A special supplement to mark the anniversary ahead of the RM350 proms
Per Mare, Per Terram
A history of the Royal Marines and their special connection with Plymouth, complete with the pictures that define generations of a unique fighting force
THX-E01-S4
Tuesday, July 15
1
Royal Marines 350 years of the
PAGE 2
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PAGE 3
350 years of the Royal Marines
A
RGUABLY, nowhere else in Britain are the outward symbols of one of the world’s fighting elites – the green beret, the commando shoulder flash, dagger and the globe and laurel cap badge – so swiftly recognised or so warmly welcomed as here in Plymouth. For Plymouth is ‘home’ to the Royal Marines. It’s a home that has been long in the making. Almost exactly 350 years ago – on October 28, 1664, England’s new King, Charles II, by Order in Council, directed that “twelve hundred Land Souldjers be forthwith raysed, to be in readiness, to be distributed into His Majesties Fleets prepared for sea service...” Thus was created the direct descendants of today’s Royal Marines – The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot: soon nicknamed ‘The Admiral’s Regiment’. Their role was defined, even then: to provide sharpshooters, to protect the ship’s officers, to maintain discipline afloat and to man the ship’s boats when raiding ashore. The Regiment, in knee-length yellow frock coats, saw action for the first time the following year, fighting the Dutch. The year after that, men of The Admiral’s Regiment fought the French – not for the last time – in what was described as ‘a hot dispute’ from aboard HMS Paradox off the coast of Guernsey. Campaigns across the Mediterranean, in Ireland and as far away as Virginia and the West Indies rapidly added lustre to the Marines’ (not yet ‘Royal’) reputation. Gibraltar has always been a prize of immense strategic value – and never more so than during the War of the Spanish Succession when, in 1704, English and Dutch Marines landed to storm the isthmus and seize the town. After a spirited defence and bombardment from frigates anchored offshore, the Spanish surrendered and Gibraltar was occupied. Capture then turned into siege by both the Spanish and the French – a siege stoutly resisted by the Marines: “The garrison did more than could be humanly expected and the British Marines gained immortal honour” records one account. It also gained them the battle honour ‘Gibraltar’ which adorns their insignia today. Much later, in 1827 and in recognition of “their valour and good conduct” around the world, King George IV decreed that Royal Marines should wear the globe encircled by laurel and that ‘Gibraltar’ should be their single battle honour. Per Mare Per Terram: By sea, by land. Spool forward again – and by 1755 the Marines found themselves greatly increased in numbers: another Order In Council specified there were now to be five thousand Marines divided into fifty companies in three divisions located around the naval bases of Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. The Marines had come of age and were now an integral part of the Naval Service. They have never looked back. Marines took part in the cliff-scaling seizure and battle of Belle Isle off the Brittany coast in 1761, then further burnished their reputation on the other side of the
Three-and-a-half centuries of honour, bravery and a firm commitment to being the very best Heroes in every sense of the word. For centuries the Royal Marines have risked their lives serving Queen and country, ultimately protecting our realm. Their unbroken devotion has remained for three-and-a-half centuries. And this year, they celebrate the 350th anniversary of their formation. Here Dr Tom Keene, project historian for RM350, looks at the illustrious history of the corps’ serving Queen and country
Tom Keene, project historian for RM350
Atlantic. In 1775 a British column of Marines marched towards Concorde, near Boston on the east coast of the US, to seize rebel arms. A shot was fired. However no-one knows who fired that first shot – the militia or the Marines. One thing is sure though, it became known as the infamous ‘shot heard around the world’. This was the opening volley of the American War Of Independence. Shortly afterwards, Marines took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Bayonets glistening, they shouldered aside lesser soldiers who faltered in the face of enemy fire and stormed the hill. ‘Falter’ is not a word you will find in the lexicon of the Royal Marines. A hefty grenade-toss downhill from where you are sitting now stands Stonehouse Barracks in Durnford Street, home of 3 Commando Brigade today and the first real ‘home’ for Plymouth’s Marines. Built between 1781-1783, it provided the first purpose-built, under-one-roof accommodation for
a formation that, until then, had been quartered amidst the taverns, warehouses and stables of The Barbican: the Parade, still there today, marks the place where Marines formed up daily. In 1788, Marines were required to provide an escort to the new colony in Botany Bay, Australia. Sailing from Portsmouth, someone forgot to load the unit’s proper ammunition scale – a mistake which, naturally, would never have been made in Plymouth! War with France broke out yet again in 1793. Four years later three Marines
based at Stonehouse Barracks were tried and executed for sedition and mutiny after being observed passing a book (presumed to be an oath-taking Bible) around a small gathering of off-duty Marines. Legend – unsupported by documents in The National Archives – suggests they were overheard plotting revolt by a drummer boy who reported to his Sergeant who bravely interrupted a Stonehouse Officers’ Mess dinner to warn of insurrection in the ranks. France was about to invade Ireland; hulk ships in The Hamoaze and on the River Tamar held re-
calcitrant Irish prisoners. Perhaps merely pour encourage les autres the three Marines were arrested in Stonehouse, and held in the Royal Citadel, before being marched out onto Plymouth Hoe with their coffins, watched by a huge crowd of 20,000 people. There, at the drum roll, they faced a firing squad of their comrades. The two Catholics were killed at the first volley; the Protestant was missed twice and only sent to his maker when dispatched by a sergeant at close range with a pistol. A ‘3’ atop a now-buried granite
cross still marks the spot on the eastern edge of The Hoe where Marines Lee, Coffey and Branning faced eternity. A fourth Marine, McGennis, was sentenced to one thousand lashes – later reduced to 500 – and deportation for life to New South Wales. He survived. The dawn of a new century and, in 1802, ‘Royal’ was added to the title of the Corps, thanks in large measure to their champion, Admiral Jervis, later Earl of St Vincent, who wrote: “In gaining for them the title Royal I but inefficiently did my duty.
