- "Pride of the King's navy you are."
- ―Jack Sparrow
Royal Marines, also known as Redcoats, were British soldiers who were part of the British Royal Navy. As their name indicates, they were trained for combat operations at both sea and land. The East India Trading Company employed many of these soldiers for the sake of protecting their goods.
The Royal Marines are a part of the Royal Navy, (although they're a seperate entity and not sailors as such) and not members of the British Army as the uniform would suggest. Marines were attached to the crew of almost every British Royal Navy ship. Many of the garrisons of fortresses in the Caribbean also consisted of Royal Marines.
Most Royal Navy ships carried a company of Royal Marines aboard; They were used by the Admiralty to rig ships before they were placed in commission and supported the navy sailors with gunfire during battles and could man the cannons. Royal Marines formed the core of boarding and landing teams and served as a kind of police force aboard the ship to enforce discipline and prevent mutinies. The Marines serve under Royal Navy officers, but would typically be commanded by a Marine officer. There were no Marine officers in Fort Charles or aboard the HMS Dauntless.
A large number of Marines were stationed at Fort Charles, under the command of Commodore James Norrington, where they manned the Fort's cannons, guarded the prison and maintained order throughout Port Royal.
A group of these soldiers followed Commodore Norrington and Lieutenant Gillette to the Port Royal harbor to rescue Governor Weatherby Swann's daughter, Elizabeth. However, once they came to the harbor, they ran into notorious pirate Jack Sparrow. However, through threatening Elizabeth, Sparrow was able to escape. The Marines searched the streets of Port Royal until they finally found the pirate knocked out in John Brown's smithy and took him into custody.
A considerable number of Marines were stationed onboard the HMS Dauntless, where they participated in the search for Governor Swann's missing daughter, Elizabeth, who was kidnapped during the pirate raid the previous night. They later fought in a battle against Barbossa's cursed crew. The Marines suffered heavy casualties but managed to arrest the pirates after their curse was lifted.
- "Lower your weapons... For goodness' sake, put them down!"
- ―Weatherby Swann to Royal Marines
After the battle, they returned to Port Royal and resumed their normal duties. A large group of Marines were present guarding the fort when Jack Sparrow's hanging was taking place. Will Turner freed Jack from the gallows and managed to knock out several Marines who attempted to stop them. Eventually, they surrounded the duo with muskets pointed but were later forced to lower them when Elizabeth Swann came to Will's aid. At James Norrington's order, the Marines allowed Jack to escape to the Black Pearl.
Being the amphibious infantry of the British Navy, Marines were equipped with the standard British Army muskets, which was often outfitted with bayonets, and cutlasses. Sergeants made use of spontoons, instead of muskets. Marine officers utilized small swords and pistols.
Royal Marines wore red sleeved-uniforms with white cuffs and facings, accompanied by white pants, black boots and gaiters as well as a tricorne hat. In combat situations, the Marines would don themselves with black sling bags, meant to contain their musket ammunition.
The marines who served in the East India Trading Company sported red coats until Lord Cutler Beckett obtained the Heart of Davy Jones during the War Against Piracy. The EITC marines would later wear blue and red colored Company-styled uniforms. These Marines were known as Blue Coats, due to the colors of the clothing they wore.
As a historical sidenote, the Marines in Pirates of the Carribean oddly enough wear the wrong uniforms, as the stories are based from the 1720s to the 1750s, and the uniforms portrayed would not come into usage until 1755.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First appearance)
- Smoke on the Water
- The Capture of Jack Sparrow!
- Enter... the Scarecrow!
- The Black Heart of the Pearl
- The Escape of Pintel and Ragetti!
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)