[Lone Sentry: British Commandos, WW2 War Department Publication]
  ©2006
 
 
Ch. 1
  §1.1
  §1.2
Ch. 2
  §2.1
  §2.2
  §2.3
Ch. 3
  §3.1
  §3.2
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British Commandos
Military Intelligence Service, Special Series No. 1, August 9, 1942
[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from a WWII U.S. War Department Special Series publication. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND OF THE COMMANDO

Section II. Independent (Commando) Companies in Australia and New Zealand

8. General.—The Australian and New Zealand Armies have several units which are the equivalent of commandos but are designated as independent companies, organized on a platoon instead of a troop basis. The total strength of each company is 267 officers and enlisted men. The primary purpose of the independent companies is to educate remote and undefended communities to cooperate in striking back at any enemy that might land on Australia, New Zealand, and other nearby islands of the British Empire. These companies will also be used in the warfare of the southwest Pacific for manning new bases and for reconnoitering. Eventually they will also operate against the enemy in his own as well as in friendly territory.

In general, the same high standards are required for personnel in the independent units as are demanded of the British commando members. Trained soldiers, single and without dependents, between 20 and 40 years of age, are selected. They must be of good physique and health and have courage, determination, intelligence, and individuality; and they must be amenable to strict discipline. Other requirements are unassailable loyalty and reliability.

As in Great Britain, the independent companies receive special training at an infantry training center that was organized for this purpose. The basic course of instruction takes 6 weeks, but this is followed by combined training with units of the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force in places suitable for amphibious air operations.

9. Tables of Organization and Weapons.—The following tables show the organization of the independent company, and its weapons:

INDEPENDENT COMPANY
War Establishment (Table of Organization) (Provisional)
I—Summary of Ranks

   
Co. Hq.
 
 
Three Platoons Each
 
  Command and
Administration
Royal
Aircraft
Establishment
section
Engineer
section
Total:
Co. Hq.
Platoon
Hq.
Three
sections
Hq. (each)
Three
sections
(each)
Total:
platoon
Total:
company
Majors 1--1 ----1
Captains 1 1--1 1--14
Lieutenants -112 -1-311
      Total: Officers
 
2114 11-416
Company Sergeant-Major (First Sergeant) 1--1 ----1
      Total: Warrant Officers
 
1--1 ----1
Company Quartermaster Sergeant 1--1 ----1
Sergeants -112 1--35
      Total: Staff Sergeants and Sergeants
 
1113 1--36
Corporals 2114 --2622
Sappers (engineers) -15-15 - -- -15
Privates 8-2634 721455199
Drivers, M.T. (motor transport) 2--2 ----2
      Total: rank and file 12162755 7216612 238
      Total: other ranks (enlisted men) 14172859 821662245
      Total: all ranks
 
16182963 931666261
Attached:           
    Australian Army Medical Corps (A.A.M.C.):             
        Captain 1--1 ----1
        Privates (medical orderlies)   4--4 ----4
    Australian Army Ordnance Corps (A.A.O.C.):             
        Armorer (corporal) 1--1 ----1
          Total: Independent Company, including attached  
 
22182969 931666267
Trade (Specialist) Group I:           
    Fitters (mechanics) -3-3 ----3
    Instrument mechanics --11 ----1
Trade (Specialist) Group II:           
    Carpenters and joiners -2-2 ----2
    Cooks 3 2--2 1--15
    Electricians -3-3 ----3
    Operators, Signals --1010 ----10
Trade (Specialist) Group III:           
    Clerks 2--2 ----2
Nonspecialists:           
    Corporals 1113 --2621
    Batmen (strikers) 3--3 11-415
    Drivers, M.T. (motor transport) 2--2 ----2
    Orderlies 2--2 21-517
    Pioneers -7-7 ----7
    Privates ---- --1442126
    Signalers --1515 ----15
    Snipers ---3 ---39
      Total: rank and file
 
12162755 721661238
1 Second-in-command.
2 Includes 6 lance sergeants and 30 lance corporals
3 Includes a corporal
 

II—Transport

Motorcycles  _ _ _ _ _  4
Cars  _ _ _ _ _  1
Lorries (trucks) 30-cwt., G.S. (General service)  _ _ _ _ _  1
 

III—Weapons and Ammunition

   Number    Ammunition—rounds    Total 
 On man 
 or with 
 gun 
 Reserve 
Pistols, Mauser 1    15 100  -  1,500
Pistols, .455-inch 2    52 36  -  1,872
Rifles, .303-inch   140 50  3 14,000   21,000
L.M.G's., .303-inch (Bren)4    18 600  3 12,960  23,760
Submachine guns 5    36 400  7,200   21,600
Sniper rifles   9 50 -  504
Grenades, percussion 6    - - - -
1 For officers other than R.A.E. (Royal Aircraft Establishment), and Signals.
2 For Nos. 1 and 2 of Brcn guns, 2 officers R.A.E. and Signals and for enlisted signallers.
3 20 percent tracer.
4 2 per section.
5 4 per section.
6 2 per enlisted man (bakelite).
 

10. Standard Equipment.—The following list shows the standard equipment of independent companies.

EQUIPMENT TABLES

a. Poison-gas protective and decontaminating equipment, individual and organizational.

b. Apparatus, camouflage. Including a large quantity of garnishing burlap of various colors; nets and spiders.

c. Tool chests and supplies as follows:

Instruments, mechanic's  _ _ _ _ _   1
Instruments, electrician's  _ _ _ _ _  1
Instruments, carpenter's  _ _ _ _ _  2
Motorcycle, artificer's  _ _ _ _ _  1
Armorers  _ _ _ _ _  1
Various sets of hand tools
Engineering tools
Paint, various colors
Cleaning and preserving preparations 
Solder
Plasticine, for demolitions
Vaseline, for demolitions
Adhesive tape, for demolitions
Cordage
Spun yarn
Twine

d. Portable cookers, complete.

e. Sleeping bags.

Special light tentage.

f. Medical equipment.

g. Demolition equipment, as follows:

Ammonal  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ pounds _ _  400
Incendiary arrows  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  20
Bombs, incendiary  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  24
Magnesium flares  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  260
Borers, coal (for sabotage of coal supplies)   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  1
Antitank grenades  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  20
Percussion caps  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  50
Cordtex, commercial  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ feet _ _ _  1,000
Detonators, No. 3  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  500
Detonators, electrical  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  100
Fuze, instantaneous  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ feet _ _ _  600
Fuze, safety  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ do_ _ _  500
Guncotton, dry primers  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  180
Guncotton, wet, slabs (or TNT)  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ pounds _ _  200
Grenades, fragmentation  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  600
Igniters, fuze  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  100
Plastic high explosive pounds  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  400
Signals, fog  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  27
Signals, relays  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  7
Sticky tank grenades  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  50
Switches, various, pull and pressure, for booby traps, etc  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  250
Strikers, antitank mines  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  10
Shrapnel mines  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  10
Tyesulses (incendiary bombs) (for incendiary sabotage)  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  20
Time vibration switches  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  4
Antitank mine containers  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  10
Exploder, dynamo  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  1

h. Sketching equipment, drawing sets.

i. Compass, binoculars, telescopes.

j. Signalling:

Visual sets: flags, lamps, and heliograph.
Radio: 6 sets (2 light portable).

k. Suits, camouflage:

Blouses  _ _ _ _ _  50
Hoods  _ _ _ _ _  273
Trousers  _ _ _ _ _  50

l. Rubber-soled hunting boots for each man for patrols.

m. Tailors' and cobblers' sets.


 

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