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During the Second World War, the Allies realised the need for the landing zone of an amphibious assault to be organised for the efficient passage of follow on forces. The British formed such units from all three services – the Royal Navy (Commandos), British Army and the Royal Air Force, with the Army component comprising Infantry, Engineers, Ordnance, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Medical and Service Corps.
| Beach Group (Brick) | |
|---|---|
Shoulder insignia worn by beach groups | |
| Active | 1943–1944 |
| Country | Britain |
| Branch | Tri-Service |
| Role | Beachhead organisation |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | Sicily Landings Salerno Normandy Landings |
| Insignia | |
| Patch worn by beach commandos |  |
The equivalent U.S. units were called "beach battalions."
After the Operation Torch landings, the need for a beach organisation became apparent for the larger planned operations. Beach Groups were formed in the UK and began to train in Scotland. In the Mediterranean, the equivalent organisations were called Beach Bricks and were formed in Egypt and trained at Kabrit. The Chief of Combined Operations Lord Louis Mountbatten described the functions of a beach group in late 1942:[1]
For this, a tri-service formation was created around an infantry battalion, added to this were smaller units from the Royal Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Pioneer Corps, Royal Army Service Corps and the Corps of Military Police. The Navy provided Royal Naval Beach Commandos and a signal unit, and the Royal Air Force provided for beach anti-aircraft defence. The complement of a Beach group or brick was up to 3,000 men.[2]
The beach commandos were composed of 76 officers and men, led by the one Principal Beach Master and three Beach Masters, who would land with the assaulting troops and have the following duties:[3]
Each commando, which was to control the landing area for a brigade, was subdivided into a headquarters and three sub units (Beach Parties), each controlling a battalion landing area. The men wore army battledress with navy headgear. Nine beach commandos were formed for Operation Overlord, designated F, J, L, P, Q, R, S, T and W, the latter was composed of Canadians.[3]
The Royal Navy Beach Signals units were to provide communications between the beach and the offshore forces. Included in the units were men from the army and RAF.
The infantry component was intended to be a fighting force if any pockets of resistance remained on the beach immediately after the landings.[4] After the beach had been secured, the battalion was to provide manpower for any other tasks, for example 6th Battalion Border Regiment was split up as follows,[5]
As well as the treatment and dispatch of casualties back to Britain, the Medical Corps was also tasked with the provision of drinking water for the troops.[6]
The Military Police (MPs) were to be used to control the flow of traffic on the beach and to guard and document the prisoners of war collected in the initial stages and brought back to the beach. These units also included RAF MPs.[7]
The pioneer companies were called on to perform many duties; construction of roads, air-fields and stores, mine clearance, collection and evacuation of wounded, collection and burial of the dead, transport, guarding POWs and, where necessary, fight.[8][9]
The RASC was responsible for the transport and distribution of the supplies needed by the troops.
The REME was tasked with keeping the beaches clear of disabled vehicles, including the removal of stranded landing craft. Repairable vehicles were repaired in place or at a vehicle park. The men used normal and specialised recovery vehicles for the task, such as the BARV.[10]
The precise mix and number of units depended of the perceived need of each location.
From spring 1942, on the formation of the beach commandos, training was begun at the shore establishment HMS Armadillo Ardentinny, with amphibious training on Loch Long. RAF units and other formations destined for the beach groups were trained at Gailes Camp near Irvine, North Ayrshire.[11]
Units formed in the Mediterranean trained at Kibrit on the Great Bitter Lake on the Suez Canal.
Formed in the UK, it sailed to Sicily with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, landing on 10 July 1943. It contained the 68th RAF Beach Unit.[12] Utilised again for the Salerno landings, and attached to the British 56th Infantry Division, landing on Rodger beach on 9 September 1943, for this operation it contained the 68th and 69th RAF Beach Units.[13]
This unit also sailed with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division from Britain and landed with them during the invasion of Sicily. It contained the 69th RAF Beach Unit.[12] It was the reserve Beach group for Juno.
Supported the 3rd Infantry Division on Sword, Queen beaches.
