Commando Logistic Regiment honours past and embraces future with historic name change
A historic name synonymous with the Commando exploits of the Second World War and the courage displayed on D-Day has been revived as the Commando Logistics Regiment (CLR) takes on a new name.
The unit will now be known as 48 Commando Support Group Royal Marines, a change celebrating the heroes of the past while embracing the new modern era of operations by the Royal Marines.
Approved by His Majesty the King, the name change aligns the unit with the naming conventions used throughout the UK Commando Force, a designation that itself was reintroduced only recently.
Comprising 24, 29, 30, 40, 42, 43, 45, 47 and now 48 Commando, the Royal Navy say it is reinforcing its position not only as a logistics regiment, but as a fully functioning fighting component.
Short but highly active history
Commanding Officer of 48 Commando, Lieutenant Colonel Jolyon Simpson explained the name changes marks "the coming together of traditions".
"48 Commando's offensive actions on Juno Beach and the assault on German gun batteries in Walcheren in 1944 with CLR's 54 years of sustainment operations across the Falklands War, two wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other global operations," he said.
"The combination reflects the reality of contemporary warfare – that there is no distinction in combat between fighting units and those that sustain them. The marines, soldiers, and sailors of 48 Commando must stay in the fight to keep others in the fight."
The new 48 Commando, based at Chivenor in North Devon, will continue to fulfil its role of sustaining commando operations on the front line.
Its personnel provide a range of capabilities, from transportation, combat and surgical medical care, refuelling, drone operations and the delivery of combat supplies such as ammunition.
The unit also provides protected mobility across the battlefield, operating Vikings and other armoured vehicles.
Honouring the past
48 Commando – known then as No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando – was raised in 1944, and was the last of the commando units of the Second World War era.
A little under three months later, the unit landed alongside Canadian forces on Juno Beach during the D-Day landings.
In November 1944, No. 48 Commando played a pivotal role in the liberation of Walcheren in the Netherlands during Operation Infatuate, helping to secure the island and clear the Scheldt Estuary, which opened the approaches to the vital Allied supply port of Antwerp.
As the unit was specifically formed as a temporary, specialised amphibious assault formation for the Second World War, it was subsequently disbanded in 1946.
More than just a name
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Commandant General Royal Marines, said: "For more than half a century, the Commando Logistic Regiment has sustained major operations including in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Its new name, 48 Commando, is a continuation of that proud record, while also honouring the legacy of those who fought to liberate Europe during the Second World War."
However, it is far more than a new name, he added.
"It is a recognition of new ways of operating, being more dispersed on the battlefield, with greater resilience, and acting more independently to better serve the modern Commando Force.
"The title 48 Commando is a clear acknowledgement of that transformation," he said.
The name change becomes fully official from 1 August, 2026.
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