With the Commandos: The drive into Hitler’s Reich November 1944-June 1945: Tells the story, which has been largely forgotten, following after D-Day, the Normandy landings and breakout, of the months of desperate fighting that remained to be done often against a fanatical foe.

   After the failure of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s Operation Market Garden it fell to the Commandos to take the heavily defended island of Walcheren and thus unlock the vital port of Antwerp to ease the desperate shortage of supplies to the Allied Armies. That was still coming from Normandy over hundreds of miles of roads to the front line. After which the Commandos were rushed to help fill the lines during the German Ardennes Offensive. Many of the older Commandos felt they were wasted in this infantry task and should have reverted back to their original raiding role, which the 4^th Commando Brigade did on the river Maas line until the end of the war in Europe.  Meanwhile the 1^st Commando Brigade were called upon to lead the advance across the rivers into the heart of Germany, using their specialist amphibious skills as assault troops, starting with the mighty Rhine, then on across the Weser, Aller, and Elbe with much hard fighting along the way.

   What they found in Germany often horrified and sickened even these usually cheerful battle hardened veterans, the Nazi slave and death camps. The specialist 30 AU would gain much vital equipment and intelligence for the Allies. While No 10 Inter Allied Commando would help track down Nazi war criminals.

   Of the Commando Units who battled across North Western Europe almost all had been disbanded by 1946, to this day only 45 Commando Royal Marines has been in continuous service since it was formed in World War II. 41 Commando Royal Marines was reformed for the Korean War disbanded again in 1952, reformed again in 1960 and would serve again until 1981 before being stood down again. 30 Commando was reformed in 2010 as 30 Commando Exploitation Group (30 Cdo IXG) so that name lives on.

Due to be published 28 February 2026 hardback 288 pages 16 illustrations RRP £25 offer price pre-order £22 post free for your signed edition.