Themes

Sea service

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Fighting in the Fleet

At the outbreak of war there were Royal Marine detachments embarked aboard 76 ships of the Fleet.

Royal Marines inside a 15-inch gun turret aboard HMS Valiant, 1943. Photograph showing men at action stations inside a gun turret wearing anti-flash gear. (RMM)
Royal Marines inside a 15-inch gun turret aboard HMS Valiant, 1943. Photograph showing men at action stations inside a gun turret wearing anti-flash gear. (RMM)

Royal Marines again operated the main armaments as well as a portion of secondary armaments in all battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers. They also operated the main anti-aircraft battery on most aircraft carriers.

In addition Royal Marine Bandsmen also worked in the Transmitting Stations situated in the bowels of the warships.

Royal Marines manning a quadruple-barrelled 2-pounder pom-pom gun on board a ship c.1942. (RMM)
Royal Marines manning a quadruple-barrelled 2-pounder pom-pom gun on board a ship c.1942. (RMM)

The first three years was a period of heavy losses for the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines serving aboard HM ships.

On 13 December 1939 with the Battle of the River Plate Royal Marine gunners were in action aboard HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles. The ships intercepted the German pocket battleship Admiral Graff Spee.

The battle lasted most of the day with the Royal marine turrets of HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax both disabled by hits from German shells.

Lieutenant Ian De’Ath RM earned a Distinguished Service Order for his part during the battle that saw the German battleship retreat up the River Plate and into Montevideo.

The commander of the Graff Spee, Captain Langsdorff, scuttled the ship after being deceived by the British to believe there was a huge fleet waiting to destroy the ship if it returned to open waters.

Ship's compliment of Royal Marines, 1939, featuring tables of the break down of officers and ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on capital ships such as HMS Hood and HMS Repulse. (RMM)
Ship's compliment of Royal Marines, 1939, featuring tables of the break down of officers and ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on capital ships such as HMS Hood and HMS Repulse. (RMM)

Royal Marines of the fleet saw action on the high seas. They were part of the crew on escort convoys to North Russia.

They also took part in the invasion bombardments of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno and the Normandy landings.

In the Far East the Royal Marines serving afloat were instrumental in an assault on Burma.

The Marines landed from a Landing Craft Personnel (Medium), or LCP (M), flotilla to take the island in January 1945.

The Allies wanted Cheduba Island and its neighbour Ramree Island in order to build airbases on them.

Fleet Marines Take Cheduba. From the Ceylon Review 17 February 1945. (RMM)
Fleet Marines Take Cheduba. From the Ceylon Review 17 February 1945. (RMM)


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