The Royal Marines (colour photo)

The Royal Marines. Marines or Sea Soldiers were employed long ago by the Greeks and Romans, but such a force was not introduced to the British Navy until 1664. At first known as the "Admiral's Regiment," it was largely raised from the London Trained Bands, and primarily intended for the Dutch War of that period. After being raised and disbanded several times, the Marines were permanently established in 1755. The Marines of to-day combine the duties of both soldiers and sailors, and well uphold the long-standing traditions of their corps. The Royal Marines have seen service in many parts of the world, a fact recognized in the "Globe" badge, granted to the corps in 1827 by King George IV. We show uniforms of 1685 (right), 1805 (centre) and the present day (left). Illustration for one of a set of 50 cigarette cards on the subject of Interesting Customs and Traditions of the Navy, Army and Airforce issued by Lambert & Butler in 1939.