Special Operations.Com
Royal
Marines
Mountain
Leader
(Mountain
Brigade Leader Training Cadre and Brigade Patrol Group)
Operating in small groups, these men
are experts in long-range patrolling and reconnaissance
in mountainous country (snow covered or not). They
are also very active in training other Royal Marines
to acquire these skills.
MOUNTAIN
LEADER TRAINING CADRE & BRIGADE PATROL GROUP
Unit Profile courtesy Mr. Ryan
Wulfsohn
Unit Profile
History
Training
Recce Troop
Unit Profile
Primary role:
instruction in mountain and arctic warfare
Secondary
role: long range reconnaissance patrolling for 3 Commando
Brigade
Location:
Stonehouse Barracks, Plymouth, Devon, UK
The Mountain
Leader Training Cadre (MLTC) is the Royal Marines
unit with the responsibility for maintaining the corps'
expertise in mountain and arctic warfare. Though it
is primarily a group of instructors, in wartime it
would provide additional recce patrols for 3rd
Commando Brigade, together with the full-time Reconnaissance
Troop forming the Brigade Patrol Group.
History
The MLTC originated
in the early 1950s as the Cliff Assault Wing. As the
name suggests, the main mission in those days was
to get troops and equipment up coastal cliffs. However
Cliff Leaders, as the members were known, also carried
out exercises to improve their own climbing, originally
in Wales and Scotland, but later also in Austria,
Norway, Canada and the Alps. In 1962 the wing was
renamed the Cliff Assault Troop, by which time it
had begun training in general winter warfare techniques.
Thus the CLs were called upon to prepare the men of
No.43 Commando for the first Norwegian exercise carried
out by the Royal Marines in October 1962. Several
years later it was decided to increase the troop's
expertise by putting all members through a reconnaissance
course run by the Platoon Weapons Branch at the Commando
Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone.
This was done in 1965 and the unit now became known
as the Reconnaissance Leader Troop.
In 1970 the
RL Troop became the Mountain & Arctic Warfare
Cadre and moved to its present location at Stonehouse
Barracks, Plymouth. The following year 3 Commando
Brigade returned to the UK after several years in
the Far East. The brigade's main mission now was to
be on NATO's northern flank and annual exercises were
to be conducted in Norway. These were (and are) usually
in the winter and in the far north of the country.
The M&AW Cadre had a big role to play in preparing
the four Commandos for these exercises and Mountain
Leaders were attached to all units in the brigade.
(43 Commando had already been disbanded and 41 Commando
was to follow in 1981.) Soon 3 Commando Brigade was
among the world's leading exponents of cold weather
warfare, thanks mainly to a small group of specialists
who had been developing the necessary expertise for
many years.
The Cadre
was also given the wartime role of long range foot
and ski reconnaissance for the brigade. In the Falklands
War of 1982 the twenty members of the Cadre and twenty
men undergoing training as MLs accompanied 3 Commando
Brigade " down south ". Their war began
immediately after the landings of 21 May. Four-man
patrols were inserted all over the brigade's area
of operations, in some cases relieving patrols of
the SAS and SBS, and also mounting operations in cooperation
with the latter. On 31 May a patrol spotted Argentine
commandos (Buzo Tactico) landing by helicopter near
Top Malo House, in the far north of East Falkland
and just south of the proposed British route to Port
Stanley. A request for an air strike on the Argentinians
now setting up base in the house was denied; instead
nineteen more MLs under their commander, Captain Rod
Boswell, were flown in an hour after dawn. After landing
one group opened fire on the Argentines with 66mm
rockets and light machine guns, setting the house
on fire, while the others began the assault on the
enemy. In the subsequent 40 minute battle four MLs
were wounded; of the 17 Buzo Tactico, 8 were killed
and 9 captured.
The M&AW
Cadre operated in the mountains of northern Iraq in
1991, during Operation Haven, the Allied effort to
bring aid to the Kurdish separatists then under heavy
attack from the Iraqis. MLs worked in cooperation
with US Army Special Forces and also the other elements
of 3 Commando Brigade in the area. In 1992 it was
decided to set up a permanent brigade-level reconnaissance
unit. The Recce Troop was formed with the officer
and NCOs coming from the Cadre. It has since been
separated from the renamed Mountain Leader Training
Cadre.
Training
The Mountain
Leader Class 2 (ML2) course is open junior officers
of the Royal Marines and other ranks who have passed
their Junior Command Course i.e. have been promoted
to corporal or soon will be. All will have of course
passed the Commando tests in their initial period
of training (about 15 months for officers, half that
for other ranks), and
many will have gone on to gain other qualifications,
like sniping, anti-tanks or mortars. ML2 training
takes about eight months and is considered some of
the toughest in the British military. The course starts
in September and the first week is spent on the selection
phase, at Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth. Those who
are accepted go on to a couple of weeks of climbing
in Cornwall, especially on cliffs, and including free
climbing (without ropes) at night. Candidates often
spend 12 hours a day climbing at this stage. In October
the course moves to Wales, for practice in climbing
larger mountains. This month also sees the survival
course on the Isle of Islay, off the west coast of
Scotland, and the first period of resistance to interrogation
(RTI) training. In November the candidates begin to
combine mountain work with patrolling and raiding.
