Devil's Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Brigade was a joint World War II
American
-Canadian
commando
unit organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison
near Helena
, Montana in the United States. The brigade fought in the Aleutian Islands, Italy
, and southern France
before being disbanded in December 1944. The modern American and Canadian
special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit.
, of the British Combined Operations Command
, envisioned the creation of a small, élite military force capable of fighting behind enemy lines in winter conditions
. This would have been a commando
unit that could be landed, by sea or air, into occupied Norway
, Romania, and the Italian Alps
on sabotage missions against hydroelectric
plants and oil field
s. In Norway, the chief industrial threat was the creation, at Rjukan
, of the heavy water
used in the German atomic weapon research. Furthermore, attacks on Norwegian power stations, which supplied the country with 49% of its power, might drive out the Axis powers in the country and give the Allies a direct link to Russia. In Romania, there were the strategically important Ploesti oil fields that met one quarter of the Germans' consumption, and Italian hydroelectric plants powered most of south German industry. Pyke requested that a tracked vehicle
be developed especially for the unit, capable of carrying men and their equipment at high speed across snow-covered terrain.
In March 1942 Pyke proposed an idea, which he had named Project Plough, to Lord Louis Mountbatten
, Chief of Combined Operations Headquarters (COHQ) that Allied commandoes be parachuted into the Norwegian mountains to establish a base on the Jostedalsbreen
, a large glacier
plateau, for guerrilla
actions against the German army of occupation. These troops would be equipped with Pyke's proposed snow vehicle. Pyke persuaded Mountbatten that such a force would be invulnerable in its glacier strongholds and would tie down large numbers of German troops trying to dislodge it.
However, given the demands upon both Combined Operations and British industry, it was decided to offer it instead to the United States at the Chequers Conference of March 1942. General
George Marshall
, Chief of Staff of the United States Army
, accepted the suggestion for Project Plough. In April 1942, since no suitable vehicle existed, the U.S. government asked automobile manufacturers to look into such a design. Studebaker
subsequently created the T-15 cargo carrier, which later became the M29 Weasel
.
In May 1942, the concept papers for Plough were scrutinized by Lt. Colonel Robert T. Frederick
, a young officer in the Operations Division of the U.S. General Staff. Frederick predicted Plough would be a military fiasco on the following grounds. Firstly, he argued that Plough endeavored to achieve unrealistic objectives with the amount of troops that the plan called for. 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. Furthermore, Frederick concluded that there was no concrete way to evacuate the troops after a mission. Finally, the plan had called for troops to be dropped by airplane to their targets, which Frederick said was impossible at the moment, as there were no planes to fly the men into Norway. Ultimately, he concluded that a small squad of elite men would not do enough damage to justify the risk of putting them into battle and instead proposed a series of strategic bombings to achieve the plan's objectives.
Plough went ahead as proposed. General Marshall and General Eisenhower had already agreed to the operation with the British High Command and were unwilling to compromise a chance to open an American front in Europe. It was believed that Plough offered the possibility of defeating the Germans, and the Americans wanted allied efforts to shift to the Pacific Theater. The sooner the Germans were defeated, it was argued, the sooner this would become a reality.
The first officer picked to lead the unit, Lt. Col. H.R. Johnson, was kicked off of the project for not getting along with Pyke and arguing with Mountbatten and Eisenhower about the feasibility of the plan. His replacement was suggested by Mountbatten and assigned by Eisenhower
: Lt. Col. Frederick himself was given the task of creating a fighting unit for Project Plough and was promoted to colonel to command it, and by July 1942 had eased Pyke out of the picture.
Colonel Frederick enjoyed a very high priority in obtaining equipment and training areas. 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. However, a lack of suitable Norwegians saw this changed to half American and half Canadian.
