Close combat training

Dear All,

It is widely known that the original commandos were unique in many ways and received the most effective military training ever known.

I am presently researching the original close combat methods and techniques as taught at Inverailort and Achnacarry, and would love to hear any tales of training in unarmed, knife and pistol close combat, as well as their effective battlefield application.

Please understand that as a professional European martial arts instructor, I hold the ultimate respect for all commandos and veterans and it is my dedicated goal to understand these methods as far as possible and to take them back to the original Highland training centres as a testament to their unique place in history and to honour the memories of the soldiers who trained in and used them on the front lines through the 1940`s.

I am also aware of the sensitive nature of this topic and shall be deeply grateful to hear from anyone regarding this subject either by forum reply or private message.

My thanks in advance for any assistance given.

Yours Very Truly,

Paul Macdonald,
Macdonald Academy of Arms
Macdonald Armouries
www.historicalfencing.org/Macdonaldacademy
www.historicalfencing.org/Macdonaldarmory/index.htm

Hi Paul
I don't know if this will be any help to you but have you heard of the book by A.E. Fairburn (co designer of the famous commando fighting knife) "Get Tough". I have not actually read it myself but apparently it is all about un-armed combat techniques and I believe is still in print. :) :)

cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for your response regarding close combat and Sykes-Fairbairn training.

I am familiar with `Get Tough` and we use this very much as source material for our research and practice.

I have since established the Commando D Living History Group, which is dedicated to researching, reviving and preserving the original training and methods of close combat as taught to allied special forces in WW2.

We have also since found the original Lochailort close combat syllabus from 1940 and a later British special forces close combat syllabus from 1943. I have also been fortunate enough to make contact with a couple of veterans who are willing to share their training experiences with us.

Recently, we held our first day of a training course at Inverailort House, teaching Fairbairn-Sykes unarmed, dagger and pistol work on the original WW2 training grounds. It was a great day and the first of many such courses to follow.

I am always still learning though and still would love to hear from any veterans with such training experience or any leads to further research is always very much appreciated.

Yours Very Truly,

Paul Macdonald,
Commando D Living History Group

Hi Paul
Thanks for the reply, I thought you were probably aware of this publication, but I know from my own research in to my father's time in No1 Commando that any snippet of info no matter how trivial can actually be of great value.
Good luck with everything, if in the course of my research I come across any thing else which I think may be of value I will of course let you Know.

Cheers
Andy