"Commando"

The name of the "Commandos " struck fear into the soldiers of the Axis powers during World War II and their successors are fighting in Afghanistan today.
When they were formed in 1940.Britain had her back to the wall, Europe had been over run by the Nazi infestation and Churchill the British Prime Minister formed an elite force to strike back into occupied Europe and the later the Far East .

The training was the toughest possible and the guys had to pass all the sections or they had to go back to their units. The memorial is at Spean Bridge and the wild country round about was their training ground. They often went on op's knowing they would not return. So feared were they that Hitler ordered that any commandos caught were to be shot out of hand .They only one who refused to do this was Erwin Rommel who knew courage when he saw it and knew good soldiers when he met them .
Their motto was "United we Conquer" and they built up strong bonds of support and friendship.All the Commandos I have met have been tough,stalky characters who looked as though they could do serious damage with the 'Sykes -Fairbairn' knife.

My character RSM Angus McTurk (from my book The Scent of Time and soon to be published sequel The Scent of Home ) is based on aCommando .

There they stand and it is good that we have memorials to courage not just to remember those who died in World War II but those of the British and United States forces who have paid the supreme price so that we can be free Freedom both internal and external is very costly, these guys stand at Spean Bridge to remind us of that .