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Royal Marines

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Also known as RM, Royal Marine Corps

marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom

Key facts

Active
28 October 1664 – present, (361 years, 7 months)
Country
United Kingdom
Type
Marines
Role
Amphibious warfare , Special operations
Size
5,820 as of 1 April 2022 770 officers 5,050 other ranks
Part of
His Majesty's Naval Service
Nicknames
"Royals", "Bootnecks", "The Commandos", "Jollies"
Mottos
Per Mare, Per Terram ( Latin ) , (English: "By Sea, By Land")
Colours
Royal Navy Blue, Old Gold, Light Infantry Green, Drummer Red
March
Quick: " A Life on the Ocean Wave ", Slow: " Preobrajensky "
Website
Official website
Head of the armed forces and captain gen
King Charles III
First sea lord and chief of the naval st
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins
Second sea lord and deputy chief of the
Vice Admiral Paul Beattie
Commandant general
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins

via Wikipedia infobox

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

His Majesty's Royal Marines are the United Kingdom's special operations-capable naval infantry force and constitute one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. They provide a company-sized sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group, personnel for landing craft crews, and personnel for the Royal Navy's military bands. The Corps traces its origins to the "Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot", formed on 28 October 1664. The first Royal Marines commando unit was formed at Deal, Kent, on 14 February 1942 and was designated "The Royal Marine Commando".

The Royal Marines have served in numerous conflicts but, unlike most British Army regiments, do not carry individual battle honours. Instead, the "Great Globe Itself" was granted by George IV in 1827 in recognition of the Marines' service in engagements across the world. Today, the Corps comprises the United Kingdom Commando Force, the Royal Marines Band Service, the Commando Training Centre, and four reserve units.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Royal Marines” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.