On June 24, 1940, just days after France signed an armistice with Nazi Germany, the British Army launched Operation Collar: a daring nighttime commando raid on the French coast near Boulogne. A small force of about 120 men from the newly formed No. 11 Independent Company, led by Major Tod and Captain Peter Young, crossed the English Channel in darkness aboard fast motor boats. Their objective was modest but symbolically powerful: destroy German installations, gather intelligence, and prove that Britain could strike back at occupied Europe. The raiders successfully landed, engaged German forces, and returned to England with minimal casualties, though their material gains were limited.

The raid emerged from British desperation and defiance in the summer of 1940. After the collapse of France in June, Britain stood virtually alone against Nazi Germany. The country faced invasion threats, devastating aerial bombardment during the Battle of Britain, and the very real possibility of defeat. In this darkest hour, Winston Churchill and military leaders sought to maintain offensive spirit and demonstrate to both the British people and potential American allies that the war was far from over. Commando forces, distinct from regular infantry, represented a new aggressive doctrine: small, highly trained units capable of rapid strikes behind enemy lines.

Operation Collar proved modest in tactical results but enormous in psychological impact. The raid killed or wounded perhaps two dozen Germans and destroyed some equipment, yet no major installations fell. However, the operation vindicated the commando concept and proved that Britain could project force across the Channel. It boosted morale at home and signaled to occupied Europe that resistance was possible. The raid's success led directly to the expansion of commando forces: within months, Britain had raised several hundred trained raiders organized into specialized units. These commandos would grow into a formidable force, conducting hundreds of raids across occupied Europe and pioneering amphibious assault tactics later refined by Allied forces in major operations like Dieppe, North Africa, Sicily, and D-Day. Operation Collar thus marked the beginning of Britain's transition from pure defense to offensive action, however small the initial blow.