“I never knew an appeal made to them for honour, courage or loyalty that they did not realise my highest expectations. “If ever the hour of real danger comes to England they will be found the country’s sheet anchor.” The Royal Marines have always attracted more than their share of colourful characters. None more so perhaps than General Edward ‘Fighting’ Nicholls, who, starting in 1795 aged 16, and went into action a documented 107 times. Turn to Page 4
Main picture: Royal Marine commandos from Plymouth on patrol in the hostile desert terrain in Afghanistan in 2011. Top right: a Royal Marine mortar team dug in and ready for action on the wet and windy slopes of Mount Kent, East Falklands in 1982. Middle right: A tearful parting for a Marine as he leaves for the Falklands - he married the same day. Bottom right: Capt William Mackenzie-Green sends a situation report during a compound clearance in Afghanistan in 2007
PAGE 2
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The Herald, Tuesday July 15 2014
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PAGE 3
350 years of the Royal Marines
A
RGUABLY, nowhere else in Britain are the outward symbols of one of the world’s fighting elites – the green beret, the commando shoulder flash, dagger and the globe and laurel cap badge – so swiftly recognised or so warmly welcomed as here in Plymouth. For Plymouth is ‘home’ to the Royal Marines. It’s a home that has been long in the making. Almost exactly 350 years ago – on October 28, 1664, England’s new King, Charles II, by Order in Council, directed that “twelve hundred Land Souldjers be forthwith raysed, to be in readiness, to be distributed into His Majesties Fleets prepared for sea service...” Thus was created the direct descendants of today’s Royal Marines – The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot: soon nicknamed ‘The Admiral’s Regiment’. Their role was defined, even then: to provide sharpshooters, to protect the ship’s officers, to maintain discipline afloat and to man the ship’s boats when raiding ashore. The Regiment, in knee-length yellow frock coats, saw action for the first time the following year, fighting the Dutch. The year after that, men of The Admiral’s Regiment fought the French – not for the last time – in what was described as ‘a hot dispute’ from aboard HMS Paradox off the coast of Guernsey. Campaigns across the Mediterranean, in Ireland and as far away as Virginia and the West Indies rapidly added lustre to the Marines’ (not yet ‘Royal’) reputation. Gibraltar has always been a prize of immense strategic value – and never more so than during the War of the Spanish Succession when, in 1704, English and Dutch Marines landed to storm the isthmus and seize the town. After a spirited defence and bombardment from frigates anchored offshore, the Spanish surrendered and Gibraltar was occupied. Capture then turned into siege by both the Spanish and the French – a siege stoutly resisted by the Marines: “The garrison did more than could be humanly expected and the British Marines gained immortal honour” records one account. It also gained them the battle honour ‘Gibraltar’ which adorns their insignia today. Much later, in 1827 and in recognition of “their valour and good conduct” around the world, King George IV decreed that Royal Marines should wear the globe encircled by laurel and that ‘Gibraltar’ should be their single battle honour. Per Mare Per Terram: By sea, by land. Spool forward again – and by 1755 the Marines found themselves greatly increased in numbers: another Order In Council specified there were now to be five thousand Marines divided into fifty companies in three divisions located around the naval bases of Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. The Marines had come of age and were now an integral part of the Naval Service. They have never looked back. Marines took part in the cliff-scaling seizure and battle of Belle Isle off the Brittany coast in 1761, then further burnished their reputation on the other side of the
Three-and-a-half centuries of honour, bravery and a firm commitment to being the very best Heroes in every sense of the word. For centuries the Royal Marines have risked their lives serving Queen and country, ultimately protecting our realm. Their unbroken devotion has remained for three-and-a-half centuries. And this year, they celebrate the 350th anniversary of their formation. Here Dr Tom Keene, project historian for RM350, looks at the illustrious history of the corps’ serving Queen and country
Tom Keene, project historian for RM350
