British Commando WWII Patch Royal Marine Division Patch 1942

British Commando WWII Patch Royal Marine Division Patch 1942 economy embroidered on felt sized back 50mm by 40mm two inches by one and five eighth inches.  

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Neptunes trident upright in yellow on an inverted scarlet isosceles triangle with domed base.

On the outbreak of war in September 1939 a Marine infantry brigade of two battalions began to form at Bisley. They were deployed to Reykjavik Iceland at the beginning of May 1940. Two more battalions and a brigade HQ were formed and together with the recalled Reykjavik brigade and
with the addition of 8 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders the Marines were sent in August on the abortive expedition to Dakar. The force never landed and withdrew to Sierra Leone where it spent the winter of 1940-41. On return to the UK the two Brigades were formed into a Light Division and trained as a light striking force using the trident badge. They trained specifically for the attack on Madagascar scheduled for May 1942 but at the last minute were replaced by Army formations. Senior Marine officers thought that a purely land-based formation such as the Marine Division was unlikely to survive among the many Army formations and the decision was therefore taken to break up the Division and to find a different role for the Marine personnel.

The Royal Marines Division was broken up in 1943 to provide six new Commandos with the remaining personnel providing crews for landing
craft flotillas.  Following the June 1944 Normandy landings many of the Marine landing craft crews were withdrawn for landing craft training for the Far East. However the severe manpower shortage in 21 Army Group resulted in the Royal Marine crews being re-mustered as infantry forming
the 116 Infantry Brigade Royal Marines on 1 January 1945 and 117 Infantry Brigade Royal Marines on 15 January 1945 both organised as standard Army Brigades. 116 Brigade had three battalions 27 RM 28th RM and 30th RM a brigade defence platoon signals section and provost section of RM personnel and an army unarmoured Light Aid Detachment. 116 Brigade was ready first and went to Europe at the beginning of February 1945 where it saw action on the Maas under Canadian command and later took part in the advance across the Rhine and into North West Germany to the German naval ports. 28 Battalion distinguished itself in the fighting around Oldenburg. The Brigade with 33rd Battalion from 117 Brigade administered the surrender of large numbers of German naval units and personnel during the surrender period particularly in and around Kiel. They were withdrawn to the UK at the end of June 1945 taking on personnel from 117 Brigade RM 5 RM AA Bde and 33rd RM Bn during November 1945 as units were run down on demobilisation with 116 Brigade disbanding in January 1946. 

This patch dates from 1942.