In July 1942, the Canadian Minister of National Defence
, James Ralston
, approved the assignment of 697 officers and enlisted men for the project under the initial disguise that they were forming the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
(1CPB). Shortly after, due to the decision to raise a parachute school in Canada under the 1CPB designation, the Canadian volunteers served under the unofficial designation of 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion. This was in name only; the 2CPB did not legally exist. (The Canadians would not be legally made into a unit of the Canadian Army until April–May 1943 under the official designation, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion.) They would be paid by the Canadian government but be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the U.S., but nevertheless remained subject to their own army's code of discipline. It was agreed that a Canadian would serve as second in command of the Force and that half of the officers and one third of the enlisted men would be Canadian. However, after Lieutenant Colonel McQueen (the Canadian serving as second in command) broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the Force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson who commanded the 2nd Regiment. The U.S. volunteers for the force consisted initially of officers from Fort Belvoir
and Benning
. Letters of recruitment were posted to all army units in the Southwest and on the Pacific coast. The letters called for single men, aged 21-35 with three or more years of grammar school. Occupations preferred: Rangers, lumberjacks, northwoodsmen, hunters, prospectors, explorers and game wardens. Inspection teams also scoured the western camps for ideal candidates. Those chosen, owing to the secrecy of the mission, were often told that they had been selected to undergo training for a parachute unit. 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.
The combat force was to be made up of three regiments. Each regiment was led by a colonel and thirty-two officers and boasted a force of 385 men. The regiments were divided into two battalions with three companies in each battalion and three platoons in each company. The platoon was then broken up into two sections.
Frederick was greatly admired by the soldiers in the First Special Service Force for his willingness to fight alongside the men in battle. On the beachhead in Anzio, for example, a nighttime Force patrol walked into a German minefield and was pinned down by machine gun fire. General Frederick ran into battle and assisted the litter bearers in clearing the wounded Force members.
The men were on a strict and physically demanding three phase training schedule:
1) From August to October: parachuting, weapons and demolitions usage, small unit tactics and physical training.
2) From October to November: unit tactics and problem solving.
3) From November to July: skiing
, rock climbing
, adaptation to cold climates and operation of the M29 Weasel
.
The weekly training schedule comprised reveille
at 04:30 from Monday to Saturday followed by breakfast at 06:30. The obstacle course was run by 08:00 four times a week followed by the day's training, which differed depending on the month. Soldiers were expected to march double time between training exercises in order to adhere to the strict schedule. Training lectures were given by veterans of overseas wars in the evenings from Monday to Friday. Soldiers were given Saturday evenings and Sundays off. Most of the men went into Helena
to relax on their days off.
Marches were done on a 60 miles (96.6 km) course, the record for which was held by Colonel Marshall's First Regiment, who completed it in twenty hours. The Force trained with enemy weapons, taking them apart, reassembling and shooting them until they were as proficient with them as with their own.
The hand-to-hand combat instructor was Dermot (Pat) O'Neill, an ex-Shanghai International Police Officer, who was an expert at unarmed combat. O'Neill, who was well-versed in several forms of martial arts, taught the men to attack the eyes, throat, groin and knees. He also taught knife fighting tactics and showed the men how to quick-draw their pistols. The men attacked one another with unsheathed bayonets as part of the training exercises and injuries were common.
Ski training, taught by Norwegian
instructors, began in December. The men received lectures and demonstrations on skiing techniques and most had mastered the basics in two weeks. 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.
As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat it was issued various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including ski
s, parkas
, haversack
s and the Mountain ration
. From the outset, the 1st Special Service Force was armed with a variety of non-standard or limited-issue weapons, such as the M1941 Johnson machine gun. 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. Frederick's staff even considered arming the men with blow darts but it was decided against on the grounds that it may have been considered a war crime. Frederick himself participated in the design of a fighting knife made exclusively for the Force called the V-42 combat knife, a derivative of the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife
.
, a member of the Force uncovered the journal of a German lieutenant from the Herman Goering Division. The journal contained the following entry: "The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line. We never hear them come." Henceforth, the Force was known as the Black Devils. General Frederick had cards printed up with the unit's insignia on them and the words "DAS DICKE ENDE KOMMT NOCH!" or "The worst is yet to come" printed in red ink down the right side which the Force would leave on the bodies of dead Germans as a form of psychological warfare. This was so effective that Sergeant Victor Kaisner reported hearing a German soldier whisper "Schwartzer Teufel" ("Black Devil") as the German's throat was being sliced on the beachhead. It is notable, however, that recent historiography surrounding the unit debates about whether or not Frederick and his general staff made up the nickname in order to instill fear within the enemy.