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Unit F | |
| 13th Beach Signals | ||
| Army | Infantry | 5th Battalion The King's Regiment (Liverpool) |
| R.A.M.C. | 20th, 21st, 30th, 39th Field Dressing Stations | |
| 1st Field Sanitary Section | ||
| 39th, 40th, 55th Field Surgery Units | ||
| 21st, 29th Field Transfusion Units | ||
| 16th Gas Clearing Station | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 44th Ordnance Ammunition Company | |
| 11th Ordnance Beach Detachment | ||
| Pioneer Corps | 53rd, 102nd, 129th, 267th, 292nd, 303rd Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 20th Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 96th Detail Issue Depot | |
| H.Q. 21st Transport Column R.A.S.C. | ||
| 39th, 101st, 635th General Transport Companies | ||
| 257th Petrol Depot | ||
| Royal Engineers | 84th Field Company | |
| 18th G.H.Q. Troop Engineers | ||
| 940th Inland Waterway Transport | ||
| 8th Stores Section | ||
| 20th Port Detachment | ||
| Military Police | 241st Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 101st RAF Beach Flight | |
No.6 Beach Group was the reserve for Sword.
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Unit R | |
| 18th Beach Signals | ||
| Army | Infantry | 1st (Buckinghamshire) Battalion Ox & Bucks Light Infantry |
| R.A.M.C. | 9th, 12th, Field Dressing Stations | |
| 2nd Detachment Field Sanitary Section | ||
| 37th, 38th Field Surgery Units | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 12th Ordnance Beach Detachment | |
| Pioneer Corps | 85th, 149th Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 21st Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 138th Detail Issue Depot | |
| 299th General Transport Company | ||
| 238th Petrol Depot. | ||
| Royal Engineers | 91st Field Company | |
| 50th Detachment Mechanical Equipment Platoon | ||
| 1028th Port Operating Company | ||
| Military Police | 245th HQ Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 102nd RAF Beach Flight | |
Supported the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landed on Mike in the Juno landing area.
Composition[16]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Units L, P & S | |
| Army | Infantry | 8th (Irish) Battalion The King's Regiment |
| R.A.M.C. | 1st, 2nd Field Dressing Stations | |
| 3rd Field Sanitary Section | ||
| 39th, 40th, 55th Field Surgery Units | ||
| 13th, 14th Field Transfusion Units | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 45th Ordnance Ammunition Company | |
| 7th, 14th Ordnance Beach Depots | ||
| Pioneer Corps | 190th, 225th, 243rd, 293rd Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 20th Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 139th Detail Issue Depot | |
| 282nd General Transport Company | ||
| 240th Petrol Detachment | ||
| Royal Engineers | 72nd, 85th Field Companies | |
| 11th Port Operating Group | ||
| 19th Stores Section | ||
| Military Police | 242nd Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 103 RAF Beach Flight | |
Landed on Nan, in the Juno landing area.
Composition[17]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Unit P | |
| 19th Beach Signals Section | ||
| Army | Infantry | 5th (Hackney) Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment |
| R.A.M.C. | 32nd, 34th Field Dressing Stations | |
| 32nd Casualty Clearing Station | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 45th Ordnance Ammunition Company | |
| Pioneer Corps | 115th, 144th, 170th Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 23rd Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 140th Detail Issue Depot | |
| 30th Transport Company HQ | ||
| 199th General Transport Company | ||
| 242nd Petrol Company | ||
| Royal Engineers | 20th Field Company | |
| 1034th Port Operating Company | ||
| 20th Stores Section | ||
| 59th Mechanised Equipment Section | ||
| 966th Inland Water Transport | ||
| Military Police | 242nd Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 104 RAF Beach Flight | |
Supported the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landing on the King sector of the Gold, landing area.
Composition[18]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Units J, G & T | |
| B10 Beach Signal Section | ||
| Army | Infantry | 2nd Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment |
| Royal Artillery | Heavy Anti-Aircraft Detachments | |
| Light Anti-Aircraft Detachments | ||
| R.A.M.C. | 3rd, 32nd, 35th Field Dressing Stations | |
| 47th, 48th Field Sanitary Units | ||
| 3rd, 10th Casualty Clearing Stations | ||
| 24th, 30th Field Transfusion Units | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 7th, 36th Ordnance Beach Detachment | |
| Pioneer Corps | 75th, 208th, 209th Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 24th Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 2nd Detail Issue Depot | |
| 305th General Transport Companies | ||
| 247th Petrol Depot | ||
| Royal Engineers | 69th, 89th, 183rd Field Company | |
| 74th Mechanised Equipment Section | ||
| 961st Inland Waterway Transport | ||
| 1043rd Port operating Company | ||
| 22nd Port Detachment | ||
| Military Police | 243rd Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 107th RAF Beach Flight | |
| 98th Balloon Squadron | ||
Landed on the Jig beaches, within the Gold sector.
