It has been impossible in such an abridged narrative as this to do justice to the countless actions fought by the Commandos. Furthermore, scant mention has been made of the many small, but important, raids and actions of the 'offshoots' of the major Commando units. Reference has been made of the SBS, but there were others including the short-lived Nos. 14, 30 and 62 Commandos. Readers must seek elsewhere to learn of their exploits.
It was often supposed that the Commandos disdained such fundamentals as discipline and sound administration. Nothing could be further from the truth. Commando discipline was of the finest type, namely, self-discipline, nurtured on loyalty, trust, respect and devotion to duty. As for administration, the Commandos were fortunate in recruiting 'admin' officers and NCO's who regarded and prided themselves as Commando soldiers first and foremost and as such underwent all the rigorous training before giving their best in all matters administrative, and were prepared to take their place alongside their comrades in action. And they frequently did...
On 25th October 1945 the final chapter of the Commandos of World War II was written with the announcement by Major General 'Bob' Laycock, who had been one of the original volunteers for the Commandos in 1940 and had subsequently been promoted to succeed Lord Louis Mountbatten as Chief of Combined Operations, that his beloved green bereted Commandos were to be disbanded.
Full of obvious remorse of the demise of such a splendid fighting force, the General added that the green beret would also die with the disbandment. It did for a while, but a short time after the War, thanks to the resolve of Lord Louis, it was reintroduced as the headdress of the post-war Royal Marine Commandos. Surely there can be no finer tribute to the Commandos of World War II than the acknowledgement, worldwide, that this distinctive headdress is still recognised and accepted as the hallmark of an elite fighting force.
Indeed, looking back after a lapse of some sixty years it is gratifying to see that those five years of service, courage and sacrifice outlined here set standards and a tradition for others to follow and that the Commando idea, spirit and heritage has been kept alive and fostered by successive generations of young men in the Royal Marine Commandos following in the footsteps of all those who served between 1940 and 1945.