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The Commandos were formed during the second world war in June 1940, following a request from the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe

Initially drawn from within the British Army from soldiers who volunteered for the Special Service Brigade, the Commandos' ranks would eventually be filled by members of all branches of the British Armed Forces, and a number of foreign volunteers from German-occupied countries. By the end of the war 25,000 men had passed through the Commando course at Achnacarry. This total includes not only the British volunteers, but volunteers from Greece, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and the United States Army Rangers, which were modelled on the Commandos.

Reaching a wartime strength of over 30 units and four assault brigades, the Commandos served in all theatres of war from the Arctic circle to Europe and from the Mediterranean and Middle East to South-East Asia. Their operations ranged from small groups of men landing from the sea or by parachute, to a brigade of assault troops spearheading the Allied invasions of Europe and Asia.

This year in June sees the 80th Anniversary of the British Commandos formation of which I have personally served in for 26 years. 

Commandos are trained to the highest of standards, meeting the toughest requirements and are still considered one of the most elite fighting forces on the planet. 

It is that ethos I will be displaying during this commemorative run on Sunday 14th June. Running 80 miles in one go is by no means an easy feat but it will also be done on an Iconic Royal Marine training ground, Dartmoor. This means I am not shying away from an undulating and tough course with over 7000 ft of climbing to be done. 

RMA-The Royal Marines Charity depends on the public’s goodwill and generosity to fund our work, but the COVID-19 crisis has devastated our fundraising capability, as we have had to cancel all our major events. The result of this is that we face a potential deficit of almost £2.5M this year.  This total shutdown for the foreseeable future, alongside the downturn in trust grants, private and corporate donations and investment income all threaten our continued ability to deliver our support. This comes at the very time that we face increasing demand on our services. We have cut costs and furloughed staff, but without new fundraising we only have enough unrestricted funds to last until May 2021.

Our priority now in the Charity is to continue to provide support to the vulnerable members of our community, those suffering from the economic and social impacts of Coronavirus and particularly those who may have even greater troubles due to the social distancing measures now imposed.  We are confident that we are alleviating pressure on the NHS and government as we meet needs from those battling isolation in old age, mental ill-health and addiction, medical discharge, unemployment and poverty. We know from the Government-approved impact measures we use that we can turn every £1 donated into £3 of value delivered, so every little helps.

Jonathan Ball - CEO Royal Marines Charity