Atlantic. In 1775 a British column of Marines marched towards Concorde, near Boston on the east coast of the US, to seize rebel arms. A shot was fired. However no-one knows who fired that first shot – the militia or the Marines. One thing is sure though, it became known as the infamous ‘shot heard around the world’. This was the opening volley of the American War Of Independence. Shortly afterwards, Marines took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Bayonets glistening, they shouldered aside lesser soldiers who faltered in the face of enemy fire and stormed the hill. ‘Falter’ is not a word you will find in the lexicon of the Royal Marines. A hefty grenade-toss downhill from where you are sitting now stands Stonehouse Barracks in Durnford Street, home of 3 Commando Brigade today and the first real ‘home’ for Plymouth’s Marines. Built between 1781-1783, it provided the first purpose-built, under-one-roof accommodation for
a formation that, until then, had been quartered amidst the taverns, warehouses and stables of The Barbican: the Parade, still there today, marks the place where Marines formed up daily. In 1788, Marines were required to provide an escort to the new colony in Botany Bay, Australia. Sailing from Portsmouth, someone forgot to load the unit’s proper ammunition scale – a mistake which, naturally, would never have been made in Plymouth! War with France broke out yet again in 1793. Four years later three Marines
based at Stonehouse Barracks were tried and executed for sedition and mutiny after being observed passing a book (presumed to be an oath-taking Bible) around a small gathering of off-duty Marines. Legend – unsupported by documents in The National Archives – suggests they were overheard plotting revolt by a drummer boy who reported to his Sergeant who bravely interrupted a Stonehouse Officers’ Mess dinner to warn of insurrection in the ranks. France was about to invade Ireland; hulk ships in The Hamoaze and on the River Tamar held re-
calcitrant Irish prisoners. Perhaps merely pour encourage les autres the three Marines were arrested in Stonehouse, and held in the Royal Citadel, before being marched out onto Plymouth Hoe with their coffins, watched by a huge crowd of 20,000 people. There, at the drum roll, they faced a firing squad of their comrades. The two Catholics were killed at the first volley; the Protestant was missed twice and only sent to his maker when dispatched by a sergeant at close range with a pistol. A ‘3’ atop a now-buried granite
cross still marks the spot on the eastern edge of The Hoe where Marines Lee, Coffey and Branning faced eternity. A fourth Marine, McGennis, was sentenced to one thousand lashes – later reduced to 500 – and deportation for life to New South Wales. He survived. The dawn of a new century and, in 1802, ‘Royal’ was added to the title of the Corps, thanks in large measure to their champion, Admiral Jervis, later Earl of St Vincent, who wrote: “In gaining for them the title Royal I but inefficiently did my duty.
“I never knew an appeal made to them for honour, courage or loyalty that they did not realise my highest expectations. “If ever the hour of real danger comes to England they will be found the country’s sheet anchor.” The Royal Marines have always attracted more than their share of colourful characters. None more so perhaps than General Edward ‘Fighting’ Nicholls, who, starting in 1795 aged 16, and went into action a documented 107 times. Turn to Page 4
Main picture: Royal Marine commandos from Plymouth on patrol in the hostile desert terrain in Afghanistan in 2011. Top right: a Royal Marine mortar team dug in and ready for action on the wet and windy slopes of Mount Kent, East Falklands in 1982. Middle right: A tearful parting for a Marine as he leaves for the Falklands - he married the same day. Bottom right: Capt William Mackenzie-Green sends a situation report during a compound clearance in Afghanistan in 2007
PAGE 4
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PAGE 5
350 years of the Royal Marines Continued from Page 3
He was wounded six times; court-martialled twice – once for the murder of one of his own Marines; knighted once; and retired a General. Not bad for an officer in a young service once considered the graveyard of serious professional ambition. Two years later and the Napoleonic Wars saw the Royal Marines playing a crucial role on both sides of the Atlantic as Royals both ashore and afloat adjusted to the cut and thrust of England’s long-running feud with its cross-Channel neighbour. Scarlet-jacketed Royal Marine Sergeant Secker was first to stoop beside the mortally-wounded Lord Nelson aboard his flagship HMS Victory. Timbers from Nelson’s flagship still frame paintings in Stonehouse Officers’ Mess. Held prisoner aboard HMS Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound before exile in St Helena, Napoleon asked for a demonstration of Royal Marines’ musket drill. When it concluded he remarked: “How much might be done with a hundred thousand soldiers such as these!” Soldiers such as those won five VCs during the Crimean War, the first of which was awarded to Corporal John Prettyjohn – a local far mer’s son from Ashburton, who held off Russian infantry with a