as they were hugely impressive.