Composition[19]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy | Beach Commando Unit Q | |
| 7th Beach Signal Section | ||
| Army | Infantry | 6th Battalion Border Regiment |
| Royal Artillery | Anti-Aircraft Detachments | |
| R.A.M.C. | 25th, 31st Field Dressing Stations | |
| 30th, 41st, 42nd Field Sanitary Units | ||
| 24th, 30th Field Transfusion Units | ||
| R.A.O.C. | 12th Ordnance Beach Depot | |
| Pioneer Corps | 73rd, 112th, 120th, 173rd, 243rd Pioneer Companies | |
| R.E.M.E. | 25th Beach Recovery Section | |
| R.A.S.C. | 5th Detail Issue Depot | |
| 356th, 705th General Transport Companies | ||
| 244th Petrol Depot[20] | ||
| Royal Engineers | 90th Field Company | |
| 51st Mechanised Equipment Section | ||
| 23rd, 1035th Port Operating Companies | ||
| 23rd Stores Section | ||
| Military Police | 240th Provost Company | |
| Royal Air Force | 108th RAF Beach Flight | |
| 55th Balloon Squadron | ||
This unit landed with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division on Sicily on 10 July 1943.[12] The infantry component was two companies of the 2/4th Hampshire Regiment.
This unit also landed with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division on Sicily on 10 July 1943.[12] The unit was used again and landed at Salerno on Sugar beach, supporting the 56th Infantry Division. It contained two companies of the Hampshire Regiment and the RAF's 81st and 82nd Auxiliary Embarkation Units.[13]
Formed on 13 April 1943 at Kabrit in Egypt, around the 7th Battalion Royal Marines. This unit was charged with training itself and then other units that were to form other Beach Bricks.[21] It landed on Sicily supporting the 231st Infantry Brigade at Marzamemi.[22]
Formed around the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry, the Brick supported the 5th Infantry Division during the Sicily landings at Cassibile (beaches Nos. 45 and 46) south of Syracuse. The Brick again supported the 5th Division (13th Infantry Brigade) in the landings at Calabria on 3 September 1943 on George Beach.[23]
Formed on 1 April 1943 around 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Brick supported the 17th Infantry Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division at George Beach (beach No. 44). On 27 July, the Highlanders were sent to the front line and the 1st Battalion Welch Regiment took their place from No. 34 Beach Brick. The Brick was reassembled with the Highlanders for the landings at Calabria, again with 17th Brigade, on How beach north of Torrente. The Brick was disbanded in November 1943.[24]
Formed on 1 June 1943 at Kabrit Egypt around the 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment, the Brick supported the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division during the Sicily Landings at Avola. For the landings at Calabria, the Brick supported the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade on Fox beach north of Reggio de Calabria.[25] The Brick supported the Anzio landings with D Company of 18th Durham Light Infantry as the infantry component.[26] Denis Healey was a Beach Master for this operation.[27]
Formed around the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry at Kabrit, it transferred to Algeria in July for training and then to Tunisia for more training with the 46th Infantry Division, whom it supported in the landings at Salerno on Uncle beach.[28]
Formed on 20 July 1943 at Kabrit in Egypt around the dismounted men of 8th Royal Tank Regiment. The brick was sent to Palestine in August, around plans for capture of Rhodes in late 1943. This was cancelled and the Brick transferred to the UK in early 1944. By this time, 8th Royal Tank Regiment had left the Brick and been re-equipped with tanks; 18th Durham Light Infantry took their place.[29] For the Normandy landings, the Brick was in reserve for Gold.
Composition (Normandy)[30]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Army | Infantry | 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry |
| Royal Artillery | HQ 100th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment | |
| 305th Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery | ||
| 328th Light Anti Aircraft Battery | ||
| R.A.M.C. | Detachments | |
| R.A.O.C. | Detachments | |
| R.E.M.E. | Detachments | |
| R.A.S.C. | Detail Issue Depot | |
| Royal Engineers | 503rd Field Company | |
| Mechanised Equipment Company | ||
| Military Police | Provost Detachment | |
| Royal Air Force | 15th RAF Beach Flight (?) | |
Men of the Beach Groups and Bricks received the following awards during their service. This list is incomplete.
