Beginnings

• The Royal Marines were formed in 1664 to provide support for the ships in the Royal Fleet. Initially they numbered 1,200 men who were not only soldiers but also seamen.
  
  

Gibraltar and Imperial Policing

• In 1704, the Marines took part in the attack on the Rock of Gibraltar, while throughout the 18th and 19th century they participated in the British policy of Imperial Policing. They were the first to land in Australia in 1788, and they took part in the victory at Trafalgar in 1805.
  
  

Two World Wars

• In World War I the Marines fought both at sea and on land, notably in the assault at Gallipoli in 1915. During World War II, 80,000 soldiers served in the Marines, while five from the Commando unit, formed in 1942, were among the first to land on D-Day.
  
  

Recent History

• After WWII the Marines took part in numerous British military operations abroad and in Northern Ireland. In 1982 they played a part in recapturing the Falkand Islands from the Argentinians. The Royal Marines also fought in both Gulf Wars, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.