Before officially choosing the First Special Service Force as their name, the unit was unofficially known as the Braves. Their spearhead shoulder insignia was chosen with this name in mind. The formation patch was a red spearhead with the words USA written horizontally and CANADA written vertically. The branch of service insignia was the crossed arrows formerly worn by the U.S. Army Indian Scouts
. The unit wore red, white, and blue piping on their garrison cap
and on the breast an oval (or trimming) behind their Parachutist Wings. Members of the unit also wore a red, white, and blue fourragère
, lanyard
, or shoulder cord made out of parachute
shroud lines.
American members of the Force arrived for training in Helena in standard Army attire: green twill coveralls, some wearing khaki pants and fatigue hats. Others were dressed in trousers and green uniform jackets and wore green caps. Ultimately, however, the American uniforms did not differ widely from one another. The Canadian troops, however, arrived in all different manners of uniform: some wore kilts, others plaid trousers and others Bermuda shorts. Headgear differed just as widely, depending on where the soldier was from - wedge caps for some, black berets for troops taken from armored regiments and large khaki berets for troops from Scottish regiments. Eventually, it was decided that the uniforms would come from an American supplier and OD trousers and blouses were issued. The only thing that differentiated an American Force member from a Canadian one was the disc worn by the soldier (Americans wore American discs and Canadians wore Canadian discs). Forcemen also wore a red, white and blue Aiguillette. For mountain warfare, the men were given baggy ski pants, parkas and a helmet. Standard boots were originally the same as those issued to parachuting regiments, but these were substituted for infantry combat boots in Italy.
Colonel Frederick worried from the outset that the soldiers from both countries would have trouble forming a cohesive unit. On a base level, the techniques and commands used by either army were confusing to the other. Commands for marching, for example, had to be homogenized in order for the unit to operate in the field effectively. In order to satisfy the men from both countries, compromises were made. Canadian bagpipers were put into American unit marching bands to play reveille every morning. The marching styles and commands of the American and Canadian armies were mixed and uniforms were made identical. In the end, Frederick's fears were unfounded as the men bonded through training and dedication to the Force.
in Helena, Montana
was chosen as the primary training location, due to its flat terrain for airborne training and its close proximity to mountains for ski and winter training. Following its initial training period in Montana, the FSSF relocated to Camp Bradford, Virginia
, on 15 April 1943, and to Fort Ethan Allen
, Vermont, on 23 May 1943. On 4 July 1943, it arrived at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation
.
of the island of Kiska
, but after discovering the island was recently evacuated by Japanese forces, it re-embarked and left ship at Camp Stoneman, California, and returned to Fort Ethan Allen
, arriving 9 September 1943.
to knock out strategic targets such as hydroelectric power plants, was abandoned, but in October 1943, the commander of the Fifth United States Army, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, brought the 1st Special Service Force to Italy
where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The Devil's Brigade arrived in Casablanca
in French Morocco in November 1943 and quickly moved to the Italian front arriving at Naples
on 19 November 1943 and immediately going into the line with the U.S. 36th Infantry Division.