During the Salerno landings, the Distinguished Service Order was awarded to Wing Commander Rowland George O.B.E., and the Military Cross was awarded to Major Cameron (18th Durham Light Infantry) and Flight Lieutenant John Dobbin, who organised the beaches and cleared vehicle congestion while under fire.[29][31]
During the Normandy Landings, the following Beach Commandos of Nos 5 and 6 Beach Groups received Awards.[32]
| Award | Commando |
|---|---|
| Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) | Lt Cdr Edward F. Gueritz RN |
| Sub Lt James H Speed RNVR | |
| Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) | Sub Lt William Pittendrig RNVR |
| Sub Lt S.E. Willis RNVR | |
| Sub Lt P.D. Anderton RNVR | |
| Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) | AB Sidney Compston |
| AB William D Crook | |
| LS Albert Charles Davy | |
| AB Charles William Day | |
| AB Donald Emery | |
| LS Thomas William Gooding | |
| AB Thomas Hunt | |
| PO Frederick Raymond Smith | |
| PO George Colin Richards | |
| AB Edward George Saunders | |
| PO George Graham Tapley | |
| Croix de guerre | Sub Lt Richard H Dongar RNVR |
| AB Alan Watersworth |
Members of the Royal Navy beach signals sections won the following.[33]
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| DSC | Lt Robert Billington RNVR |
| DSM | Telegraphist Ronald Arthur Bateson |
| Coder Geoffrey Harris | |
| Telegraphist Harry Monks | |
| Telegraphist William George Quinn | |
| Telegraphist Abraham Acton Parr | |
| Telegraphist Kennet Eifon Penny | |
| Acting Telegraphist Edwin William Sutton | |
| Croix de Guerre | Coder Willian B Leggate |
On 8 June, a German fighter plane dropped a bomb on the petrol and ammunition depot on Sword, with the ensuing fire threatening to destroy large quantities of supplies. Men of 5 and 6 Beach Groups worked to save the supplies; seven of whom were awarded the George Medal.[34]
Two Australian beach groups were formed in June 1944, and saw action in the Borneo campaign in 1945.
Supported the 9th Division in the landings at Brunei and Labuan. It was commanded by Colonel C. J. Cummings.[35]
Composition [35]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Australian Navy | Beach Commando A | |
| Beach Commando C | ||
| 2nd Beach Signals Section | ||
| Army | Pioneers | 2/4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Medical | 1st A.A.M.C. Company | |
| 20th Malaria Control Unit | ||
| Ordnance | 2nd Ordnance Beach Detachment | |
| A.E.M.E. | 1st Beach Workshop | |
| A.A.S.C. | HQ 2/166th General Transport Company | |
| 2/47th Transport Platoon | ||
| 2/48th Transport Platoon | ||
| 2/166th Workshop Platoon | ||
| 2/240th Supply Depot Platoon | ||
| 57th B.I.P.O.D. | ||
| Engineers | 2/15th Field Company | |
| 1st Mechanical Equipment Platoon | ||
| 1st Engineer Stores Platoon | ||
| Provost | 15th Independent Brigade Group Provost Platoon | |
| Salvage | 3rd Armoured Division Salvage Unit | |
Supported the 9th Division in the Battle of Tarakan and the 7th Division in the Battle of Balikpapan. It was commanded by Colonel C. R. Hodgson.[35]
Composition [35]
| Service | Arm of Service (Army only) |
Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Australian Navy | Beach Commando B | |
| Beach Commando D | ||
| 1st Beach Signals Section | ||
| Army | Pioneers | 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion |
| Medical | 2nd A.A.M.C. Company | |
| 23rd Malaria Control Unit | ||
| Ordnance | 1st Ordnance Beach Detachment | |
| A.E.M.E. | 2nd Beach Workshop | |
| A.A.S.C. | HQ 2/108th General Transport Company | |
| 2/45th Transport Platoon | ||
| 2/46th Transport Platoon | ||
| 2/108th Workshop Platoon | ||
| 2/235th Supply Depot Platoon | ||
| 58th B.I.P.O.D. | ||
| Engineers | 2/11th Field Company | |
| 2nd Mechanical Equipment Platoon | ||
| 2nd Engineer Stores Platoon | ||
| Provost | 17th Independent Brigade Group Provost Platoon | |
| Salvage | 1st Armoured Division Salvage Unit | |
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