Most Effective Commando Recce Unit Ever Deployed?

Рет қаралды 21,898

Күн бұрын

Could they be the most effective commando recce force ever deployed? This video explores the remarkable story of the Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre, the Royal Marines' specialized reconnaissance unit who played a pivotal role in the Falklands War of 1982. Discover their extraordinary skills, their daring missions, and the impact they had on securing victory.
Good quality hand-edited subtitles available
Sources & Acknowledgements. Those who want to know more about the M&AWc see these great links!
BBC Documentary 1985 - Behind Enemy Lines
• Royal Marines: Behind ...
Book - Mountain Commandos at War in the Falklands by Rod Boswell
amzn.eu/d/9yW5zZ9
Podcasts - The Unconventional Soldier S3 #046 The Royal Marines M&AWc with Nige Devenish
• S3 #046 The Royal Mari...
(other excellent podcasts about this subject available on their channel)
Thanks Bootnecks Jerry Can (Quora) and Stephen Maguire for your invaluable input.
#falklandswar #royalmarines #royalmarinecommando #reconaissance #commando #coldweatherwarfare #mountainwarfare #Topmalohouse #mountkent #recce #reccepatrols #militaryhistory #britishmilitary #britishmilitaryhistory
0:00 - Previews
0:29 - Falklands
1:03 - Mountain & Arctic Warfare cadre
2:04 - M&AWc Deployed
3:53 - It Takes A Thief To Catch A Thief
4:27 - Deliberate Action
7:52 - Second Phase
8:51 - Goat Ridge Recce
10:27 - Praise From Headshed
11:20 - Mountain Leaders vs UKSF
12:05 - Capitalising on Success
12:45 - BBC Documentary
13:54 - Shout Outs

Пікірлер: 78

@marklawrence7791 15 күн бұрын

Some legendary moustaches there😂 Good effort. Well done ML's.

@HardRoutineFSVB 15 күн бұрын

I think they were mandatory in the RMs in that period 😂 Absolutely cracking look.

@grahambarber2766 14 күн бұрын

Whisky Coy RNLMC had some legendary Walrus 'taches I seem to recall!!

@amazingmaccheese 3 күн бұрын

We all thought we were 70's porn stars. 😄

@chrissheppard5068 13 күн бұрын

I was 1 troop 1 Section K coy I was on that fighting patrol/probing patrol/2 section battalion attack. It was not harassing fire we were in their forwards trenches and had a 2 and a half hour battle, we had recently dropped the MLs off on Goats Ridge. Much Artillery fire from both sides but ours in predominance because we were so close to them. They bit real good and opened up from all their locations giving away their fire positions. We left a number of dead all theirs and we broke contact shouting run away run away and laughing out bolloxs off. We had 1 x sprained ankle we were so lucky. I met Stevie Groves in the Eagle a few months later and he told me he thought we had been massacred there was so much fire. The initial Argentine registered target blew up the base of the hill and it looked like the napalm strike in Apocalypse Now. Thank fck we were not there. It was a good crack. My section cdr would later win an MM a few days later. The attack on Mt.Harriet was the most successful of the war.

@HardRoutineFSVB 13 күн бұрын

It's an honour to have you in the comments Sir! Yes that bit of the clip is a bit jumbled. Thanks for this background info!

@stephenrobinson1007 10 күн бұрын

Are you the legend Shep who took my All arms course a few years later ?? Speed marching with you was an experience!😂

@stesco71 14 күн бұрын

One of the Troop NCOs who took me through training in 1971/72 was Taff Doyle who was one of those wounded on the assault at Top Malo House, a great guy & true professional !.

@chrissheppard5068 13 күн бұрын

Terry Doyle was my Tp Sgt in 1980. Yes, top bloke and a gent to boot. he must have went ML after he took you thru training he reverted back to the PW world after 82 because of his wounds which would have prevented his climbing ability. Magazine in his smock prevent worse damage. I did hear a few dits about the AR15s not putting the Argies down quick enough.

@stesco71 13 күн бұрын

@@chrissheppard5068 Often wondered if he managed to continue in the Corp after his wounds, so glad to hear he did, must be in his eighties now I reckon !.

@jamesmccrindle8633 14 күн бұрын

The difference I believe is ML staff having the ability to assist a already basic rope trained Royals up the mountain and still fight. They will set the course to be followed.Similar I suppose to pathfinders in airborne ops.