The Force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Monte La Difensa and the other at Monte La Rometonea. These positions were controlled by the 104th Panzer Grenadier Division with the Herman Goering Paratroop Division in reserve (both of which were armored divisions). The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Hitler's Gustov Line. That is, the German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Rometonea were the last entrenched line before the Gustov and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The German artillery atop La Defensa were also using a new weapon - the Nebelwerfer
. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the Force prior to their attack and it was reported to Lt. Col. T.C. MacWilliam (who would lead the 2nd regiment in their assault) that the best way to approach the entrenched enemy was up an almost vertical escarpment over the right of the hill mass. In doing this, the Force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on. The assault was planned for December 2, meanwhile the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. The plan was as follows (all regiments were in the 1st Company): At 16:30 hours on December 1, 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). 1st Regiment, coupled with 36th Infantry Division would be the reserve units for the 2nd Regiment. 3rd Regiment would be split in two, half to supply the 2nd Regiment following the initial assault and the other half to be reserves with the 1st Regiment and 36th Infantry Division. 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 night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2 at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole Goddamned mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire". The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted upwards at an angle of 65 degrees for 1000 feet (304.8 m). The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, MacWilliam signaled his men to move forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the Force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German flares shot into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4-5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea. Previously, American and British forces had suffered many casualties in futile attempts to take the important Camino Ridge. The 1st SSF was successful in taking their initial objective of La Defensa but were delayed in obtaining their actual objective of Monte La Remetanea (Hill 907). The attack on 907 was halted after the death of the 1st Battalion CO Lt. Col. T.C. MacWilliam. While he desired that the Force momentum continue, Frederick ordered a halt in the advance on 907 in order to wait for reinforcements and supplies. The Force dug in at Defensa, anticipating a German counter attack. However, massive allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliane rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied by the 1st and 3rd Regiments, who brought them Whiskey and Condoms (to keep the barrels of their guns dry in the rain). Once the British forces broke through the German lines at Monte Camino, the Force was ordered to attack their primary objective (Hill 907). The successful assault on Defensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled The Devil's Brigade
.
The 1st SSF immediately continued its attack, assaulting Monte La Remetanea from 6 December to 9 December. It captured Hill 720, starting from Monte Sammucro on 25 December, and after difficulties assaulted Monte Majo and Monte Vischiataro almost simultaneously on 8 January 1944. During the mountain campaign the 1st SSF suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
Following the Ottawa Conference, General Eisenhower was moved to London to plan the D-Day Invasion. Command of the European Theater was given to British General Henry Maitland Wilson. General Harold Alexander, leader of the 15th Group, had formulated the plan to land allied troops at Anzio in order to outflank German positions in the area. German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring
commanded the four German divisions at Anzio, which included the Herman Goering Division, the Reichsfuhrer (SS) Division and the 35th Panzer Grenadier (SS) Regiment. Combined German and Italian strength at Anzio was an estimated 70 000 men.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle
at Anzio
, south of Rome, replacing the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions, which had suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Cisterna
. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes
. 1st Regiment was positioned on the Force's right front, which comprised one-third of the entire line, while the 3rd Division guarded the remaining two-thirds of the line. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into Axis territory. Shortly after the SSF took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to avoid their aggressive patrols. The Force's constant night raids forced Kesselring to fortify the German positions in their area with more men then he had originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's often went as deep as 1500 feet (457.2 m) behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a division. 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. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be "fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10 day furlough." .
It was at Anzio that the Germans dubbed the 1st Special Service Force the "Devil's Brigade." 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. During Anzio, the 1st SSF fought for 99 days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the 1st SSF used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate to "The Worst is yet to Come", placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications. 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.
When the 5th Army breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima
on 27 May. The 1st SSF was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing Wehrmacht
. During the night of 4 June, members of the 1st SSF entered Rome. They are among the Allied units to be the first to enter Rome. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
and Îles d'Hyères
during Operation Dragoon
, the invasion of southern France. They fought the small Battle of Port Cros
in which they captured the five forts on the islands from the German Army. Nine men were killed in action or died of wounds received in combat. 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. On 7 September it moved with the 1st Airborne Task Force to defensive positions on the Franco-Italian border. During the war the 1,800-man unit accounted for some 12,000 German casualties, captured some 7,000 prisoners, and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%.
. Villeneuve-Loubet holds a special place in the history of the Force, not only because the unit was broken up there, but also because it is one of the villages that the 1st SSF had the hardest time capturing in southern France, on 26 August 1944. The day the unit was disbanded, the American commander held a parade honouring the unit. To end the ceremony, the Canadian elements were dismissed by being honoured by the American troops with a marchpast, eyes right, officers saluting. After the unit's break up, the Canadians would return to other Canadian units (most of them became replacements for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
), some American members were sent to the Airborne Divisions as replacements, and others formed the 474th Infantry Regiment, which served with the Third United States Army and performed occupation duty in Norway.
