​​Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel W Glendinning, No.1 Special Service Battalion was moved to the River Dart region, where their HQ was set up in Warfleet Brewery. in November 1940. The Soldiers were paid a special subsistence allowance to enable them to be billeted with local families, with detachments housed at Dittisham, Kingswear and Stoke Fleming. The Battalion took part in intensive training and was divided into A and B company. B Company was moved to the coastal town of Paignton and eventually became No.2 Commando. In May 1941, No.1 Commando (previously A Company) was moved to Irvine and Kilwinning on the West coast of Ayrshire, Scotland.

On 27 to 28 September 1941, five troops of No.1 Commando undertook a raid on the coast at Pointe de Saire, east of Cherbourg and Courseulles in Normandy, France. Sailing from Spithead, they were carried by HMS Prince Leopold. The first party was confronted by a German bicycle patrol, the Commandos killed three and the rest scattered. Carrying one corpse and a machine gun slowed them down, and they missed their rendezvous with the Prince Leopold, meaning they had to make their own way back to Portsmouth, England.

The second party, under Captain Davies, had a very different experience. Landing on the wrong beach, they faced machine gun fire immediately. Davies ordered an attack, forcing them to climb a 10-foot sea wall and breaking through two coils of barbed- wire defences. As they made this move, they were fired upon by two other machine gun nests, forcing the Commandos to withdraw. One was wounded and two declared missing. The raids were unsuccessful, but they boosted flagging morale and provided valuable lessons.

In 1943 the Commando unit left the UK again and was sent to the Far East. However, their troop ship was bombed, forcing them to stay in Egypt for December and finally arriving in India in January 1944. January 1945 saw them partaking in unopposed landings at Myebon (Myanmar) and Kangaw (Japan) where they greatly distinguished themselves against Japanese troops. After August 1945, they were sent to Hong Kong for garrison duties, where they were disbanded at the end of 1946.

Many members of No.1 Commando received Gallantry Awards, and it was the only Commando unit to receive two Victoria Crosses.