Editing Royal Marines (section)

=== After 1945 and the Cold War ===
[[File:Royal Marines on Rigid Raider.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Royal Marines during an exercise in [[Scotland]]]]

In 1946 the Army Commandos were disbanded, leaving the Royal Marines to continue the commando role (with supporting army elements). During the [[Cold War]] the Royal Marines were earmarked to reinforce [[NATO]]'s northernmost command [[Allied Forces North Norway]]. Therefore, [[3 Commando Brigade]] began to train annually in Northern Norway and had large stores of vehicles and supplies pre-positioned there. At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the structure of the Royal Marines was as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/royal-marines.html|title=Royal Marines|publisher=British Army units 1945 on|access-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605092835/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/royal-marines.html|archive-date=5 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[Commandant General Royal Marines]], [[London]] 
** [[3 Commando Brigade]], [[Plymouth]]
*** [[40 Commando]], [[Taunton]]
*** [[42 Commando]], [[Bickleigh, South Hams|Bickleigh]]
*** [[45 Commando]], [[Arbroath]]
*** [[29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery|29 Commando Regiment]], [[Royal Artillery]], Plymouth, one battery in Arbroath, (18× [[L118 light gun]]s)
*** [[4 Assault Squadron RM|4 Assault Squadron]], Plymouth (4× [[Landing Craft Utility#United Kingdom|LCU Mk.9]], 4× [[LCVP (United Kingdom)|LCVP Mk.4]], 2× [[Beach armoured recovery vehicle#Centurion BARV|Centurion BARV]]), served aboard {{HMS|Fearless|L10}}
*** [[539 Assault Squadron RM|539 Assault Squadron]], Plymouth (4× LCU Mk.9, 4× LCVP Mk.4, 2× Centurion BARV), served aboard {{HMS|Intrepid|L11}}
*** [[59 Independent Commando Squadron]], [[Royal Engineers]], Plymouth, one troop in Arbroath
*** [[3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron]], [[RNAS Yeovilton]], (12× [[Aérospatiale Gazelle|Gazelle AH.1]], 6× [[Westland Lynx|Lynx AH.1]])
*** 2 Raiding Squadron, Royal Marines Reserve, Plymouth
*** [[131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers|131 Independent Commando Squadron]], [[Royal Engineers]] (V), [[Kingsbury, London]] 
*** [[289 Commando Troop, Royal Artillery|289 Commando Battery]], [[Royal Artillery]] (V), [[East Ham]] (6× [[L118 light gun]]s)
** [[Special Boat Service]], [[Poole]], under operational control of [[United Kingdom Special Forces]]
** [[Comacchio Group]], [[HMNB Clyde]], guarded HMNB Clyde and the UK's naval nuclear weapons stored at [[RNAD Coulport]]
** [[Royal Marines Police]], Plymouth
** [[Commando Training Centre Royal Marines]], [[Lympstone]]
** [[Royal Marines Band Service]] RMSoM, [[Deal, Kent|Deal]]
** [[Royal Marines Reserve]] 
*** RMR Plymouth, [[Plymouth]]
*** RMR Bristol, [[Bristol]]
*** RMR London, [[Wandsworth]]
*** RMR Merseyside, [[Liverpool]]
*** RMR Scotland, [[Edinburgh]]
*** RMR Tyne, [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]]

[[File:07 Royal Marines Montevideo Jan1972.jpg|thumb|left|Royal Marines in 1972]]
Royal Marines were involved in the [[Korean War]]. [[41 Commando|41 (Independent) Commando]] was reformed in 1950, and was originally envisaged as a raiding force for use against [[North Korea]]. It performed this role in partnership with the [[United States Navy]] until after the landing of [[X Corps (United States)|United States Army X Corps]] at [[Wonsan]]. It then joined the US's [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] at Koto-Ri. As [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir#Task Force Drysdale|Task Force Drysdale]] with Lt. Col. D.B. Drysdale RM in command, 41 Commando, a USMC company, a [[United States Army|US Army]] company and part of the divisional train fought their way from Koto-Ri to Hagaru after the Chinese had blocked the road to the North. It then took part in the famous withdrawal from [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir|Chosin Reservoir]]. After that, a small amount of raiding followed, before the Marines were withdrawn from the conflict in 1951. It received the [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Citation]] after the USMC got the regulations modified to allow foreign units to receive the award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Britain's Sheet Anchor, Old Brothers in Arms: The 41 Independent Commando at Chosin|date=November 2001|url=https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/britains-sheet-anchor-old-brothers-arms-41-independent-commando-chosin-november-2001#sthash.3sHu5toN.dpuf|access-date=22 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115302/https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/britains-sheet-anchor-old-brothers-arms-41-independent-commando-chosin-november-2001#sthash.3sHu5toN.dpuf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After playing a part in the long-running [[Malayan Emergency]], the next action came in 1956, during the [[Suez Crisis]]. Headquarters [[3 Commando Brigade]], and Nos 40, 42 and 45 Commandos took part in the operation. It marked the first time that a helicopter assault was used operationally to land troops in an amphibious attack. British and French forces defeated the Egyptians, but after pressure from the United States, and French domestic pressure, they backed down.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/6/newsid_3115000/3115888.stm|title= 1956: Allied Forces take control of Suez|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 April 2016|date= 6 November 1956}}</ref>

In September 1955 45 Commando was deployed to [[Cyprus]] to undertake anti-terrorist operations against the [[EOKA]] guerrillas during the independence war against the British. The EOKA were a small, but powerful organisation of Greek Cypriots, who had great local support from the Greek community. The unit, based in Malta at the time travelled to the Kyrenia mountain area of the island and in December 1955 launched Operation Foxhunter, an operation to destroy EOKA's main base.<ref>French, p. 134</ref>