, Canada's most decorated aboriginal soldier of World War II. 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. When they tried to give him a medal for his act of heroism Wendell declined with the words, "Give it to the man who lost his leg".
created another elite unit using the training, the strategies, and the lessons learned from the Devil's Brigade's missions. This force evolved into the Army Special Forces (Green Berets). In Canada, MI&LO (Military Intelligence and Logistical Operations) 1952 – 1988; today's Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR
) like the Green Berets trace their roots to the FSSF. Just like World War II, Canada's elite JTF2 and the United States' elite SFOD-D operators were united once again into a special assignment force for the 2001 invasion
of Afghanistan
. The 1st Special Forces Group
traces its origins to the Devil's Brigade.
In 2006 the Canadian members of the 1st Special Service Forces (F.S.S.F) received the Combat Infantryman Badge
for bravery under fire in combat.
, Alberta Canada and Helena
, Montana in the United States, was renamed the "First Special Service Force Memorial Highway". This highway was chosen because it was the route taken in 1942 by the Canadian volunteers to join their American counterparts for training at Fort Harrison.
The force is also memorialized in a commemorative plaque outside the Protestant Cemetery, Rome
, next to the Pyramid of Cestius
and another on the Embassy of the United States in Rome
, facing Via Vittorio Veneto.
is a 1968 film starring William Holden
, Cliff Robertson
, and Vince Edwards
, focusing on the Force's training and deployment to Italy.
Also in 1968, the WW2 film "Anzio" featured Peter Falk as Corporal Jack Rabinoff, who identified himself to co-star Robert Mitchum as a member of the American-Canadian 1st Special Service Force.
Three documentaries have been made about the Force: "Black Devils" in 2000, an episode of History Channel's "Dangerous Missions" series, written produced and directed by Darryl Rehr; Daring to Die: The Story of the Black Devils, written and directed by Greg Hancock and Wayne Abbot, and Devil's Brigade, a 2006 TV miniseries
produced by Frantic Films
.
The comic book character Wolverine
was depicted as having been a member of the Devil's Brigade in North Africa.
Quentin Tarantino
's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds features a character named Lt. Aldo Raine aka "Aldo the Apache" played by Brad Pitt
. Raine appears to be a member of the joint American-Canadian 1st Special Service Force, as he is seen wearing the unit's crossed arrows collar insignia and red arrowhead shoulder patch. The character also mentioned being dropped into Italy (where he apparently learned some Italian), a country where the Devil's Brigade was deployed. The inclusion of this detail is likely a nod to the film depiction of The Devil's Brigade which Tarantino cited as an influence for Inglourious Basterds.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
American
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
-Canadian
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
unit organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison
Fort William Henry Harrison
Fort William Henry Harrison is the Montana National Guard training facility.-History:Fort William Henry Harrison was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger...
near Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, Montana in the United States. The brigade fought in the Aleutian Islands, Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, and southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
before being disbanded in December 1944. The modern American and Canadian
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command , is a command of the Canadian Forces...
special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit.
Background
Scientist Geoffrey PykeGeoffrey Pyke
Geoffrey Nathaniel Joseph Pyke was an English journalist, educationalist, and later an inventor whose clever, but unorthodox, ideas could be difficult to implement...
, of the British Combined Operations Command
Combined Operations
Combined Operations Headquarters was a department of the British War Office set up during World War II to harass the Germans on the European continent by means of raids carried out by use of combined naval and army forces...
, envisioned the creation of a small, élite military force capable of fighting behind enemy lines in winter conditions
Arctic warfare
Arctic warfare or winter warfare is a term used to describe armed conflict that takes place in an exceptionally cold weather, usually in snowy and icy terrain, sometimes on ice-covered bodies of water...
