The Royal Marines are the amphibious troops of the Royal Navy and one of the world’s most elite commando forces. They are held at a very high readiness in order to be able to respond quickly to events around the world.
The Royal Marines were formed in 1755 as the infantry troops for the Royal Navy, however, they do have roots right back to the formation of the English Army’s Duke of York and Albany’s maritime regiment of Foot in 1664.
The adaptable light infantry force are trained for rapid deployment and are capable of dealing with threats worldwide. The Royal Marines are split into different units:
- 3 Commando Brigade
- 1 Assault Group Royal Marines
- 43 Commando Royal Marines (or previously the Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines)
- Special Forces Support Group
The Corps receive training on various things: amphibious warfare, arctic warfare, mountain warfare, expeditionary warfare and its commitment to the UK’s Rapid Reaction Force. Their training is the longest and one of the most physically demanding training regimes in the world. There is a 32 week training program for Marines and 60 weeks for Officers. Recruits must be aged between 16 and 32 and from the end of 2018, women will be permitted to apply. Their training ends with commando courses which are a set of physical and mental endurance tests that highlight their military professionalism.
The rank structure within the Royal Marines is similar to that of the Army. Officers and other ranks are recruited and are initially trained separately from other naval personnel. On average there are 1,200 recruits and 2,000 potential recruits every year. It wasn’t until 2017 that women have been able to service in all Royal Marines roles.
The modern Royal Marines uniform includes a green ‘Lovat’ service dress worn with a green beret. The scarlet and blue mess dress is worn by officers and senior non-commissioned officers and a white uniform is worn by the Royal Marines Band Service.
The Royal Marines’ motto is the Latin ‘Per Mare Per Terram’ which translates to ‘By Sea By Land’ and describes the regiment’s ability to fight on land and aboard Royal Navy ships.
We have a wide variety of Royal Marines uniform accessories and ceremonial accoutrement on our website. View our range here.
