British Commando Patch Royal Marines a Mountain Leaders Cadre

British Commando Patch Royal Marines Commando Mountain Leaders Cadre 1990s embroidered on twill merrowed edge 79mm three on one eighth inches diameter.  

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History

Royal Marines Commando Cliff Assault Wing formed in the early 1950s to train marines in rocky landings from various small craft rock climbing cliff assault techniques in Cornwall forming the final part of recruit training and specialist mountain and cold weather operations in the Cairngorms. Cliff Assault Wing was redesignated the Cliff Assault Troop in 1962 and then Reconnaissance Leader Troop in 1965 and began regular arctic training deployments to Norway.

Reconnaissance Leader Troop was redesignated Royal Marines Commando Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre in 1970 and located to Stonehouse Barracks Plymouth training 3 Commando Brigade for its Cold War role of protecting NATO’s northern flank in Artic and extreme cold weather environment. In the event of war M&AWC would be tasked with long range arctic reconnaissance Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition Reconnaissance ISTAR operations and lead mountain routes and cliff assaults for 3 Commando Brigade operating on foot and on skis.

Royal Marines Commando Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre reconfigured from training to a war footing following the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. M&AWC provided long range reconnaissance patrols for 3 Commando Brigade inserting 4 man recce patrols onto the Falkland Islands from 21 May 1982 and engaged with a team of 12 men a 12 man patrol of 1 Assault Section Argentine Special Forces from 602 Commando Company at Top Malo House on 31 May 1982 taking the Argentine surrender after the fierce firefight. A Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre patrol later played an important part in the capture of the important Argentine Marine stronghold of Sapper Hill crossing a frozen minefield in order to secure a landing zone for the helicopter-borne Welsh Guards and A and C Companies of 40 Commando.

The Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre featured in the 1985 BBC Television documentary series Behind the Lines. The series followed the progress of 25 prospective members of the cadre as they endure survival training on a Hebridean island and Arctic conditions in Norway

3 Commando Brigade formed its Brigade Reconnaissance Force BRF in 1992 to provide a permanent medium recce force with each patrol commanded by a Mountain Leader NCO. BRF was redesignated Brigade Patrol Troop and took over the operational reconnaissance role performed by the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre. The Brigade Patrol Troop is part of Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron 30 Commando IX Information Exploitation Group and in operations it forms part of Brigade Reconnaissance Force with Fire Support Teams from 29 Commando RA Engineers from Reconnaissance Troop, 24 Commando RE 2 Radio Reconnaissance Teams from Y Squadron 30 Commando IX and Shore Reconnaissance Team from 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines.

Mountain And Arctic Warfare Cadre was redesignated The Mountain Leader Training Cadre MLTC and retains a permanent staff of mountain and arctic warfare instructors to provide mountain warfare arctic warfare cold weather survival and operations instruction to new Mountain Leader recruits. Mountain Leader recruit training is carried out by Mountain Leader and Combat Intelligence Company based at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Lympstone and at various field locations.

This patch dates from 1990s.