fusillade of rocks and stones when his Section’s ammunition was exhausted. No wonder the German Kaiser in 1890 was to describe the Royal Marines as “the best all-round fighting man in the world”. That ‘all-round fighting man’ was soon to cost the Kaiser’s countrymen dear. During World War I Royal Marines landed in Belgium in 1914 as part of the RN Naval Division. The last troops to leave the Gallipoli debâcle a year later, Royal Marines saw extensive service on the Western Front, serving on the Somme and at Ypres, Cambrai, Arras, and Passchendaele and led the raid on Zeebrugge in 1918. Royal Marines also carried out their traditional role as gun crews aboard capital ships. Of the five VCs awarded to members of the Corps during World War I, one – awarded posthumously – stood out: Major Francis Harvey RM saved Lord Jellicoe’s flagship HMS Lion by ordering the flooding of the magazine in which he himself was serving. It was an act of self-sacrifice that prompted Churchill – until May 1915 First Lord of the Admiralty – to write: “In the long, rough and glorious history of the Royal Marines there is no name and no deed which in its character and its consequences ranks above this.” Peace brought with it the inevitable cut-backs and amalgamations. It led also to the creation of the rank of ‘Marine’ which replaced that of both Private and Marine Gunner. When war resumed in 1939 Royal Marines took part in the poorly-led Norwegian campaign in 1940, in the defence of Crete and in the amphibious landings at both Dieppe – another disaster – and Tobruk. In 1942 the Royal Marine Infantry Battalions were re-organised into ‘Commandos’. In total, nine RM Commando Bat-
’...among you here in Plymouth are today’s Royal Marines – proud inheritors of 350 years of stirring tradition and service to a grateful nation...‘ talions were raised during the war. More than 70,000 men served as Royal Marines during WW2 and took part in assaults on Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Normandy, Walcheren and the crossing of the Rhine. Roughly 17,500 Royal Marines took part in D-Day. Operation Frankton – the raid of ‘The Cockleshell Heroes’ and one of the smallest wartime raids – became an enduring post-war legend of its own after ten Royal Marines paddled frail canoes deep into the heart of enemy-occupied France to plant limpet mines on German shipping in Bordeaux harbour. The men had been selected at
A portrait of General Edward “Fighting” Nicholls, 1795-1825, in the Officer’s Mess in Stonehouse Barracks. Described as an “impatient and blustering Irishman” - Nicolls was admired for his courage
Stonehouse barracks. Another peace – and this time it heralded the end of Empire while the training and control of all Commandos was transferred from the army to the Royal Marines in 1946, at a time when the Corps strength plummeted to just 13,000. By the time National service ended in 1960, numbers were down to 9,000. Yet – with the exception of 1968 – Royal Marines have been in action somewhere around the globe every year since with that famous green beret being both feared and respected in Malaya, Borneo, Suez, Aden, Cyprus, The Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Bosnia,
Kosovo, Sierre Leone and... Afghanistan. The globe, truly, is their parish. It’s a fact that while the Royal Marines make up only three per cent of the UK’s armed forces, they provide 47 per cent of the UK’s special forces. Today the Corps of Royal Marines musters almost eight thousand regulars with a further seven hundred fully-trained Reservists. In addition to 40, 42 and 45 Commandos, there is now a ‘43 Fleet Protection Group’ – which is responsible for protecting Britain’s nuclear capability in Faslane, Scotland; 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group (based at
Stonehouse Barracks); Commando Logistic Regiment at Chivenor in Barnstaple, North Devon; the Special Boat Service (the Royal Marines’ SAS) at Poole in Dorset; and 1 Assault Group which is classed as a ‘centre of excellence for amphibious training and operations’. This unit is now based at RM Tamar, Devonport Naval Base. Lympstone outside Exeter remains the Commando Training Centre, and the base for Mountain Leader training. Each year 2,400 fit and determined young men attend Lympstone in search of personal fulfilment as Officers and Marines. Their aim? To win the green ber-
et and ‘Pass Out’ as fully trained Commandos. Some are destined to have their hopes cruelly dashed, others to discover a sense of comradeship, fulfilment and personal achievement even their mothers may never have imagined possible. You may perhaps consider there are better ways for a young man to spend his urgent years of fitness, courage and adventure. But among you here in Plymouth are today’s Royal Marines – proud inheritors of 350 years of stirring tradition and service to a grateful nation. They would probably beg to differ.
