List of British special service brigades of the Second World War information
During the Second World War, British brigades were commanded by a brigadier. Here Brigadier Mike Calvert (centre, walking towards camera) reviews the French contingent of the Special Air Service Troops brigade, following the end of the war and prior to it being disbanded.[1][2]
In mid-1940, after the defeat of the World War II Allies in the Battle of France, the British Army began raising a raiding force. The army intended that these units would conduct hit and run attacks on German-occupied Europe, showcasing the British Army's still-vibrant offensive capability. At that time, most of the army was engaged in defensive duties protecting the UK; its raid ability was thought to boost public morale. These raiding forces were called "commandos." Toward the end of 1940, the commando force had grown to a brigade-level command size and was re-organised to coordinate its structure and management.
As the war progressed, more commando units were formed; eventually their role transformed from raiding into acting as assault troops and light infantry, resulting in a need to reorganise the force, expanding the single brigade to four. The four commando brigades would spearhead British Army attacks in Northwest Europe, Italy, and Burma. The expansion also led to the creation of the Special Air Service (SAS). By 1944, SAS had also grown to a brigade-level command while maintaining its raiding role. Although never operating as a single entity, SAS units operated deep behind enemy lines, generally isolated from one another. All five brigades were maintained through the end of the war and were disbanded at the conclusion of hostilities.
^"The Special Air Service (SAS) During the Second World War". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^Joslen 2003, pp. 454–455.
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