@davidharris4062 12 күн бұрын

Available on the BBC iPlayer is the series‘Behind the Lines’ a 7 part documentary on the Artic&Mountain Warfare Cadre, one of the instructors in the series was Mac McLean, he was at Top Malo, you mentioned it at the end

@TheRst2001 15 күн бұрын

Good research , thoroughly enjoyable 👍🙂

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

Thank you, much appreciated!

@atae7185 13 күн бұрын

There a a lot of MLs that go on to be SBS and they all say that ML training is by far a harder course than SF training.

@HardRoutineFSVB 13 күн бұрын

SBS' Pasha Munro said it in so many words on a recent podcast with Phil Campion. But I've not been anywhere near that level of training so I thought it best to stay out of that discussion 😄

@WyeExplorer 14 күн бұрын

Full on - these guys are the real deal. Enjoyed your story telling and insight into the unit. My father was 22 here in Hereford - no doubt he'd doff his hat to these chaps. Good going. Mark

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

Thanks mate, appreciate your comment!

@WyeExplorer 14 күн бұрын

@@HardRoutineFSVB A pleasure. Take care.

@nomadmarauder-dw9re 8 күн бұрын

What color is the boathouse?@@WyeExplorer

@WyeExplorer 8 күн бұрын

@@nomadmarauder-dw9re What are you on about? I never said I was in the regiment - that was my father. Just google Terry Jickells d..k head. I know a bit more about this world than you.

@WyeExplorer 8 күн бұрын

@@nomadmarauder-dw9re I know what you're driving at. I never said I was in the regiment d..k head - that was my father. Just google Terry Jickells SAS. I know a lot more about this world than you.

@garyfleming4501 14 күн бұрын

I knew Gordon Thompson from Glasgow who was part of that Unit. Still as tough outside than what he was in the Unit. RIP.

@MarkARhodie 11 күн бұрын

ML Mountain Leader, used to be known as CL Cliff Leader.

@karlv2876 14 күн бұрын

I don't know if it's changed these days , but a bone of discontent was they weren't classed as S F and subsequently Didn't receive the higher pay . A good bunch of blokes with quite a few characters too .Especially at 45.

@chrissheppard5068 13 күн бұрын

They did get SF pay.

@JammyDodger45 13 күн бұрын

Not quite right Shep, MLs get Recruitment Retention Pay ML and Para Pay. But not SF pay.

@CoffeeFiend1 12 күн бұрын

A lot of units in the world are for all intents and purposes SF but aren't technically defined as such on paper. It always ruffles a lot of feathers but hey ho 🙃

@HardRoutineFSVB 11 күн бұрын

Dutch Marines who pass ML2 course are immediately admitted into NLMARSOF (Dutch Maritime SF) where they comprise C sqn.

@CoffeeFiend1 11 күн бұрын

@@HardRoutineFSVB This reminds me actually. I can't remember exactly what I heard as it was about 20 years ago now, televised I think somewhere, that basically said the Aussie commandos were also defined as SF in Australia. I've asked and looked about here and there a few times but not really been clear. One thing that muddles these things a lot these days is that the Americans often unofficially refer to certain units/groups in other nations as 'special operations' even when those nations don't define them as SF or use the term special operations. It's like most of us say SF, the Americans say SOF to be different but they also have their bloody Green Berets that are SF but everything else is SOF and some parts of the world have been slowly adopting the SOF terminology but it doesn't always equate with what the Americans use it for 😆what a headache.

@Korporaal1 14 күн бұрын

QPO magazine in the background, nice nod to the Dutch Corps! Edited to add: 13:28 'kinell! I thought the Cloggies and Royals got along... That Big Jan is getting chinned with a rifle butt 😧‼

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

Ja ik ben trouwe abbonnee van QPO. Tien jaar in Rotterdam / Kralingen gewoond ook! All the figures in white are ML2 candidates after a 200 mile patrol. The figures in Black are OPFOR and the candidates have to demonstrate their ability to resist capture. So it’s not Cloggies vs Royals. Having said that I don’t think Health & Safety Directive would still allow the rifle butts! Hard as nails those guys in their era.

@Stu1664RM 14 күн бұрын

We do. I worked a lot with Whisky Coy. Good blokes. All about 9 foot tall! The only bad thing is their breakfast. Cheese, bread, chocolate sprinkles….. not a full English to be had!! Tough guys, good sense of humour.

