4th Special Service Brigade
| 4th Special Service Brigade 4th Commando Brigade |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1944 – 1946 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Amphibious assault |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements |
D Day Battle of the Scheldt Walcheren Islands |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Brigadier B. W. Leicester |
| Insignia | |
| Combined Operations Shoulder Patch |
 |
The 4th Special Service Brigade was a brigade-sized formation of the British Commandos formed during the Second World War in March 1944 from battalion-sized units of the Royal Marines. Due to the success of the British Army Commandos’ operations in Norway, the Channel Islands, St. Nazaire, and the Middle East, the Admiralty dissolved the Royal Marines Division in late 1942 and reorganized its amphibious assault infantry into eight additional Commando units.
The Brigade invaded Normandy on 6 June 1944 during Operation Overlord; it subsequently participated in the Battle of the Scheldt and the assault of the Walcheren Islands. On 6 December the same year, the Brigade was renamed 4th Commando Brigade, removing the hated title Special Service and its association with the German SS.
The brigade's task was to secure the flanks of the invasion beaches, linking up the British front from the Orne River to Port-en-Bessin and the Americans on Omaha Beach. The newly raised 46 and 47 Commandos joined 41 Commando and it became apparent to the Allied planners that a fourth Commando unit was needed for the brigade’s mission, so in mid-March the remaining men of the Royal Marine Division and other volunteers began training to form No. 48 Commando in time for the invasion. The Brigade was expected to be in combat for at most a week before being returned home.
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Wikipedia