42 Commando 42 Commando Royal Marines ( pronounced : " " Four Two " Commando " ) is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and a subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade , the principal Commando formation , under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet . Tasked as a Commando unit , 42 Cdo RM is capable of a wide range of operational tasks . Based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth , personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training . Whilst 3 Commando Brigade RM are the principal cold weather warfare formation , personnel are capable of operating in a variety of theatres including tropical jungle , desert or mountainous terrain . All personnel will have completed the Commando course at the Commando Training Centre ( CTCRM ) at Lympstone in Devon , entitling them to wear the green beret , with attached personnel having completed the All Arms Commando Course . History . Second World War . Early Commando units were all from the British Army but by February 1942 , the Royal Marines were asked to organise Commando units of their own , and 6 , 000 men volunteered . No . 42 ( Royal Marine ) Commando was raised in August 1943 , under the command of Lieutenant Colonel R C de M . Leathes from the 1st Royal Marine Battalion , as part of the expansion of the commandos . They were assigned to the 3rd Special Service Brigade and served in India and Burma in 1943 – 45 , including operations in the Arakan and Assam . It took part in the third Arakan campaign and carried out a series of amphibious landings down the Burmese coastline . Including the landings at Myebon and the Battle of Hill 170 . It then returned to India to prepare for Operation Zipper the invasion of British Malaya . The war ended before the operation began and the commando was diverted to reoccupy Hong Kong . Post - WW2 . Following the Second World War 1st , 2nd and 4th commando brigades disbanded leaving only one brigade – the 3rd ( 40 ( RM ) , 42 ( RM ) and 45 ( RM ) ) . The Commando was involved in operations during the confrontation with Indonesia ( Borneo ) . It was during this tour that the famous Limbang raid was conducted by Lima Company . Throughout the following decade it was based in Singapore at HMS Simbang ( RNAS Sembawang ) . Return to UK . After the return to the UK , the Commando was deployed to Northern Ireland , the New Hebrides in 1980 and exercised regularly overseas . More recently the Commando has seen operational service in South Georgia , Montserrat in 1995 , Iraq and Afghanistan . Falklands Conflict . In 1982 , following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands , the Commando deployed on Operation Corporate . On 21 May the Commando were Brigade reserve at San Carlos under Lt . Col . Nick Vaux RM . The unit was deployed to seize Mount Kent in a night move by helicopter . By 4 June the unit had moved forward , mostly under cover of darkness , to positions west of high ground overlooking Port Stanley and the last Argentine stronghold . After days of probing reconnaissance , a Brigade assault took place on the night of 11 / 12 June in which the Commando ' s task was to secure Mount Harriet on the Brigade right flank . By moonlight and in freezing temperatures , 42 Commando moved undetected through enemy minefields in a 9 km right - flanking movement to surprise the enemy in their rear . Consecutive assaults by " K " and " L " Companies followed , up steep slopes onto company positions . Against strong resistance and continuous artillery bombardment , the Marines prevailed . By first light more than 30 enemy had been killed and over 300 prisoners taken as 42 Commando consolidated on Mount Harriet . 42 Commando suffered 2 fatalities themselves – one on Mount Harriet and one on Wall Mountain . For the bravery shown in the attack on Mount Harriet , 42 Commando was awarded 1 DSO , 1 Military Cross , 4 Military Medal s and 8 men were Mentioned in Dispatches . Recent history . The new millennium saw the Commando deploy on Operation Telic 1 for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 where they launched a helicopter assault on the Al - Faw Peninsula to support 40 Commando . The unit returned from Operation Herrick in Afghanistan on 16 April 2009 , where it served as the Regional Battle Group ( South ) . In essence , it was the Divisional Reserve . It served several operations alongside 3rd Battalion , The Royal Canadian Regiment , with whom it has maintained ties . Since May 2013 , 42 Commando has taken over from 45 Commando as the lead Commando task group . They are deployed as part of the COUGAR 13 Response Force Task Group exercising in Albania . Battle honours . The following Battle honour s were awarded to the British Commandos during the Second World War . Commanders . Commanders have included :