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On the 28th October 2015, the Royal Marines celebrate their 351st birthday. From fighting on the decks and in the mastheads at the Battle of Trafalgar, through World War Two, to the modern day, leading the assaults on the Falkland Islands and Iraq and operating in Afghanistan, they are an integral part of Britain’s defence and the Royal Navy; their distinction combines excellence, versatility and unique amphibious skills.
Formed in the reign of King Charles II on October 28, 1664 as the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot (or Admiral’s Regiment), the name Marines first appeared in the records in 1672 and in 1802 they were titled the Royal Marines by King George III.
Since then, Marines have taken part in more battles on land and sea around the world than any other branch of the British Armed Forces; so numerous are the Corps’ battle honours they are simply represented by the famous Globe and the single honour ‘Gibraltar’.
Today, the Royal Marines are the UK’s Commando Forces and the Royal Navy’s amphibious troops. An elite force held at very high readiness, they are trained for worldwide rapid response, able to deal with a wide spectrum of threats and security challenges.
The main deployable force is 3 Commando Brigade RM with a Lead Commando Group ready and held at five days' notice to deploy globally, in support of the UK’s national interests.
