ISBN 0-7509-3095-0
xv + 208 pages

Foreword; Acknowledegments; Introduction; photos; maps; Bibliography; Index

   James Dunning volunteered as an original member of No. 4 Commando (although he transferred out of the unit at the end of 1942). In later life he served as vice-president of the Commando Association. Given that background, plus his skills as researcher and writer, he seems perfectly suited to write a history of No. 4 Commando, and indeed he has produced a fine book on that topic.
   No. 4 assembled in Weymouth in July 1940 with 500 volunteers from "close on 90 different regiments and corps of the British Army." Enlisted men and officers were responsible for their own living arrangements and meals, as the unit contained no cooks or other service personnel. They were all teeth and no tail, comprising a headquarters and ten troops, each of fifty men. Everyone immediately went to work on physical training and preparation for action "as soon as possible."
   After ten weeks of training in England No. 4 moved to Scotland for more training, beginning with practice in amphibious landing techniques with the Royal Navy. The unit was briefly amalgamated with No. 7 Commando to form 3rd Special Service Battalion, but within three months this reorganization was undone.
   The first serious action for No. 4 came in February 1941, in conjunction with No. 3 Commando, with a raid on the Lofoten Islands off the coast of Norway near Narvik. Eleven fish oil factories were destroyed, ten vessels sunk, and over two hundred Germans taken prisoner.
   Back in Scotland, training resumed for a variety of operations, but only small detachments undertook minor missions or support of other commando units. During this period Lord Lovat, with whom the unit is most often associated, assumed command.
   In August 1942 No. 4 took part in a major operation, the Dieppe raid. Dunning devotes over twenty pages to his unit's actions at Dieppe, and proudly concludes that No. 4 successfully accomplished its mission.
   In the aftermath of Dieppe, Lord Lovat was succeeded by Major Robert Dawson and No. 4 returned mostly to the routine of training, training, and more training. In this case, the unit prepared for the D-Day landing in Normandy. To that end, No. 4 integrated new troops and became an Anglo-French formation.
   The Commando's D-Day assault against the German battery at Riva Bella in Ouistreham (graphically portrayed in the old movie The Longest Day) makes an exciting story, liberally sprinkled with firsthand recollections from the commandos who fought in the battle. In many ways this chapter of about twenty pages serves as the centerpiece of the book.
   Here's an excerpt:

   L/Cpl Gerry Swailes of A Troop still retains vivid memories of 'all those poor East Yorks who never got off the beach, and those beach stakes, some still with mines on them...and all that wire too'. He was one of those detailed to deal with the wire near the dunes. He gave his rifle to one of his mates while he started to cut the wire, unfortunately that 'mate' dropped his rifle in the sand which fouled and clogged the breech, making it useless. They tried to brush and wipe the sand off, but to no avail. Then decided to try another method. Unperturbed, 'we stood up and pissed on it...but still no good'. However, nearby was a dead soldier, 'so I took his Tommy gun and ammo, and kept it for the rest of my War....'
   Arguably, the men of Capt Carr's heavy weapons troop had the most gruelling task, clearing the bullet and shell-swept beach, carrying all their weapons, equipment and ammunition, because their jeeps weren't due to land until D+1, plus their rucksacks and personal weapons. Pte Joe Hurnett reckons that all those speed marches with full kit, weapons and ammunition in Sussex during the build-up for the invasion certainly paid off.
   One of the bravest actions of the landing occurred when Capt Carr managed to get through a gap in the final wire fence on the dunes, and single-handed set off to deal with an enemy machine-gun post—hardly the job for the heavy weapons troop leader. He succeeded, thanks to some supporting fire, to scramble, still wearing his rucksack, up the small mound of the MG post and lob a grenade over the top and into the pit. It silenced the gun.
   After the blast, Carr stood up, then slipped down to the foot of the slope underneath the MG post. Just then a stick grenade, thrown from the enemy position, landed between Carr and the gap in the wire. Amazingly, he got up unharmed and rejoined his men. A group of follow-up Commandos swarmed over the wire, worked their way round the back of the enemy post and finished off the crew before going on to deal with another enemy position.
   Just beyond the dunes, amid some half-demolished buildings, was the Commando's assembly area where they regrouped and reorganised for the next phase of their operation—the twin assaults into Ouistreham.

   After 6 June, the men of No. 4 Commando served as ordinary ground troops on the British flank in Normandy and in the subsequent advance through northern France. A detachment served as "Monty's bodyguard" at army group headquarters. On 6 September No. 4 began moving back to Normandy and then across the channel to England for two weeks of leave.
   In early October the unit deployed to Belgium to prepare for an amphibious assault against Flushing on Walcheren. Dunning refers to this as a "perfect little campaign." After the assault on 1 November 1944, the unit reorganized and spent the remainder of the war in defensive positions in the Netherlands with much patrolling and a few minor raids.
   Dunning has written an unassuming but solid and fully satisfactory history of No. 4 Commando, a unit which played an important and exciting role in several well-known operations. Quite a pleasant and enjoyable book.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Sutton.
   Thanks to Sutton for providing this review copy.