Although the term commandos was sometimes applied generically as a synonym for any special operations or "irregular operations" unit, during World War II it had specific application to British special forces units. In 1940, the British army raised 10 so-called Independent Companies, special forces troops to be used against the Germans in Norway. From this group, pursuant to Winston Churchill's order to mount hit-and-run raids against the occupied coast of the European continent, battalion-size units, officially called Commandos, were formed. They were trained in small-group tactics and fought as self-contained groups. Briefly, the Commandos were renamed Special Forces battalions, but in March 1941 were once again designated Commandos, and the name remained for the rest of the war.

When they were first formed, the Commando battalions were numbered 1 through 9 and 11 and 12, each mustering 500 men. They participated in the Dieppe raid and other early operations. Later in the war, the Commandos were joined by a unit known only as No. 10, which was made up of personnel drawn from the governments-in-exile of nations occupied by the Nazis. Another unit, designated No. 14, was formed specifically to raid occupied Norway. And still another Commando unit, No. 30, was an inter-service intelligence-gathering organization.

In addition to the army Commandos, there were a number of Royal Marine Commandos. After 1942, these were given Commando battalion numbers (Nos. 40-48) and integrated into four Special Service Brigades, which included the army and the marine Commandos. From December 1944, the name of these brigades was changed to Commando Brigades.

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