Historic unit name revival gives CLR a refresh

A unit name linked to World War Two Commando exploits and gallant actions on D-Day has been revived.

The Commando Logistic Regiment (CLR) is now 48 Commando Support Group Royal Marines. Rising like a phoenix from the flames, the change restores a title that honours the heroes of the past while reflecting the modern UK Commando Force.

With the old name goes 54 years of vital sustainment work – including the Falklands Conflict, two campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous other operations worldwide.

There has also been many a time where sweeping things for a seventeenth time and polishing the grass has been the focus.

What remains is the unit’s specialist expertise in agile, expeditionary logistics: keeping amphibious and land forces supplied from ship to shore, wherever the UK Commando Force needs them.

The new designation brings the unit into line with the naming convention used across the UK Commando Force (24, 29, 30, 40, 42, 43, 45, 47 and now 48 Commando, each with its own specialist role).

It also underlines that 48 Commando is far more than a logistics organisation – it is a fully integrated fighting component delivering on global operations, and they are now getting the gucci kit to play with during training cycles.

Still based at Chivenor in North Devon, the area ripe for the surfers and body boarders among the Corps, the unit continues to provide the essential capabilities that keep forces in the fight: delivering supplies to the front line; wheeled and tracked transport; combat and surgical medical care; critical refuelling; combat supplies including ammunition; drone operations; vehicle repair and recovery; and protected movement across the battlefield in armoured vehicles such as the Viking.

Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Jolyon Simpson said: “This name change marks the coming together of traditions: 48 Commando’s offensive actions on Juno Beach and the assault on German gun batteries at Walcheren in 1944, with CLR’s 54 years of sustainment operations across the Falklands War, two wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other global operations.

“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.”

Name changes are aplenty in the Corps. Some official, some not so (I'm remembering J Coy lads calling themselves J Commando after a certain Herrick).

They were back to J Coy in time, and while we're at it, we're almost out of J Coy flags.

Grab one here before they go: https://bootneckstuff.com/products/j-company-42-commando-flag?_pos=2&_psq=flag&_psid=bae6291e3&_ss=e