Editing Commando (section)

=== Australia ===
{{Main|Australian commandos}}
The [[Australian Army]] formed commando units, known as [[Australian Army Independent Companies|Australian independent companies]] in the early stages of World War II. They first saw action in early 1942 during the [[Battle of Rabaul (1942)#New Ireland|Japanese assault on New Ireland]], and in the [[Battle of Timor]]. Part of the 2/1st Independent Company was wiped out on [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]], but on [[Timor]], the 2/2nd Independent Company formed the heart of an Allied force that engaged [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] forces in a [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] campaign. The Japanese commander on the island drew parallels with the Boer War, and decided that it would require a 10:1 numerical advantage to defeat the Allies. The campaign occupied the attention of an entire Japanese division for almost a year. The independent companies were later renamed commando squadrons, and they saw widespread action in the [[South West Pacific Area]], especially in [[New Guinea]] and [[Borneo]]. In 1943, all the commando squadrons except the 2/2nd and 2/8th were grouped into the 2/6th, 2/7th and 2/9th Cavalry Commando Regiments.

Later in the war the Royal Australian Navy also formed commando units along the lines of the Royal Naval Commandos to go ashore with the first waves of major amphibious assaults, to signpost the beaches and carry out other naval tasks. These were known as [[Royal Australian Navy Beach Commandos|RAN Commandos]]. Four were formed—lettered A, B, C and D like their British counterparts—and they took part in the [[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo campaign]].

[[Z Special Unit|Z Force]], an Australian-British-New Zealand [[military intelligence]] commando unit, formed by the Australian [[Services Reconnaissance Department]], also carried out many raiding and reconnaissance operations in the South West Pacific theatre, most notably [[Operation Jaywick]], in which they destroyed tonnes of Japanese shipping at [[Singapore]] Harbour. An attempt to replicate this success, with [[Operation Rimau]], resulted in the death of almost all those involved. However, Z Force and other SRD units continued operations until the war's end.