These fascinating pictures were provided by the Royal Marines. Top: An image of the second advance on the Bunkers Hill Redoubt during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Middle: An illustration of Marines at the Battle of Inkerman, November 5 1854. Bottom: Marines attacking at Gallipoli during World War I
PAGE 4
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PAGE 5
350 years of the Royal Marines Continued from Page 3
He was wounded six times; court-martialled twice – once for the murder of one of his own Marines; knighted once; and retired a General. Not bad for an officer in a young service once considered the graveyard of serious professional ambition. Two years later and the Napoleonic Wars saw the Royal Marines playing a crucial role on both sides of the Atlantic as Royals both ashore and afloat adjusted to the cut and thrust of England’s long-running feud with its cross-Channel neighbour. Scarlet-jacketed Royal Marine Sergeant Secker was first to stoop beside the mortally-wounded Lord Nelson aboard his flagship HMS Victory. Timbers from Nelson’s flagship still frame paintings in Stonehouse Officers’ Mess. Held prisoner aboard HMS Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound before exile in St Helena, Napoleon asked for a demonstration of Royal Marines’ musket drill. When it concluded he remarked: “How much might be done with a hundred thousand soldiers such as these!” Soldiers such as those won five VCs during the Crimean War, the first of which was awarded to Corporal John Prettyjohn – a local far mer’s son from Ashburton, who held off Russian infantry with a fusillade of rocks and stones when his Section’s ammunition was exhausted. No wonder the German Kaiser in 1890 was to describe the Royal Marines as “the best all-round fighting man in the world”. That ‘all-round fighting man’ was soon to cost the Kaiser’s countrymen dear. During World War I Royal Marines landed in Belgium in 1914 as part of the RN Naval Division. The last troops to leave the Gallipoli debâcle a year later, Royal Marines saw extensive service on the Western Front, serving on the Somme and at Ypres, Cambrai, Arras, and Passchendaele and led the raid on Zeebrugge in 1918. Royal Marines also carried out their traditional role as gun crews aboard capital ships. Of the five VCs awarded to members of the Corps during World War I, one – awarded posthumously – stood out: Major Francis Harvey RM saved Lord Jellicoe’s flagship HMS Lion by ordering the flooding of the magazine in which he himself was serving. It was an act of self-sacrifice that prompted Churchill – until May 1915 First Lord of the Admiralty – to write: “In the long, rough and glorious history of the Royal Marines there is no name and no deed which in its character and its consequences ranks above this.” Peace brought with it the inevitable cut-backs and amalgamations. It led also to the creation of the rank of ‘Marine’ which replaced that of both Private and Marine Gunner. When war resumed in 1939 Royal Marines took part in the poorly-led Norwegian campaign in 1940, in the defence of Crete and in the amphibious landings at both Dieppe – another disaster – and Tobruk. In 1942 the Royal Marine Infantry Battalions were re-organised into ‘Commandos’. In total, nine RM Commando Bat-
’...among you here in Plymouth are today’s Royal Marines – proud inheritors of 350 years of stirring tradition and service to a grateful nation...‘ talions were raised during the war. More than 70,000 men served as Royal Marines during WW2 and took part in assaults on Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Normandy, Walcheren and the crossing of the Rhine. Roughly 17,500 Royal Marines took part in D-Day. Operation Frankton – the raid of ‘The Cockleshell Heroes’ and one of the smallest wartime raids – became an enduring post-war legend of its own after ten Royal Marines paddled frail canoes deep into the heart of enemy-occupied France to plant limpet mines on German shipping in Bordeaux harbour. The men had been selected at
A portrait of General Edward “Fighting” Nicholls, 1795-1825, in the Officer’s Mess in Stonehouse Barracks. Described as an “impatient and blustering Irishman” - Nicolls was admired for his courage
Stonehouse barracks. Another peace – and this time it heralded the end of Empire while the training and control of all Commandos was transferred from the army to the Royal Marines in 1946, at a time when the Corps strength plummeted to just 13,000. By the time National service ended in 1960, numbers were down to 9,000. Yet – with the exception of 1968 – Royal Marines have been in action somewhere around the globe every year since with that famous green beret being both feared and respected in Malaya, Borneo, Suez, Aden, Cyprus, The Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Bosnia,
Kosovo, Sierre Leone and... Afghanistan. The globe, truly, is their parish. It’s a fact that while the Royal Marines make up only three per cent of the UK’s armed forces, they provide 47 per cent of the UK’s special forces. Today the Corps of Royal Marines musters almost eight thousand regulars with a further seven hundred fully-trained Reservists. In addition to 40, 42 and 45 Commandos, there is now a ‘43 Fleet Protection Group’ – which is responsible for protecting Britain’s nuclear capability in Faslane, Scotland; 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group (based at
Stonehouse Barracks); Commando Logistic Regiment at Chivenor in Barnstaple, North Devon; the Special Boat Service (the Royal Marines’ SAS) at Poole in Dorset; and 1 Assault Group which is classed as a ‘centre of excellence for amphibious training and operations’. This unit is now based at RM Tamar, Devonport Naval Base. Lympstone outside Exeter remains the Commando Training Centre, and the base for Mountain Leader training. Each year 2,400 fit and determined young men attend Lympstone in search of personal fulfilment as Officers and Marines. Their aim? To win the green ber-
et and ‘Pass Out’ as fully trained Commandos. Some are destined to have their hopes cruelly dashed, others to discover a sense of comradeship, fulfilment and personal achievement even their mothers may never have imagined possible. You may perhaps consider there are better ways for a young man to spend his urgent years of fitness, courage and adventure. But among you here in Plymouth are today’s Royal Marines – proud inheritors of 350 years of stirring tradition and service to a grateful nation. They would probably beg to differ.
These fascinating pictures were provided by the Royal Marines. Top: An image of the second advance on the Bunkers Hill Redoubt during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Middle: An illustration of Marines at the Battle of Inkerman, November 5 1854. Bottom: Marines attacking at Gallipoli during World War I
PAGE 6
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PAGE 7
350 years of the Royal Marines
Ten things that might surprise you about our Marines
Timeline: Key dates in 350 years of history
Illustrations from Stonehouse Barracks. Left: The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot 1664-1684. Right: The Marine Corps 1755-1770.