. This would have been a commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
unit that could be landed, by sea or air, into occupied Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Romania, and the Italian Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
on sabotage missions against hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
plants and oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
s. In Norway, the chief industrial threat was the creation, at Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
, of the heavy water
Deuterium
Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is one of two stable isotopes of hydrogen. It has a natural abundance in Earth's oceans of about one atom in of hydrogen . Deuterium accounts for approximately 0.0156% of all naturally occurring hydrogen in Earth's oceans, while the most common isotope ...
used in the German atomic weapon research. Furthermore, attacks on Norwegian power stations, which supplied the country with 49% of its power, might drive out the Axis powers in the country and give the Allies a direct link to Russia. In Romania, there were the strategically important Ploesti oil fields that met one quarter of the Germans' consumption, and Italian hydroelectric plants powered most of south German industry. Pyke requested that a tracked vehicle
Tracked vehicle
A tracked vehicle is a vehicle that runs on continuous tracks instead of wheels...
be developed especially for the unit, capable of carrying men and their equipment at high speed across snow-covered terrain.
In March 1942 Pyke proposed an idea, which he had named Project Plough, to Lord Louis Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Chief of Combined Operations Headquarters (COHQ) that Allied commandoes be parachuted into the Norwegian mountains to establish a base on the Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is situated in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of .Jostedalsbreen has a total area...
, a large glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
plateau, for guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
actions against the German army of occupation. These troops would be equipped with Pyke's proposed snow vehicle. Pyke persuaded Mountbatten that such a force would be invulnerable in its glacier strongholds and would tie down large numbers of German troops trying to dislodge it.
However, given the demands upon both Combined Operations and British industry, it was decided to offer it instead to the United States at the Chequers Conference of March 1942. General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
, Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
, accepted the suggestion for Project Plough. In April 1942, since no suitable vehicle existed, the U.S. government asked automobile manufacturers to look into such a design. Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
subsequently created the T-15 cargo carrier, which later became the M29 Weasel
M29 Weasel
The M29 Weasel was a World War II tracked vehicle, built by Studebaker, designed for operation in snow.-Design and development:The idea for the Weasel came from the work of British inventor Geoffrey Pyke in support of his proposals to attack Axis forces and industrial installations in Norway...
.
In May 1942, the concept papers for Plough were scrutinized by Lt. Colonel Robert T. Frederick
Robert T. Frederick
Robert Tryon Frederick was a highly decorated American combat commander during World War II, who commanded the 1st Special Service Force, the 1st Airborne Task Force and the 45th Infantry Division.-Career:...
, a young officer in the Operations Division of the U.S. General Staff. Frederick predicted Plough would be a military fiasco on the following grounds. Firstly, he argued that Plough endeavored to achieve unrealistic objectives with the amount of troops that the plan called for. 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. Furthermore, Frederick concluded that there was no concrete way to evacuate the troops after a mission. Finally, the plan had called for troops to be dropped by airplane to their targets, which Frederick said was impossible at the moment, as there were no planes to fly the men into Norway. Ultimately, he concluded that a small squad of elite men would not do enough damage to justify the risk of putting them into battle and instead proposed a series of strategic bombings to achieve the plan's objectives.
Plough went ahead as proposed. General Marshall and General Eisenhower had already agreed to the operation with the British High Command and were unwilling to compromise a chance to open an American front in Europe. It was believed that Plough offered the possibility of defeating the Germans, and the Americans wanted allied efforts to shift to the Pacific Theater. The sooner the Germans were defeated, it was argued, the sooner this would become a reality.
The first officer picked to lead the unit, Lt. Col. H.R. Johnson, was kicked off of the project for not getting along with Pyke and arguing with Mountbatten and Eisenhower about the feasibility of the plan. His replacement was suggested by Mountbatten and assigned by Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
: Lt. Col. Frederick himself was given the task of creating a fighting unit for Project Plough and was promoted to colonel to command it, and by July 1942 had eased Pyke out of the picture.
Colonel Frederick enjoyed a very high priority in obtaining equipment and training areas. 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. However, a lack of suitable Norwegians saw this changed to half American and half Canadian.
In July 1942, the Canadian Minister of National Defence
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
, James Ralston
James Ralston
James Layton Ralston, PC was a Canadian lawyer, soldier and politician.Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Ralston graduated from law school at Dalhousie University in 1903 and practised law in Amherst...
