The Middle East Commandos

Raised in the late summer of 1940 in Egypt, Nos 50, 51 and 52 Middle East commandos played an important role in the war in the Middle East. Accounts of campaigns waged in Eritrea, Abyssinia, the Dodecanese Islands and Crete have been drawn from the memoirs of surviving members of these commando units. Colonel George Young was the commander of No 50 and later No 52 commando units. Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Rose was second in command of the No 50 Commando unit and then of the amalgamated 50/52 unit. Charles Messenger is also the author of "The Commandos 1940-1946".