In late 1940 the Australian Army began considering the issue of raising Independent Companies like those used by the United Kingdom in their 1940 Norwegian campaigns and at the end of the campaign were reformed into the initial British Army Commando units, and later Royal Marine Commando units for the conduct of irregular warfare. 

Based upon proposals and advice from the British Military Mission 104 to Australia and New Zealand, in January 1941 the specialised training commenced for company-sized Australia and New Zealand volunteers that would act independently of higher command to carry out tasks such as raiding, sabotage, and guerrilla warfare.

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Initially, these units were intended to be sent to the Middle East as part of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). However, following Japan's entry into the war in December 1941 the Australian units were hastily deployed to the islands to the north of Australia, to act first as an observation and early warning force and then, following the arrival of Japanese forces, to carry out delaying and harassment operations and to act as stay-behind forces conducting guerrilla warfare. The New Zealand units returned home and were not used in this new role and were returned to their parent units. Many of these Australian Independent units, later in 1943 renamed Commando units, went through numerous role and name changes and restructures as warfare in the pacific evolved throughout the campaign. 

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Below is a brief history of each of the WWII Independent and Commando units.