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Royal Marines commandos 'dominated' US troops and forced them into a humiliating surrender just days into a mass training exercise in the Mojave desert, it has been revealed today. British forces took part in a five-day mock battle at the US Marine Corps' Twentynine Palms base in southern California, one of the largest military training areas in the world, and achieved a decisive victory against their American counterparts. The Royal Marines, along with allied forces from Canada, the Netherlands and the UAE, destroyed or rendered inoperable nearly every US asset and finished the exercise holding more than 65 per cent...

The UK Independence Party launched its election manifesto on Wednesday, appealing to Conservative voters with pledges to raise defense spending and bring forward a vote on Britain’s EU membership. […] (Nigel) Farage vowed to spend “substantially” more than the NATO minimum of two percent of GDP on defense in a move that he said would “rattle the dwindling number of Conservative voters who still see (Prime Minister David) Cameron’s party as the party of security”. […] The anti-mass immigration party, which had two MPs at the end of the last parliament, also promised to cut small business taxes and boost...

A CROWD of 15,000 wellwishers cheer proud Royal Marines at a homecoming parade yesterday. They paid tribute to 700 men of 40 Commando who have completed THREE tours of Afghanistan. The unit has lost 18 out of the 61 Marines killed battling the Taliban. Heroes marched in Taunton, Somerset, then picked up medals from their captain general, the Duke of Edinburgh. Sue Cherry, welcoming home son Sam, 19, said: “We’re here to celebrate, but also to think of those who didn’t return.”

The last group of Royal Marines in Afghanistan is heading back to the UK after serving for more than a decade in the war-torn country, the Ministry of Defence has announced. Members of 40 Commando Royal Marines will return to their base in Taunton, Somerset. Its members were the first British troops to be deployed to the country in 2001, securing Bagram airfield and going on to patrol the streets of Kabul. Since then the Marines have served in successive deployments in Sangin, Nahr-e Saraj and Musa Qala in Helmand Province. Units from the 7,200-strong Royal Marine Corps have served...

Hundreds lend support to Royal Marines charged with murder Hundreds of people today came out in support of five Royal Marines charged with murder - by holding a protest march near their barracks. By Telegraph reporters 12:42PM GMT 28 Oct 2012 The crowd of around 300 waved ''Justice For The Five'' placards as they marched through Plymouth in Devon near the home of 3 Commando Brigade. They held their march to support five marines who have all been charged with the murder of an unknown Afghan national. The protest started at Devil's Point near the brigade's Stonehouse Barracks and travelled...

Reports indicate U.S. soldiers and British Royal Marines have been urged to show "courageous constraint" by not shooting Taliban members spotted planting IEDs. The reason? Shooting them might disturb the locals. This news comes out on the heels of an investigation into the death of Royal Marine Sergeant Peter Rayner, whom witnesses say watched the Taliban plant IEDs at night but was ordered not to engage them. Families of other soldiers and Royal Marines are telling stories of how their loved ones were not allowed to use mortars or night illumination when they came across Taliban members in an area...

The Royal Navy has captured 13 Somali pirates onboard a sail boat in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defence has said. A combined Nato-led counter-piracy force successfully intercepted the vessel which was known to be operating off the Somali coast. Both Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Victoria and United States Ship Carney manoevered into position around the dhow and encouraged her to comply with the British and American forces. After the boat refused to cooperate, a Royal Navy helicopter with Royal Marine maritime snipers was deployed to provide various clear warnings to the suspects to stop. The boat refused to...

PIRATES were arrested in the Seychelles – thanks to the Royal Marines. It happened after a Spanish trawler sent out a mayday call saying they were being attacked by a gang of seven. The marines, who were on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Fort Victoria, flew in a ­helicopter to the ­fishermen’s aid. They fired warning shots at the Somali pirates, who were arrested. Lieutenant Alastair Thompson said: “The operation was superbly ­co-ordinated.” On Monday the supply ship, patrolling about 420 nautical miles from the Seychelles, received information that a Spanish fishing vessel had come under attack from a group of...

FULL TITLE: Mark was so badly injured by a Taliban bomb he begged his mate to shoot him. Now he can't wait for his new baby He may be missing three of his limbs, but Mark Ormrod considers himself a lucky man: lucky he is alive, lucky to have a loving wife who’s seven months pregnant and lucky to have the support of ‘the best extended family you could want’ — the Royal Marines. Having met this extraordinary 27-year-old, there’s no doubt that Mark has made a fair bit of his own luck, too, since a hidden Taliban bomb left...

A Royal Marine was killed by an explosion today in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The Marine, from UK Landing Force Command Support Group, operating as part of 45 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in the Kajaki area, a spokesperson confirmed. Next of kin have been informed. The Marine was taking part in a routine patrol when the explosion occurred, the spokesperson said. “He received immediate medical attention at the scene but sadly died of his wounds.”