Further action in the Far East was seen during the [[Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation]]. Nos 40 and 42 Commando went to [[Borneo]] at various times to help keep [[Indonesia]]n forces from worsening situations in the neighbouring region, in what was an already heated part of the world, with conflicts in [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]] and [[Vietnam]]. During the campaign there was a company-strength amphibious assault by Lima Company of 42 Commando at the town of [[Limbang]] to rescue hostages. The [[Limbang raid]] saw three of the 150 marines involved decorated, L company 42 commando are still referred to today as Limbang Company in memory of this archetypal commando raid.<ref>{{cite web| title = The Assault on Limbang, Sarawak by 'L' Company Group, 42 Commando, Royal Marines| publisher = ARCRE| url =http://www.arcre.com/archives/92-bruneirevolt/98-limbang| access-date = 8 December 2012}}</ref>

In January 1964, part of the [[Tanzanian Army]] mutinied. Within 24 hours elements of 41 Commando had left Bickleigh Camp, Plymouth, Devon, and were travelling by air to Nairobi, Kenya, continuing by road into Tanzania. At the same time, Commandos aboard [[HMS Bulwark (R08)|HMS ''Bulwark'']] sailed to East Africa and anchored off-shore from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The revolt was put down and the next six months were spent in touring Tanzanian military out-posts disarming military personnel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gbstamp.co.uk/article/the-tanganyika-army-mutiny-1964-and-the-bfpo-field-post-office-526.html|title=The Tanganyika Army Mutiny 1964 and The BFPO Field Post Office|date=11 November 2014|publisher=GB Stamp|access-date=22 May 2016}}</ref>

From 1969 onwards, Royal Marine units regularly deployed to [[Northern Ireland]] during [[The Troubles]], during the course of which 13 were killed in action.<ref>[http://www.britains-smallwars.com/ni/ROH2.html Britain's Small Wars, Northern Ireland Roll of Honour] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017222306/http://britains-smallwars.com/ni/ROH2.html |date=17 October 2007 }}. Retrieved 29 January 2007</ref> A further eleven died in the [[Deal barracks bombing]] of the Royal Marines School of Music in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/september/22/newsid_3679000/3679622.stm |publisher=BBC |title= Remembering the Deal bombing|access-date= 6 March 2007|date=22 September 1989 }}</ref> Between 1974 and 1984, the Royal Marines undertook three United Nations tours of duty in Cyprus. The first was in November 1974, when 41 Commando took over the Limassol District from the 2nd Battalion of the Guards Brigade, following the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish invasion]], and became the first commando to wear the light blue berets of the UN when they began the Corps' first six-month tour with the UN forces in Cyprus (UNIFCYP).<ref>Henn, p. 237</ref>

The [[Falklands War]] provided the backdrop to the next action of the Royal Marines. [[Argentina]] invaded the islands in April 1982. A British task force was immediately despatched to recapture them, and given that an amphibious assault would be necessary, the Royal Marines were heavily involved. 3 Commando Brigade was brought to full combat strength, with not only 40, 42 and 45 Commandos, but also the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] attached. The troops were landed at [[San Carlos Water]] at the western end of [[East Falkland]], and proceeded to "[[yomp]]" across the entire island to the capital, [[Stanley, Falkland Islands|Stanley]], which fell on 14 June 1982 to 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. A Royal Marines divisional headquarters was deployed, under Major-General [[Jeremy Moore]], who was commander of British land forces during the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/F23-Falklands-3_Commando_Brigade.htm|title=3 Commando Brigade|publisher=Naval History.net|access-date=4 April 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Boarding Procedures demonstrated by the British Royal Marines.jpg|thumb|[[Naval boarding|Boarding]] procedures demonstrated by Royal Marines on the frigate HMS ''Somerset'' in the Persian Gulf, in 2004]]
The main element of 3 Commando Brigade was not deployed in the 1991 [[Gulf War]]. However, 24 men from K Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines were deployed as six-man teams aboard two Royal Navy destroyers and frigates. They were used as [[Naval boarding|ship boarding parties]] and took part in numerous boardings of suspect shipping. There were also further elements deployed to provide protection of shipping whilst in ports throughout the Gulf. The main element of 3 Commando Brigade was deployed to northern [[Iraq]] in the aftermath to provide aid to the Iraqi [[Kurds]] as part of [[Operation Provide Comfort|Operation Safe Haven]].<ref>Ballantyne, p. 134</ref>

In 1992 recruiting into the RM Band Service was opened to females.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/royal-navy-responsive/documents/reference-library/br-3-vol-1/br3d-vol-1-feb-2022/ch40_compressed.pdf?la=en-gb&rev=649bae0aecfd4acb8fbaa2ec6df7cc3d&hash=A23E1FC6E15442A5C3550EC660E6FC7B|title =Royal Marines officers and other ranks|publisher=Royal Navy|page=2}}</ref> From 2000 onwards, the Royal Marines began converting from their traditional [[light infantry]] role with the introduction of the [[Commando 21]] concept, an emphasis on force protection leading to the introduction of the [[BvS10|Viking]], the first armoured vehicle to be operated by the Royal Marines for half a century.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2000/0012/0000122901.asp# |title=Commando Units To Be Reshaped |work=Navy News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611055457/http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2000/0012/0000122901.asp |archive-date=11 June 2011 }}</ref>

<small>Note: "(V)" denoted [[British Army]] reserve units.</small>