| Independent Companies | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch | Territorial Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role | Coastal raiding |
| Engagements | Norwegian Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Colin Gubbins |
An independent company was originally a unit raised by the English Army, subsequently the British Army, during the 17th and 18th centuries for garrison duties in Britain and the overseas colonies.[1][2][3][4] The units were not part of larger battalions or regiments, although they may have originally been detached from them, and the units would remain permanently assigned to the garrison.
In the 20th century, the name was used for a temporary expeditionary formation of the British Army during the Second World War. Initially, there were ten independent companies, which were raised from volunteers from Territorial Army divisions in April 1940. They were intended for guerrilla-style operations in the Allied campaign in Norway. The companies were disbanded after returning to Britain at the end of the campaign but No. 11 Company was formed from volunteers from the first ten Independent Companies on 14 June 1940 and took part in the first British commando raid, Operation Collar.[5]
After the Second World War, the concept of the independent company was maintained in the airborne forces with the formation of a pair of company-sized units operating independently within larger formations.
- ^ "A Brief History of the Independent Companies of South Carolina: Based on The American Independent Companies of the British Army 1664–1764" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^ "The British Military Presence in America, 1660–1720. History Reconsidered, LLC. 2010". Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^ "Lt Jon Foote of Bermuda was an officer of the Independent Company of Foot". Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^ "The American Army", Robert J. Andrews. Michigan State University Press. ISBN 9781609174255
- ^ Moreman, p. 13