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Ian McHarg

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Litani River – The Daring Commando Raid Behind Enemy Lines

Litani River – The Daring Commando Raid Behind Enemy Lines

 No.11 (Scottish) Commando was raised in Galashiels in the summer of 1940, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dick Pedder, from volunteers from the Scottish Command. From Galashiels they completed a 100-mile march to Ayr before commencing arduous commando training

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Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne DSO and Three Bars – Legend of the SAS

Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne DSO and Three Bars – Legend of the SAS

  Lt Col Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne DSO and 3 Bars, 1 SAS Regiment, was a courageous and brilliant special forces soldier, and one of the most outstanding leaders of the Second World War. A qualified solicitor and Irish Universities heavyweight

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Lord Lovat DSO, MC – Commando Leader

Lord Lovat DSO, MC – Commando Leader

The venerable Lord Lovat briefs his fellow commando officers prior to Operation Abercrombie, the raid on Hardelot, near the Channel port of Boulogne in April 1942. The intention of the raid was to ‘make a reconnaissance of the beaches and

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Anders Lassen VC, MC and Two Bars – The Terrible Viking

Anders Lassen VC, MC and Two Bars – The Terrible Viking

At 04.30 hours on 9 April 1945, Danish born, Major Anders Lassen MC** and his ten-man SBS patrol set out on a diversionary raid on the north shore of Lake Comacchio in north-east Italy. Their tasks were to cause as

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For Valour – Eric Harden VC – The Commando Medic

For Valour – Eric Harden VC – The Commando Medic

Lance Corporal Eric Harden of the Royal Army Medical Corps attached to the Royal Marines, posthumously received Britain’s highest award for valour in the presence of the enemy, after giving his life to save his wounded comrades. Victoria Cross recipient

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Special Boat Squadron – The Assault on Villa Punta

Special Boat Squadron – The Assault on Villa Punta

On 9 March 1945, twenty-seven men from the Special Boat Squadron, were tasked to attack the enemy occupied Villa Punta, on the Yugoslav island of Lussino. Initially occupied by Italian fascists, the fortified villa with extensive gardens, and the surrounding

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Fighting Man – Johnny Dowling MM

Fighting Man – Johnny Dowling MM

Recipient of the Military Medal (MM), Johnny Dowling of No. 3 Commando, was a fighting man. He learned to box at the famous St. Malachy’s Boxing Club in Liverpool, and after spending three seasons in the city’s tough boxing booths,

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Eric Garland MC and Bar – Commando and Fighter Pilot

Eric Garland MC and Bar – Commando and Fighter Pilot

Commando come fighter pilot, Eric Garland MC and Bar, had a remarkable war. In a period full of incredible achievements by extraordinary people, the actions of Eric Garland were of the highest order. During the withdrawal from Dunkirk in June

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Special Raiding Squadron – Invasion of Sicily

Special Raiding Squadron – Invasion of Sicily

The invasion of Sicily in July 1943 was based on two Allied armies landing on the island. The US 7th Army were tasked to land on the south-west at Gela, with the British 8th Army on the south-east at Pachino

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Operation Musketoon and Hitler’s Commando Order

Operation Musketoon and Hitler’s Commando Order

Often overshadowed by the Heroes of Telemark – the Special Operations Executive’s (SOE) raid on the heavy water plant at Vermork – Operation Musketoon was an equally daring raid on a Norwegian industrial target that was vital to the Nazi

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Man of Steel – Denis O’Flaherty DSO

Man of Steel – Denis O’Flaherty DSO

Lieutenant Denis O’Flaherty, Royal Artillery, of 6 Troop, No. 3 Commando is helped by his fellow commandos during the raid on Vaagso, Norway, in December 1941. During the previous hours the commandos had been engaged in fierce fighting on the

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SBS Raid on Kastelli Airfield

SBS Raid on Kastelli Airfield

After David Stirling, commanding officer of the Special Air Service (SAS), was captured in Tunisia in January 1943, the unit was reorganised into two squadrons – the Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) and the Special Boat Squadron (SBS).  The indomitable Paddy

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IAN McHARG WRITES ABOUT THE TOUGH TRAINING, DARING RAIDS, AND INDOMITABLE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR COMMANDOS AND OTHER WARTIME SPECIAL FORCES.

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