first special service force roster

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2002/08/17/stories/helena/6a1.txt. Canadian and American members of the Special Force who lost their lives are buried near the beach in the Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery and the American Cemetery in Nettuno, just east of Anzio. They are treacherous, unmerciful and clever. Commands for marching, for example, had to be homogenized in order for the unit to operate in the field effectively. [6] Furthermore, Frederick concluded that there was no concrete way to evacuate the troops after a mission. Theirs is the untold story of two nations creating a unique WWII fighting force made up of the hand-picked best from across North America who set the standard for todays Special Forces. Mountbatten liked the idea as did Prime Minister Winston Churchill and it was proposed to President Franklin Roosevelt and Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall. They were referred to as "black" devils because the brigade's members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night. For installation operating status and inclement weather updates, click the above link. The rugged, mountainous terrain and extreme winter conditions made Montana the ideal place for training. As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat it was issued various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including skis, parkas, haversacks and the Mountain ration. These positions were controlled by the 104th Panzer Grenadier Regiment with the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Gring in reserve (the former an infantry formation, the latter an armored division). The combat force was to be made up of three regiments. The attack on 907 was halted after the death of the 1st Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel T.C. As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat, various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including skis, parkas, haversacks and the mountain ration were issued. Also, U.S. member Wendell C. Johnson (Fifth Company, Third Regiment, serial # 37 168 437), risking his life to save a fellow Black Devil, walked into a minefield and brought his brigade comrade to safety. The First Special Service Force was a unique fighting force in many ways. At this point the men were made to ski cross-country in formation from dawn until dusk with all of their equipment until they were up to Norwegian army standards. Quentin Tarantino's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds features a character named Lt. Aldo Raine aka "Aldo the Apache" played by Brad Pitt who wears the unit's crossed arrows collar insignia and red arrowhead shoulder patch. Marches were done on a 60-mile (97km) course, the record for which was held by Colonel Marshall's First Regiment, who completed it in twenty hours. Eighty years ago, July 1942, the history of US and Canadian Special Forces began at Ft. Harrison MT with the creation of the First Special Service Force. Headgear differed just as widely, depending on where the soldier was from wedge caps for some, black berets for troops taken from armoured regiments and large khaki tam o shanters for soldiers from Scots regiments. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, teams of Special Forces Soldiers deployed to Laos to work with the Royal Laotian Army. When that mission was canceled, the FSSF was repurposed for combat operations in the . The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Hitlers Gustav Line. The letters called for single men, aged 2135 with three or more years of grammar school. The branch of service insignia was the crossed arrows formerly worn by the U.S. Army Indian Scouts. In 251 days of combat, the Force suffered 2,314 casualties, 134% of combat strength, captured over 30,000 prisoners, won five US campaign stars, eight Canadian battle honors, and never failed a mission. On 3 February 2015, the FSSF was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award congress can give to civilians. Feb 3rd, 2015 - Photo Eric Morgensen. In 2013, the United States Congress passed a bill to award the 1st Special Service Force the Congressional Gold Medal.[2]. In lifestyle and appearance, he fit the common stereotype of a scientist-engineer-inventor or in British slang, a "boffin". The 1st Special Service Force was an elite American-Canadian commando unit in World War II, under the command of the United States Fifth Army. For other uses, see. The day the unit was disbanded, the American commander held a parade honouring the unit. Then and Now: History of the 10th Special Forces Group Badge HOURS: Thursday 9 AM 4 PM and upon request, LOCATION: Fort Harrison complex. ENTRANCE COST: Admission and tours are FREE, donations are welcome. Colonel Frederick worried from the outset that the soldiers from both countries would have trouble forming a cohesive unit. First Regiment was positioned on the Forces right front, which comprised one-third of the entire line, while the 3rd Regiment guarded the remaining two-thirds of the line. His name is not even listed in the Burhans or other roster lists. Indeed, General Frederick ordered several trucks to move around the Forces area in order to give the enemy the impression that the Force comprised more men than it actually did. Theirs is the untold story of two nations creating a unique WWII fighting force made up of the hand-picked best from across North America who set the standard for todays Special Forces. Members of the unit also wore a red, white, and blue fourragre, lanyard, or shoulder cord made out of parachute suspension lines. First Special Service Force - Wikipedia Furthermore, attacks on Norwegian power stations, which supplied the country with 49% of its power, might drive the Axis powers out of the country and give the Allies a direct link to Russia. The platoon was then broken up into two sections.[13]. [43] In the end, Frederick's fears were unfounded as the men bonded through training and dedication to the force.[44]. Our funding helps to acquire and conserve Army historical art and artifacts, support Army history educational programs, research, and publication of historical materials on the American Soldier, and provide support and counsel to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals. Combined German and Italian strength at Anzio was an estimated 70,000 men. They left most of their arms and equipment behind. A combined U.S. and Canadian unit, the FSSF was originally formed to conduct unconventional warfare in Nazi-occupied Norway. Upon reaching the top, MacWilliam signaled his men to move forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Those chosen, vowing to the secrecy of the mission, were often told that they had been selected to undergo training for a parachute unit. Since the unit needed to be trained quickly, the soldiers began parachuting within 48 hours of their arrival in Helena, Montana. Special Forces traces its lineage to the First Special Service Force (FSSF), constituted on July 5, 1942. The force's constant night raids forced Kesselring to fortify the German positions in their area with more men than he had originally planned. Ultimately, however, the American uniforms did not differ widely from one another. After the unit's break up, the Canadians were sent to other Canadian units (most of them became replacements for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion). The Force trained with enemy weapons, taking them apart, reassembling