Know what ‘heads’ means? Handle a game of spoof? Read on... ■ In 1788 Captain David Collins, of the Plymouth Division of Marines, oversaw the escorting of the first convicts sent to Botany Bay, Australia. He himself ended up spending the rest of his life in Australia. After helping to set up the penal colony in Botany Bay – modern day ‘Sydney’, he oversaw the creation of a second colony in what would later become the city of Melbourne. He became ‘Gover nor’ of this second colony. Years later he led the colonisation of ‘Van DieMen’s Land’ – modern day Tasmania becoming ‘Governor General’ of Tasmania. The two main streets through Melbourne and Tasmania are named ‘Collins Street’ after the former Plymouth-based Marine. ■ In July 1797 Royal Marines Lee, Coffy and Branning were executed for mutiny on Plymouth Hoe in front of an estimated crowd of about 20,000 people. A small granite stone cross with a ‘3’ in the centre of the slab marks the place of their execution. The stone can be found in the middle of a pathway leading onto Plymouth Hoe. ■ The term ‘bootneck’ or ‘leatherneck’ relates to a leather collar which was worn under a tunic collar to prevent a Royal Marine sentry from being strangled. Royal Marines were tasked with security – among other roles – on Royal Navy ships. They guarded the Royal Navy officers and there were instances of disgruntled sailors onboard the vessels attacking both the marines, and naval officers. ■ The ceremonial head of the Royal Marines is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He is known as ‘The Captain Gen-
eral’ of the Royal Marines and has held this role since 1953. ■ Royal Marines talk in ‘Jackspeak’ – a naval lingo which boasts literally thousands of words and phrases unknown to outsiders. Examples include: “Scran” = food. “Icers” = cold. “Redders” = hot. “Wet” = drink. “Hoofin” = very good/awesome “Gucci” = good or attractive item. “Chad” = bad or rubbish. “Heads” = toilet. “Essence” = good looking “D iv s ” = Divine (better than essence) “Slug” = sleeping bag. “Racing spoon” = all purpose single eating utensil used for all meals in the field. “Eyebrows” = being deadly serious/telling the truth. (As in “I’m telling you straight, or you can shave my eyebrows!”) ■ Spoof is the unofficial, yet mandatory drinking game of the Royal Marines. The game is a mix of chance, bluff, and bravado. Losing can result in anything from having to buy a round of drinks, getting a “chad” tattoo, or losing your eyebrows! (See Royal Marine speak above). ■ Today’s Royal Marines fall under the banner of 3 Commando Brigade which is based at Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth. The Stonehouse base is the brigade’s headquarters. 3 Commando Brigade is made up of more than 5,000 Royal Marines and associated commando trained army personnel, who are based at sites across the UK. These include 42 Commando (pronounced four-two) based at Bickleigh B a r r a ck s, 4 0 C o m m a n d o ( p ronounced forty) in Taunton, and 45
The Ten Regimants of Marines 1740-1748
Main picture: Royal Marines lined up for a weapons check in the hanger of HMS Hermes in the South Atlantic in 1982 during the Falklands conflict. Left: A small granite cross in the middle of a path off the promenade on Plymouth Hoe marks the spot where three Royal Marines were executed for 'mutiny' at Stonehouse Barracks in 1797. Above: First ships in Australia in 1788 at Botany Bay Commando (pronounced four-five) based in Abroath, Scotland. ■ The mention of ‘Gibraltar’ on the Royal Marines’ cap badge relates to the battle honour after the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. The globe surrounded by laurels represents the large number of battle honours recognised by King George IV in 1827. The commando ‘green beret’ was authorised by Lord Louis Mountbatten in May 1942 during World War
Two to mark the successful completion of commando training. ■ The iconic commando dagger was designed by Sykes & Fairbairn – two retired Shanghai policemen who taught ‘silent killing’ in Scotland to the early commandos. It is now the recognised symbol of a trained commando. ■ His Royal Highness Prince Edward attempted to become a Royal Marines officer in the 1980s – and failed. Royal Marines were later seen
■ October 28, 1664 – Convening Order (Order in Council issued calling for 1,200 trained soldiers to be recruited for sea service in His Majesty’s Fleet). First marines sent to Plymouth. ■ 1704 – War with France and Spain (the assault, capture and subsequent siege of Gibraltar). ■ June 7, 1761 – Battle of Belle Isle. Two battalions of marines perform first landing in the face of aggressive opposition. Battle to which the Laurel Wreath on RMs badge was attributed. ■ April 5, 1755 – British marines become first permanent/regular troops and re-organised into 50 companies over three ‘Divisions’ based at Chatham, Portsmouth & Plymouth. ■ April 1775 – General Gage sends small force from Boston (Including Maj Pitcairn and his Marines) to seize rebel weapons. No one knows who fired the first shot, but a shot was fired as the marines approached Concorde. This event was made famous as ‘The shot heard round the world’. These were the first exchanges of the American Revolutionary War. ■ 1781 to 1783 – Stonehouse Barracks is built in Plymouth. It is the only remaining and longest serving military accommodation barracks in the Europe. ■ 1788 – Royal Marines were onboard the first ships to arrive in Australia. The officer in charge of Marines was Plymouth-based Captain David Collins (son of Maj Gen Authur Collins). ■ 1805 – Battle of Trafalgar. 3,600 marines were among the British fleet. A painting in Stonehouse Barracks’ Officers Mess is framed with original timbers taken from HMS Victory following the battle. ■ 1853 to 1856 – Crimean War. Following the conflict Royal Marine Corporal Prettyjohns is awarded one of the first ever Victoria Cross awards after fighting off approaching enemy fighters with rocks and stones when his section ran out of ammunition. ■ 1914 – ‘The Great War’ and the year that three towns joined together to become what we now know as the city of Plymouth. ■ In the last 100 years Royal Marines have taken part in operations in Malaya, Borneo, Korea, Suez, Aden, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. The year 1969 is the only year when the Royal Marines have not deployed operationally somewhere in the world.
