EX2376 x Mne William Clayton

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 24/01/2023 19:52:45

Looking at your Uncle Bill's service record and bearing in mind that in WW2, unlike today, many Royal Marines were not RM Commandos but may have served in areas where commandos were also operating, it shows his RM units as:

a) 1st Coastal Artillery Regiment, Royal Marines, which became part of Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation 1 (MNBDO1).
b) Siege Regiment, Royal Marines https://royalmarinesheritagetrails.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/RM-Siege-Regiment-1940-44.pdf
c) 33 Bn., Royal Marines.
Many of the RM Landing Craft crews and other units were were re-mustered at the beginning of 1945 as infantry due to manpower shortages in the 21st Army Group. They formed the 116th and 117th Infantry Brigades, Royal Marines, (1 and 15 January 1945 respectively), organised as standard Army Brigades. 116th Brigade was ready first and went to Europe at the beginning of February 1945. 33rd Battalion of 117th Brigade was flown out to Germany in advance of the rest of the Brigade and worked with 28th Battalion of 116th Brigade in organizing the surrender of German Naval personnel in Kiel (Source: IWM https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30072749).

Some Royal Marines in May 1945 (not commandos) at Kiel https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205160045

It is difficult to know exactly what the 47RM Commando connection was. Your Uncle Bill served in RM Artillery units so perhaps he was involved in providing artillery support for the commandos at some point.