History
The 1st Commando Regiment is a part of the Australian Special Forces. The term Commando is derived from the South African/Dutch word used by the Boers identifying their irregular sized raiding forces employed against the British during the South African Wars. The term commando was adapted by newly formed British raiding forces during the Second World War, and the name was subsequently used by Australian units raised to fight in the Pacific. These centered around the Independent Companies and M Special Unit and Z Special Unit.
Through a decision promulgated by the Military Board on 16 September 1954 it was decided to raise two Citizen Military Forces (CMF, now Army Reserve) Commando Companies. One company would be raised in Sydney (Eastern Command) and the other in Melbourne (Southern Command). The established strength of the new Commando Companies was to be 265 all ranks, comprising one major (OC), five captains (three of them platoon commanders), six sergeants and 241 other ranks. This establishment was very similar to the Independent Companies of World War 2.
2 Commando Company was raised in Vic on 24 February 1955. 1 Commando Company was raised in NSW and first paraded at "Q" Block, Victoria Barracks, Sydney on the evening of Friday 15 July 1955. Both functioned independently of each other until the formation of the 1st Commando Regiment on 1 February 1981. At the same time 126 Signal Squadron (Special Forces) was also brought under command of 1st Commando Regiment until, in 1999, they were transferred to 4RAR (Cdo), 301 Signal Squadron was re-raised to provide communications support to the 1st Commando Regiment.
All Australian commandos wear the Sherwood green beret adopted from the British Commandos. It was first used by the Companies in 1956 and later continued under 1 Commando Regiment. Prior to 1956, the unit wore the traditional Australian Rising Sun Badge. It was then decided to have a competition in which both 1 and 2 Company members could enter for a new design. The Officer Commanding 2 Company decided on a design by Warrant Officer Ronald Nordhoff, a dagger and boomerang, with the motto "Strike Swiftly".
In 2008 the regiment's operational commitment took a step further with the deployment of a Commando Company Group (CCG) as part of the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan over the winter period. This constituted the first deployment of an Army Reserve force element since the Second World War and the Regiment has continued to support this operational commitment with similar deployments each year since. The unit suffered its first fatality in 2009, with Private Gregory Sher killed by a rocket attack in Uruzgan province, on 4 January.
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