wearing T-shirts reading: “Not by Royal Appointment”. ■ You no doubt WILL know this having seen plenty of marines in such attire on the Barbican and around Plymouth – but Royal Marines like to dress up in fancy dress otherwise known as “silly rig” Expect a marines’ locker to boast Lycra, dresses, togas, tutus, superhero costumes, and even the odd pantomime horse or camel.
Above: Two Marines take positions in a building as they progress towards the enemy positions in the centre of the town of Al Faw in Southern Iraq, March 2003
Sgt Secker comes to the aid of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson after he falls to the desck mortally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar. Painted by Denis Dighton
Royal Marines sit with a British flag at the top of Saddam Husseins Palace at Basra, Southern Iraq, April 7 2003
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The Herald, Tuesday July 15 2014
The Herald, Tuesday July 15 2014
Tweet us @plymouthherald
Message us at facebook.com/theplymouthherald @ Email us at news@plymouthherald.co.uk
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PAGE 7
350 years of the Royal Marines
Ten things that might surprise you about our Marines
Timeline: Key dates in 350 years of history
Illustrations from Stonehouse Barracks. Left: The Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot 1664-1684. Right: The Marine Corps 1755-1770.
Know what ‘heads’ means? Handle a game of spoof? Read on... ■ In 1788 Captain David Collins, of the Plymouth Division of Marines, oversaw the escorting of the first convicts sent to Botany Bay, Australia. He himself ended up spending the rest of his life in Australia. After helping to set up the penal colony in Botany Bay – modern day ‘Sydney’, he oversaw the creation of a second colony in what would later become the city of Melbourne. He became ‘Gover nor’ of this second colony. Years later he led the colonisation of ‘Van DieMen’s Land’ – modern day Tasmania becoming ‘Governor General’ of Tasmania. The two main streets through Melbourne and Tasmania are named ‘Collins Street’ after the former Plymouth-based Marine. ■ In July 1797 Royal Marines Lee, Coffy and Branning were executed for mutiny on Plymouth Hoe in front of an estimated crowd of about 20,000 people. A small granite stone cross with a ‘3’ in the centre of the slab marks the place of their execution. The stone can be found in the middle of a pathway leading onto Plymouth Hoe. ■ The term ‘bootneck’ or ‘leatherneck’ relates to a leather collar which was worn under a tunic collar to prevent a Royal Marine sentry from being strangled. Royal Marines were tasked with security – among other roles – on Royal Navy ships. They guarded the Royal Navy officers and there were instances of disgruntled sailors onboard the vessels attacking both the marines, and naval officers. ■ The ceremonial head of the Royal Marines is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He is known as ‘The Captain Gen-
eral’ of the Royal Marines and has held this role since 1953. ■ Royal Marines talk in ‘Jackspeak’ – a naval lingo which boasts literally thousands of words and phrases unknown to outsiders. Examples include: “Scran” = food. “Icers” = cold. “Redders” = hot. “Wet” = drink. “Hoofin” = very good/awesome “Gucci” = good or attractive item. “Chad” = bad or rubbish. “Heads” = toilet. “Essence” = good looking “D iv s ” = Divine (better than essence) “Slug” = sleeping bag. “Racing spoon” = all purpose single eating utensil used for all meals in the field. “Eyebrows” = being deadly serious/telling the truth. (As in “I’m telling you straight, or you can shave my eyebrows!”) ■ Spoof is the unofficial, yet mandatory drinking game of the Royal Marines. The game is a mix of chance, bluff, and bravado. Losing can result in anything from having to buy a round of drinks, getting a “chad” tattoo, or losing your eyebrows! (See Royal Marine speak above). ■ Today’s Royal Marines fall under the banner of 3 Commando Brigade which is based at Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth. The Stonehouse base is the brigade’s headquarters. 3 Commando Brigade is made up of more than 5,000 Royal Marines and associated commando trained army personnel, who are based at sites across the UK. These include 42 Commando (pronounced four-two) based at Bickleigh B a r r a ck s, 4 0 C o m m a n d o ( p ronounced forty) in Taunton, and 45
The Ten Regimants of Marines 1740-1748
Main picture: Royal Marines lined up for a weapons check in the hanger of HMS Hermes in the South Atlantic in 1982 during the Falklands conflict. Left: A small granite cross in the middle of a path off the promenade on Plymouth Hoe marks the spot where three Royal Marines were executed for 'mutiny' at Stonehouse Barracks in 1797. Above: First ships in Australia in 1788 at Botany Bay Commando (pronounced four-five) based in Abroath, Scotland. ■ The mention of ‘Gibraltar’ on the Royal Marines’ cap badge relates to the battle honour after the capture of Gibraltar in 1704. The globe surrounded by laurels represents the large number of battle honours recognised by King George IV in 1827. The commando ‘green beret’ was authorised by Lord Louis Mountbatten in May 1942 during World War
