Royal Marines training for potential Russian conflict scrawl Nazi swastika on the chest of a comrade

Royal Marines taking part in a multi-national exercise to prepare for any future conflict with Russia scrawled a Nazi swastika on the chest of a comrade during a humiliating initiation ceremony, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Military police have launched an investigation after footage of sickening behaviour on board a Royal Navy vessel emerged.

The scandal has also led top brass to consider banning Royal Marines units from taking part in similar exercises overseas, with troops told that anyone found sharing the mobile phone footage will face disciplinary action.

The incident took place a fortnight ago as the Marines were taking part in Exercise Baltic Protector, a mission intended to strike fear into President Putin.

Those involved were part of the Future Commando Force (FCF), developed to spearhead future amphibious operations. The scandal is judged so serious that officers have told troops that the FCF could ‘kiss goodbye’ to involvement in important missions.

In a message to troops, a senior officer wrote: ‘The Commandant General Royal Marines has directed that anyone with the recent video from Ex BP [Exercise Baltic Protector] is to delete it immediately. Anyone found forwarding it, particularly to public forums, will face disciplinary action. It includes booze, s*** and swastikas.

‘If it reaches social media we can kiss goodbye to any additional responsibilities as well as runs ashore [Navy slang for social privileges]. Talk of it may kill FCF dead.’

A copy of the video, seen by this newspaper, shows an apparently disorientated Marine sitting on a toilet with a swastika drawn on his chest. The remainder of the video, thought to have been filmed aboard HMS Albion, features a series of disgusting acts in the ship’s corridors and sleeping quarters.

The incident took place a fortnight ago as the Marines were taking part in Exercise Baltic Protector, a mission intended to strike fear into President Putin. Pictured, Royal Marines Commandos during a training exercise in Plymouth

One commando said: ‘No wonder senior officers were desperate to destroy all the evidence that this Nazi ritual took place. Exercise Baltic Protector was supposed to send President Putin a message that we’ve got the amphibious capability to defend Baltic and Scandinavian states. This wasn’t a time to get drunk, daub swastikas on each other and do other unthinkable acts.

‘Military chiefs might expect it to happen very occasionally back home, but never on a ship sailing near Russian waters. It looks so unprofessional. It will have very serious consequences for those involved and the FCF.’

The exercise saw the Royal Marines lead a force of 12,000 troops from nine countries, including the US. It involved 17 ships and saw British troops parachute from a C-130 aircraft before staging the recapture of chemical weapons stores in mock battles on the Swedish and Danish coastlines.

Last night, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘We are aware of a video circulating online.

‘This behaviour is unacceptable. A formal investigation is under way and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further.’