EXCLUSIVE Brits fight off deadly pirates                      By DAVID WILLETTS Published: Today       A TEAM of hero Brits battled back deadly pirates four times in 24 hours armed only with Molotov cocktails and flare guns, The Sun can reveal. The three-man ex-military security team were hired to protect cargo ship S. Venus in the pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden off the Africa coast. On four separate occasions between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Somali pirates – armed with AK-47s and rocket propelled grenades (RPG) – tried...

A month-long operation by British, Afghan and coalition forces saw fierce close-quarter combat. WHEN Lance-Corporal Ben Whatley was killed on Christmas Eve, he was leading his Royal Marines from the front as they fought close up with the Taliban. His family in Norfolk had put Christmas festivities on hold, expecting him home in early January. It has now emerged that the clash in which Whatley died – a helicopter-borne assault on the village of Chah-e Anjir — was the climax of a month-long operation in Helmand province involving 1,500 British, Afghan and coalition troops. The offensive, described in detail this...

A Royal Marine was killed in southern Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, the Ministry of Defence said today. The serviceman, from 42 Commando, died from enemy fire while on a mission in the Nad-e-Ali district near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province. Commander Paula Rowe, the Task Force Helmand spokeswoman, said: “The death of this Royal Marine is a tragic loss and coming so close to Christmas, this is particularly poignant. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this dreadfully sad time.” Next of kin have been informed.

Midnight in the middle of enemy territory in Afghanistan. Today we have repatriated four Royal Marines and one commando-trained Royal Artillery officer – all killed in action – to their loved ones. The best eulogies always come from the lads themselves and they are not always repeatable in polite conversation. But today’s were awesome. Some had known the dead men since they were boys, and the humour was rich and the respect profound.Sadly, while we were praying for their souls, another of our task force, a rifleman, was killed.  As I write, we are sitting in the back of...

Gordon Brown paid tribute to four Royal Marines killed in Afghanistan on a visit to their comrades on the frontline today. The Prime Minister’s surprise visit came the day after the soldiers died in the southern province of Helmand with three killed by a 13-year-old suicide bomber and the fourth in an unrelated attack. He praised the soldier’s work in fighting a “chain of terror” stretching from the mountains of Afghanistan to the streets of Britain after flying into the frontline town of Musa Qala, which was recaptured from the Taliban last year. Mr Brown again expressed his sympathy to...

A hero Royal Marine saved 130 soldiers from certain death when he rugby tackled a suicide attacker before he could detonate a huge motorcycle bomb.The 40-year-old Marine saw the Afghan insurgent reaching for a yellow detonator button on the bike and leapt into action to drag him away.He foiled a cunningly planned attack in which the same motorcycle had been checked by the same troops just hours earlier when its panniers had been packed with potatoes instead of explosives.The suicide bomb contained 70 kilograms of explosives and was so huge it would have destroyed everything within 180 metres and left...

A hero Royal Marine saved 130 soldiers from certain death when he rugby tackled a suicide attacker before he could detonate a huge motorcycle bomb. The 40-year-old Marine saw the Afghan insurgent reaching for a yellow detonator button on the bike and leapt into action to drag him away.He foiled a cunningly planned attack in which the same motorcycle had been checked by the same troops just hours earlier when its panniers had been packed with potatoes instead of explosives.The suicide bomb contained 70 kilograms of explosives and was so huge it would have destroyed everything within 180 metres...

A Royal Marine who threw himself on to an exploding grenade to save the lives of his comrades is to receive the George Cross. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher stepped on a trip-wire which triggered the device during a night raid on a Taliban compound in Afghanistan. Realising that three other members of his patrol would be killed if he did not act, he launched himself forward to smother the explosion, managing to twist on to his back to let his rucksack take the full force of the blast. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher with his shredded rucksack. Having stepped on a...

L/Cpl Matthew Croucher will become part of a select of group of just 20 living George Cross holders when the Queen awards him the medal, which is given for acts showing the same level of heroism as the Victoria Cross. The Marine had less than seven seconds to make up his mind on whether to risk sacrificing his own life to save his friends when the hand grenade rolled onto the ground during an operation in Afghanistan earlier this year. Without hesitating he chose to chance death and save his three fellow Royal Marines. '

Pure hell of the siege of Musa Qala A little-reported battle against the Taliban in which seven of our (Poster's note: "our" means British, the Royal Irish Brigade troops) troops died has been revealed as one of the fiercest and most heroic of the Afghan campaign. Lieutenant-Colonel DJ Reynolds Musa Qala, a besieged outpost deep in Taliban territory, holds a special place in the battle records of the Pathfinder platoon of 16 Air Assault Brigade – and of the Irishmen, Danes and other soldiers who braved face-to-face fighting to relieve them. When a column at last got through to Musa...