, approved the assignment of 697 officers and enlisted men for the project under the initial disguise that they were forming the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was formed in July 1942 during the Second World War; it served in North West Europe. Landing in Normandy on D Day, June 6, 1944 and in the airborne assault crossing of the River Rhine, Operation Varsity...
(1CPB). Shortly after, due to the decision to raise a parachute school in Canada under the 1CPB designation, the Canadian volunteers served under the unofficial designation of 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion. This was in name only; the 2CPB did not legally exist. (The Canadians would not be legally made into a unit of the Canadian Army until April–May 1943 under the official designation, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion.) They would be paid by the Canadian government but be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the U.S., but nevertheless remained subject to their own army's code of discipline. It was agreed that a Canadian would serve as second in command of the Force and that half of the officers and one third of the enlisted men would be Canadian. However, after Lieutenant Colonel McQueen (the Canadian serving as second in command) broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the Force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson who commanded the 2nd Regiment. The U.S. volunteers for the force consisted initially of officers from Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
and Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
. Letters of recruitment were posted to all army units in the Southwest and on the Pacific coast. The letters called for single men, aged 21-35 with three or more years of grammar school. Occupations preferred: Rangers, lumberjacks, northwoodsmen, hunters, prospectors, explorers and game wardens. Inspection teams also scoured the western camps for ideal candidates. Those chosen, owing to the secrecy of the mission, were often told that they had been selected to undergo training for a parachute unit. 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.
The combat force was to be made up of three regiments. Each regiment was led by a colonel and thirty-two officers and boasted a force of 385 men. The regiments were divided into two battalions with three companies in each battalion and three platoons in each company. The platoon was then broken up into two sections.
Frederick was greatly admired by the soldiers in the First Special Service Force for his willingness to fight alongside the men in battle. On the beachhead in Anzio, for example, a nighttime Force patrol walked into a German minefield and was pinned down by machine gun fire. General Frederick ran into battle and assisted the litter bearers in clearing the wounded Force members.
Training and equipment
Since the unit needed to be trained quickly, the soldiers began parachuting within 48 hours of their arrival in Helena. The camp had no training towers and preliminary flights were not carried out so, for many, this was their first experience at jumping. 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 men were on a strict and physically demanding three phase training schedule:
1) From August to October: parachuting, weapons and demolitions usage, small unit tactics and physical training.
2) From October to November: unit tactics and problem solving.
3) From November to July: skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, adaptation to cold climates and operation of the M29 Weasel
M29 Weasel
The M29 Weasel was a World War II tracked vehicle, built by Studebaker, designed for operation in snow.-Design and development:The idea for the Weasel came from the work of British inventor Geoffrey Pyke in support of his proposals to attack Axis forces and industrial installations in Norway...
.
The weekly training schedule comprised reveille
Reveille
"Reveille" is a bugle call, trumpet call or pipes call most often associated with the military or summer camp; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise...
at 04:30 from Monday to Saturday followed by breakfast at 06:30. The obstacle course was run by 08:00 four times a week followed by the day's training, which differed depending on the month. Soldiers were expected to march double time between training exercises in order to adhere to the strict schedule. Training lectures were given by veterans of overseas wars in the evenings from Monday to Friday. Soldiers were given Saturday evenings and Sundays off. Most of the men went into Helena
Helena
-First name:*Helena , Roman mother of Emperor Constantine*Helena, wife of Julian , Roman daughter of Emperor Constantine*Helena...
to relax on their days off.
Marches were done on a 60 miles (96.6 km) course, the record for which was held by Colonel Marshall's First Regiment, who completed it in twenty hours. The Force trained with enemy weapons, taking them apart, reassembling and shooting them until they were as proficient with them as with their own.
The hand-to-hand combat instructor was Dermot (Pat) O'Neill, an ex-Shanghai International Police Officer, who was an expert at unarmed combat. O'Neill, who was well-versed in several forms of martial arts, taught the men to attack the eyes, throat, groin and knees. He also taught knife fighting tactics and showed the men how to quick-draw their pistols. The men attacked one another with unsheathed bayonets as part of the training exercises and injuries were common.
