R.N. Commando & COBU Uniforms

Insignia

RN Commandos

RN insignia was worn on the battledress issued to the RN Commandos, officers wore their shoulder boards on the BD shoulder straps, Midshipmen wearing plain black shoulder boards with their collar ‘tabs’ stitched to the collars of their battledress. Ratings wore their rank and trade badges in the normal manner but below their Combined Operations insignia. Both officers and ratings wore either round or tombstone combined operations insignia in the normal manner beneath the shoulder titles, round badges predominantly being later issue, tombstone earlier. Above these shoulder titles were worn, white lettering on a blue-black background reading ‘R.N. COMMANDO’ or ‘ROYAL NAVY’. If parachute trained then wings were worn between the shoulder titles and Combined Operations insignia on the right arm.

RCN Commandos

RCN Insignia follows that for the RN other than in national distinctions in the titles, either red on blue-black titles, one above reading ‘CANADA’ one below reading ‘COMMANDO’, seen stitched butted together to give the impression of a single title with Canada above Commando or with a roughly 1 ½” gap between the two titles. Another variation seen is a single title, white letters on a blue-black backing reading ‘ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY’.

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

Photographs do not clearly show insignia but it is likely these men wore insignia in the same way as the RN Commandos; ratings in the Bombardment units were wireless telegraphists with the associated trade badges.

Battledress

RN Commandos

RN Commandos are pictured wearing both ’37 and ’40 pattern battledress, officers sometimes wearing No. 5A working dress with Commando insignia.

RCN Commandos

Canadian Navy Commandos wore both Canadian and British pattern BD, there is also photographic evidence of a motley mix of clothing being worn when off-duty or aboard ship waiting for landing operations including a rating wearing a blue (dyed?) battledress blouse and men wearing BD blouses with their rating’s bell-bottom trousers.

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

These units were issued British battledress in both patterns, parachute trousers with the extra large map pocket and rear dressing pockets were issued to those personnel deployed by parachute.

Shirts & Jumpers

RN Commandos

RN Commando ratings are known to have worn their white fronts under their battledress as well as their blue working jumpers, both usually worn under sailor’s square rig. Senior ratings and officers wore shirts and ties, some white, some khaki and some officers the regulation blue working shirt normally worn with No. 5 uniform. There is also evidence of the ‘Submariner’s’ white roll neck sweater being worn in rare instances and also some black/navy and brown civilian patterns.

RCN Commandos

Canadian Navy Commandos will have worn the same regulation Royal Navy items of uniform listed above but there is also photographic evidence of an officer and rating wearing a black rather than white roll neck under their battledress blouse, regulation clothing is as ever more common and probably the best choice for re-enactment.

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

In the photographs the men of this unit the battledress is always closed to the neck, it is likely that they wore an army style collarless shirt or a white front underneath this.

Smocks

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

Parachute deployed personnel wore the camouflage Parachutists smock over their battledress on deployment, being uniformed in line with the other parachute troops other than their naval insignia.

Headgear

RN Commandos

RN Commandos are pictured wearing their standard rating’s caps with standard H.M.S. cap tallies, NCOs and officers wearing their respective peaked caps sometimes with khaki or white covers. Ratings are also pictured wearing the army cap comforter and both officers and ratings are pictured wearing Mk. II ‘Tommy’ helmets and RAC pattern helmets as issued to the RN, painted ‘battleship grey’, a somewhat varying shade. These helmets could be painted with specific insignia, see below.

RCN Commandos

Canadian Navy Commandos can be seen wearing the same headgear mentioned above but the Mk.III or ‘Turtle’ helmets seem to have been more widely issued and one photograph shows an officer with a US M1 helmet, all these helmets painted battleship grey. Helmet insignia in photos of RCN Commandos vary from names and Combined Operations insignia painted on the front to officer’s rank. Another US issue item seen in photos is the ubiquitous US Navy ‘pork pie’ white cotton cap, worn when off duty, in one photo apparently dyed grey or khaki.

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

Photographs of these personnel show the maroon beret worn with the Parachute Regiment badge, believed to have been unofficially issued to the men for airborne operations. During jumps they wore the standard Parachutists helmet.

Footwear

RN Commandos

RN Commandos appear to have worn their RN issue deck boots in early operations, black leather, leather-soled ankle boots with no toe cap. Later they were issued army ammo boots, hobnailed, black ankle boots with a toe cap or SV boots, ammo boots fitted with a heavy cleated rubber sole. These ankle boots were worn with ’37 pattern anklets, I have yet to see evidence of short puttees being worn. There is also photographic evidence of sea boots and half wellingtons being worn, especially when engaged with handling landing craft in the shallows.

RCN Commandos

It is probable that Canadian Navy Commandos wore the same motley collection of footwear listed above but some also appear to have worn the Canadian ‘3^rd Division’ boot, a taller boot with laces and a buckle fastening at the top and a hobnailed sole.

Combined Operation Bombardment Units RN Personnel

The men of the COBU seem to have been issued ammo and SV boots from their formation.

Insignia of a Leading Telegraphist, COBU.

Insignia of a Leading Seaman, Quarters Rating, 2nd Class, RCN 'W' Commando.