Commando

Commando (Afrik., kommando), a soldier trained for specialized hit-and-run operations, originally a small special military unit of the South African Boers, used in raids and assaults first against African tribes and later in the South African War (Boer War) against the British. These units got their name because they were “commandeered” by law from among eligible citizens. In World War II the term was applied, originally by Winston Churchill, first popularly and later officially, to specially trained troops of the British army, composed of volunteers from all branches of the service. Their duties included reconnaissance work, hit-and-run raids to destroy enemy installations, and sabotage. Famous World War II operations include raids on St Nazaire and Dieppe by British and Canadian commandos. The World War II equivalent of the British commandos in the United States Army were the Rangers (see Special Forces). After World War II both the British and US commando forces were disbanded, although the British Royal Marine Commandos saw action in the Korean War and during the 1956 Suez crisis. During the Arab-Israeli conflict, commando raids were common.