@Korporaal1 14 күн бұрын

@@HardRoutineFSVB Ik meende al een Hollands accent te horen. Maar is je Engels nou goed voor een Hollander, of is je Nederlands (erg) goed voor een Brit? Anyhoo, gaaf kanaal, maat!

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

@@Korporaal1 geboren en getogen Nederlander in 2003 naar Engeland verhuisd voor werk toen getrouwd en blijven hangen. Dank je stay tuned!

@vmax42dave 14 күн бұрын

Shout out to my close friend Steve Groves RIP ✝

@amazingmaccheese 3 күн бұрын

As above, worked with Steve in 42Cdo. We were also in the Cambrian March team together for two years on the trot.

@StephenButlerOne 10 күн бұрын

ML 2 and 3 are proper hardcore. S lit of thrm go sb, but in my eyes, and many others, thry are sll but SF, but without the badge. Had a CSM that was ML3 and was a great guy, barny banicle. Also one of my training team was reccie troop, hard as nails, funny as fuck. This twas late 90s, he only retired about 17 he had an out a 30 year run. I'm sure he had not long come back from Ireland where he spent months with 14 int. Sat weeks sat in holes and barns just watching.

@cm-pr2ys 9 күн бұрын

What's the difference between ML 1, ML 2, and ML 3?

@HardRoutineFSVB 8 күн бұрын

3 was created at the initiative of Rod Boswell after the Falklands and is the entry-level 9 week course open to all ranks after passing ML initial selection. To be considered for ML2 the candidate must of course have excelled at level 3 and minimum Corporal rank and passed Junior Commander course. After a minimum of 2 years in ML2 level and after passing senior commander course the ML can be considered for ML1 course for senior ranks in the MLs. ML1 is focused on leadership and continuation and obtaining extremely high skill levels. While severe not as much as a shock as ML2 which has the steeper learning curve and higher attrition rate. This 3,2,1 system is used across specialisation courses in the Royal Marines. But I'm not expert so happy to stand corrected on any of this.

@StephenButlerOne 7 күн бұрын

@@HardRoutineFSVB I must have got them mixed up, it's been a while.

@DJRAJEE 11 күн бұрын

Good video

@HardRoutineFSVB 11 күн бұрын

Thanks buddy!

@IO-zg8md 12 күн бұрын

RLC Chef's course is the hardest course - no-one's ever passed it!

@HardRoutineFSVB 12 күн бұрын

😂

@OldNavajoTricks 13 күн бұрын

A couple of two word phrases you never want to hear from a distance, Brew on? Ayo Ghorkali! and, Fix bayonets... 😂🤘

@HardRoutineFSVB 11 күн бұрын

😂

@DocumentaryDetectiveIV 14 күн бұрын

What’s the difference between Mountain Leaders and Recce/patrol Troop?

@cantfindmykeys8104 14 күн бұрын

9 months training to get Mountain leader qualified .Recce troop selected from unit on merit and skill set similar to any infantry unit in the British Army.

@DocumentaryDetectiveIV 14 күн бұрын

@@cantfindmykeys8104 Right, so there is a distinction between them? I thought Recon Operator/patrolman was its own specialization with the RMs and they serve both in unit recce platoons aswell as the BRF. That doco "Behind the lines" stated that the MAWC had changed their role from one of primarily mountain warfare to almost enirely reconnaissance.

@Tango27800 14 күн бұрын

Recce Tp, has a lot more make up and hair gel than the ML's

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

@@DocumentaryDetectiveIV it is complex and I'm no expert but from what I've understood Rod Boswell pushed for the introduction of an ML3 qualification (basic ML course of 9 weeks or so) which all recce marines will have completed as a minimum. Every Battalion level recce troop will have two ML2 qualified Marines as well. And at least two Advanced Sniper qualified marines. To get promoted into Brigade Patrol Troop (serving the entire Brigade so effectively the role M&AWc had in Falklands) you have to be either ML2 or Advanced Sniper qualified. And some are ML1 (ML Senior Commanders) or both. So those who qualify ML2 either serve at Battalion level or BPT or (to complicate matters further) nowadays in the new SRS. All this was too much detail for this video 😅

@HardRoutineFSVB 14 күн бұрын

And that's not even touching on the fact that all Norway training and ML course training is conducted by ML2 and ML1s. I'm still not clear whether these instructor roles are temporary assignments while the Marine retains a position in a Recce Troop, BPT or SRS or permanent roles. I'm guessing it's pretty fluid.