Two to mark the successful completion of commando training. ■ The iconic commando dagger was designed by Sykes & Fairbairn – two retired Shanghai policemen who taught ‘silent killing’ in Scotland to the early commandos. It is now the recognised symbol of a trained commando. ■ His Royal Highness Prince Edward attempted to become a Royal Marines officer in the 1980s – and failed. Royal Marines were later seen
■ October 28, 1664 – Convening Order (Order in Council issued calling for 1,200 trained soldiers to be recruited for sea service in His Majesty’s Fleet). First marines sent to Plymouth. ■ 1704 – War with France and Spain (the assault, capture and subsequent siege of Gibraltar). ■ June 7, 1761 – Battle of Belle Isle. Two battalions of marines perform first landing in the face of aggressive opposition. Battle to which the Laurel Wreath on RMs badge was attributed. ■ April 5, 1755 – British marines become first permanent/regular troops and re-organised into 50 companies over three ‘Divisions’ based at Chatham, Portsmouth & Plymouth. ■ April 1775 – General Gage sends small force from Boston (Including Maj Pitcairn and his Marines) to seize rebel weapons. No one knows who fired the first shot, but a shot was fired as the marines approached Concorde. This event was made famous as ‘The shot heard round the world’. These were the first exchanges of the American Revolutionary War. ■ 1781 to 1783 – Stonehouse Barracks is built in Plymouth. It is the only remaining and longest serving military accommodation barracks in the Europe. ■ 1788 – Royal Marines were onboard the first ships to arrive in Australia. The officer in charge of Marines was Plymouth-based Captain David Collins (son of Maj Gen Authur Collins). ■ 1805 – Battle of Trafalgar. 3,600 marines were among the British fleet. A painting in Stonehouse Barracks’ Officers Mess is framed with original timbers taken from HMS Victory following the battle. ■ 1853 to 1856 – Crimean War. Following the conflict Royal Marine Corporal Prettyjohns is awarded one of the first ever Victoria Cross awards after fighting off approaching enemy fighters with rocks and stones when his section ran out of ammunition. ■ 1914 – ‘The Great War’ and the year that three towns joined together to become what we now know as the city of Plymouth. ■ In the last 100 years Royal Marines have taken part in operations in Malaya, Borneo, Korea, Suez, Aden, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. The year 1969 is the only year when the Royal Marines have not deployed operationally somewhere in the world.
wearing T-shirts reading: “Not by Royal Appointment”. ■ You no doubt WILL know this having seen plenty of marines in such attire on the Barbican and around Plymouth – but Royal Marines like to dress up in fancy dress otherwise known as “silly rig” Expect a marines’ locker to boast Lycra, dresses, togas, tutus, superhero costumes, and even the odd pantomime horse or camel.
Above: Two Marines take positions in a building as they progress towards the enemy positions in the centre of the town of Al Faw in Southern Iraq, March 2003
Sgt Secker comes to the aid of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson after he falls to the desck mortally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar. Painted by Denis Dighton
Royal Marines sit with a British flag at the top of Saddam Husseins Palace at Basra, Southern Iraq, April 7 2003
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350 years of the Royal Marines This portrait of Major Francis John William Harvey hangs at the Officer’s Mess in Plymouth. Major Harvey was an officer of the Royal Marine Light Infantry during World War I. Harvey was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy, for his actions at the height of the Battle of Jutland. At Jutland, Harvey, although mortally wounded by German shellfire, ordered the magazine of Q turret on the battlecruiser Lion to be flooded. This action prevented the tons of cordite stored there from catastrophically detonating in an explosion that would have destroyed the vessel and all aboard her. Although he succumbed to his injuries seconds later, his dying act may have saved over a thousand lives and prompted Winston Churchill to later comment: “In the long, rough, glorious history of the Royal Marines there is no name and no deed which in its character and consequences ranks above this.”
3 Commando Brigade march on Plymouth Hoe on Armistice Day in 2011 (11/11/11). The city’s special connection with the brigade sees crowds regularly turn out to pay tribute to the Marines