and shooting them until they were as proficient with them as with their own. In the fall of 1942, however, the Allies cancelled Project Plough. Ironically, Japanese forces had abandoned the islands due to lack of support from the Imperial Navy shortly before. Pyke was invited to join Mountbattens staff. Although not in the official lineage, the experiences of other Special Operations elements contributed to the organization and doctrine of Special Forces. Some American members were sent to airborne divisions as replacements, others to ranger battalions, and still others formed the 474th Infantry Regiment, which served with the Third United States Army and performed occupation duty in Norway. The German artillery atop La Defensa were also using a new weapon - the Nebelwerfer. Pykes fifty-four page memorandum suggested commando force operations in Norway and Romania during the winter. The force trained with enemy weapons, taking them apart, reassembling and shooting them until they were as proficient with them as with their own. Originally, due to its winter warfare mission, it had been intended that the unit should be equally made up of American, Canadian, and Norwegian troops. The members of the brigade preferred the latter. The Supercommandos: First Special Service Force, 1942-1944 An Illustrated History by Robert Todd Ross Published by Schiffer; 1st edition (November 13, 2000), 2000 ISBN 10: 0764311719 ISBN 13: 9780764311710 Seller: Valley Books, Cupertino, CA, U.S.A. On 22 August it was attached to the 1st Airborne Task Force, a provisional Seventh Army airborne division, and later made part of the Task Force. Soldiers were given Saturday evenings and Sundays off. With a new mission, the Force departed Fort Ethan Allen for San Francisco, arriving at the Port of Embarkation on Independence Day 1943 and on 10 July they sailed north. Training lectures were given by veterans of overseas wars in the evenings from Monday to Friday. On 22 August it was attached to the 1st Airborne Task Force, a provisional Seventh Army airborne division, and later made part of the Task Force. Firstspecialserviceforce.com ), While its members remained part of the Canadian Army, subject to its code of discipline and paid by the Canadian government, they were to be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the U.S. Army. [37] The Johnson light machine gun in particular helped greatly increase the firepower of the unit and was highly regarded by those who used it in combat. They fought the small Battle of Port Cros in which they captured the five forts on the islands from the German Army. In October 1943, the commander of the United States Fifth Army, Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark ordered the FSSF to Italy where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The event was video taped and can be viewed or purchased at That is, the German winter line positioned on La Difensa and Remetanea were the last entrenched lines before the Gustav and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. This would have required significant troop lift and covering fighter support. The intervening years saw the number of Special Forces Groups rise and fall. They were relieved by the142nd Infantry. In May the Force transferred to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, where their infantry and mountain combat training were evaluated by the Army Ground Forces staff prior to overseas deployment. It stands out only for being the exception to the norm. Indeed, the unit was so secretive, that many soldiers did not know where they were when they arrived in Helena for training, as the windows of the trains carrying the troops were painted black. It was agreed that a Canadian would serve as second in command of the force and that half of the officers and initially one-half of the enlisted men would be Canadian. The plan was as follows (all Regiments were in the 1st Company): At 16:30 hours on 1 December, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within 6 miles (9.7 km) of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa (6-hour march). It was decided the cold weather operations training the Force had received would be valuable in support of Operation Cottage, the planned assault against Japanese forces occupying a portion of the Aleutian Islands off Alaska. The unit was organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana, in the United States. After Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, the senior Canadian member, broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson, who commanded the 2nd Regiment.[11]. The First Special Service Force | Montana Military Museum, Helena Shortly after the FSSF took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to avoid their aggressive patrols. It was at Anzio that the 1st Special Service Force inspired the "Black Devils" nickname, which appears to have been an invention of the Force's intelligence officers. American members of the Force arrived for training in Helena in standard U.S. Army attire: green twill coveralls, some wearing khaki pants and fatigue hats. First Special Service Force - The Campaign for the National Museum of This training was completed before any other because it was believed that if all the soldiers earned their jumping badges simultaneously a sense of camaraderie would develop within the camp. The Forcemen landed on the rocky shores of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, only to discover the Japanese had secretly abandoned the island. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devils often went as deep as 1,500 feet (460 m) behind enemy lines. The First Special Service Force was activated on 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana. This was the original goal Project Plough was designed to undertake, and with that the First Special Service Force lost its mission. While the origins of U.S. Army Special Forces date back to the French and Indian War and the formation of Rogers Rangers, the modern concepts of unconventional warfare were largely developed in World War II with the formation of several specially trained units. Again, the Force was the tip of the spear on the drive to Rome, and is credited with being the first Allied patrol to enter Rome on June 4, 1944. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single nights rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on 2 December at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. UNLESS CONTACTED BY YOUR CHAIN OF COMMAND, USASOC OPERATES FROM THE FORT BRAGG INSTALLATION STATUS. Thus, any soldier who had spent 120 days in wartime service with the First Special Service Force is authorized to wear the Special Forces Tab.[46]. The attack on 907 was halted after the death of the 1st Battalion CO Lt. Col. T.C. When they tried to give him a medal for his act of heroism, Wendell declined saying, "Give it to the man who lost his leg". Similarly, he argued that the small, elite division would be outnumbered and overtaken in any defensive attempts to hold an area once it was captured. In 1952, Colonel Aaron Bank (a former Jedburgh and Operational Group member of the Office of Strategic Services [OSS] during WW II) became the commander of 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). It got the attention of Chief of Combined Operations Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. The Devil's Brigade by Robert H. Adleman & George H. Walton is an autobiography and historical reference for the First Special Service Force.