December sees more climbing and preparation for the
next phase in northern Norway. Shortly after Christmas
the course moves to the rugged and freezing terrain
of this area. Here the initial emphasis is on snow
and ice climbing techniques and Arctic survival and
navigation. Although all candidates would have gone
through Arctic Survival and Arctic Warfare training
during previous service in Norway, they are now also
learning how to instruct on these courses. Candidates
could now probably find themselves more often than
not 10 000 feet (3000m) up in the mountains, with
the temperature dropping to -40 F at night (including
wind chill factor ). In February it is time for long
distance skiing under the supervision of Norwegian Army instructors. All candidates
must qualify as Military Ski Instructors. Before the
final exercise in March they are given seven days
to prepare. The eleven-day exercise itself involves
the four-man patrols ski-marching and climbing up
to 40km a day, to carry out a close target reconnaissance
and attack and then exfiltration to friendly territory.
They will have covered about 300km by this time. All
are eventually " captured " and go through
the second RTI period. The course ends in April with
3 weeks of pathfinding on Ben Nevis, the highest mountain
in Scotland. The pass rate is sometimes as low as
20%. After qualifying most ML2s will return to duty
with a Commando, some will be attached to Army units
and a few might join the Recce Troop. Every sub-unit
in 3 Commando Brigade of company, battery or squadron
size has a Mountain Leader( usually a corporal ) attached,
who is responsible for mountain and arctic warfare
training. MLs are also highly sought after to provide
the leadership in each Commando's own Reconnaissance
Troop. NCOs may now wear the branch Specialist Qualification
badge, " ML " surrounded by a wreath. This
is worn on the left cuff of No.1 Dress (" blues")
and Lovat service dress (" greens "). RM
officers do not wear SQ badges.
Corporals
wishing to gain promotion to sergeant in the branch
must pass the ML1 course. Officers are not considered
to have time to attend this course. Prospective ML1s
must have passed the Senior Command Course at Lympstone.
They begin their training in September by instructing
the early part of the ML2 course. They also go to
Wales, to improve their own standards in climbing.
In November they are detached to Commando units for
assessment as instructors by qualified ML1s. This
continues the next month with preparation for 3 Commando
Brigade's annual Norwegian exercise. January and February
are spent in Norway itself, with the candidates training
the members of their units, especially those new to
the brigade, in arctic warfare and survival, and generally
assisting in the exercises. In March they join the
ML2 course for the final exercise, mainly as patrol
commanders. ML1 candidates continue on to Ben Nevis
for practice in route selection and navigation. On
completion of the course ML1s will
be able to wear two stars above the SQ badge.
Most become members of the permanent ML cadre.
Recce Troop
In 1992, during
a period of reorganization in 3 Commando Brigade,
it was decided that a permanent Medium Range Reconnaissance
Troop would be formed. Usually referred to as Recce
Troop, it was to form part of the Headquarters and
Signal Squadron. Initially there were four 6-man patrols,
each with an ML sergeant, two ML corporals and three
General Duties( GD ) Marines, i.e. men drawn from
a Commando. In command was an ML lieutenant. Today
there are six four-man patrols.
All members
have gone through the sniper course at Lympstone,
lasting six weeks, and a 3-week static line parachute
course at RAF Brize Norton. Those who have not yet
qualified as ML2s will have been trained by the Mountain
Leaders to Reconnaissance Leader (RL) standard.
Recce Troop
concentrates on training in the same disciplines as
the Cadre: in climbing and cliff assault, cold-weather
survival, long range patrolling on ski and foot, long
range communications, high altitude mountaineering,
snow and ice climbing, target and route reconnaissance,
primary interrogation and resistance to interrogation,
and sabotage. In addition many members will have gone
through the Army's Jungle Long Range Patrol Course,
run in Brunei. Some also train as specialists in desert
warfare, for the Royal Marines must be ready to deploy
almost anywhere in the world. Later members may go
through advanced training as divers and/or free-fall
(HALO) parachutists. During operations Recce Troop
patrols could operate on their own or in conjunction
with other elements of the Brigade Reconnaissance
Force (BRF) which includes Y Troop, the Royal Marines'
own electronic warfare sub-unit; the Recce Troop of
59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers,
four 4-man patrols who are all Commando and parachute
qualified; teams from 148 Commando Forward Observation
Battery Royal Artillery; and a squadron of twelve
Scimitar tracked reconnaissance vehicles, armed with
30mm cannon, and four Striker anti-tank vehicles,
with Swingfire missiles. This last element (recently
it was B Squadron of the Household Cavalry) is the
only non " Green Hatted" part of the brigade.
Recce Troop would generally operate at a longer range
than the Recce Troops in the three Commandos. While
the SBS still maintains the responsibility for beach
reconnaissance , Recce Troop will help with the Initial
Terminal Guidance for a large-scale landing. Besides
parachuting in, patrols could be transported by craft
from 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, including
air-cushion vehicles and Rigid Raiders.
Back