Ski training, taught by Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
instructors, began in December. The men received lectures and demonstrations on skiing techniques and most had mastered the basics in two weeks. 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.
As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat it was issued various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
s, parkas
Anorak
An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind...
, haversack
Haversack
A haversack is a bag, usually carried by a single shoulder strap. Although similar to a backpack the single shoulder strap differentiates this type from other backpacks. There are exceptions to this general rule.-Origins:...
s and the Mountain ration
Mountain ration
The Mountain Ration was a United States military ration developed for use by U.S. troops operating in high-altitude or mountainous regions of the European theater of operations during World War 2.-Origin, Development, and Use:...
. From the outset, the 1st Special Service Force was armed with a variety of non-standard or limited-issue weapons, such as the M1941 Johnson machine gun. 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. Frederick's staff even considered arming the men with blow darts but it was decided against on the grounds that it may have been considered a war crime. Frederick himself participated in the design of a fighting knife made exclusively for the Force called the V-42 combat knife, a derivative of the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife
Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on concepts which the two men initiated before World War II while serving on the Shanghai Municipal...
.
Name, insignia and uniforms
While carrying out beachhead operations at AnzioAnzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
, a member of the Force uncovered the journal of a German lieutenant from the Herman Goering Division. The journal contained the following entry: "The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line. We never hear them come." Henceforth, the Force was known as the Black Devils. General Frederick had cards printed up with the unit's insignia on them and the words "DAS DICKE ENDE KOMMT NOCH!" or "The worst is yet to come" printed in red ink down the right side which the Force would leave on the bodies of dead Germans as a form of psychological warfare. This was so effective that Sergeant Victor Kaisner reported hearing a German soldier whisper "Schwartzer Teufel" ("Black Devil") as the German's throat was being sliced on the beachhead. It is notable, however, that recent historiography surrounding the unit debates about whether or not Frederick and his general staff made up the nickname in order to instill fear within the enemy.
Before officially choosing the First Special Service Force as their name, the unit was unofficially known as the Braves. Their spearhead shoulder insignia was chosen with this name in mind. The formation patch was a red spearhead with the words USA written horizontally and CANADA written vertically. The branch of service insignia was the crossed arrows formerly worn by the U.S. Army Indian Scouts
U.S. Army Indian Scouts
Native Americans have made up an integral part of U.S. military conflicts since America's beginning. Colonists recruited Indian allies during such instances as the Pequot War from 1634–1638, the Revolutionary War, as well as in War of 1812...
. The unit wore red, white, and blue piping on their garrison cap
Garrison cap
A Side cap is a foldable military cap with straight sides and a creased or hollow crown sloping to the back where it is parted. It is known as a garrison cap , a wedge cap , or officially field service cap, , but it is more generally known as the side cap.It follows the style which...
and on the breast an oval (or trimming) behind their Parachutist Wings. Members of the unit also wore a red, white, and blue fourragère
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
, lanyard
Lanyard
A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
, or shoulder cord made out of parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
shroud lines.
American members of the Force arrived for training in Helena in standard Army attire: green twill coveralls, some wearing khaki pants and fatigue hats. Others were dressed in trousers and green uniform jackets and wore green caps. Ultimately, however, the American uniforms did not differ widely from one another. The Canadian troops, however, arrived in all different manners of uniform: some wore kilts, others plaid trousers and others Bermuda shorts. Headgear differed just as widely, depending on where the soldier was from - wedge caps for some, black berets for troops taken from armored regiments and large khaki berets for troops from Scottish regiments. Eventually, it was decided that the uniforms would come from an American supplier and OD trousers and blouses were issued. The only thing that differentiated an American Force member from a Canadian one was the disc worn by the soldier (Americans wore American discs and Canadians wore Canadian discs). Forcemen also wore a red, white and blue Aiguillette. For mountain warfare, the men were given baggy ski pants, parkas and a helmet. Standard boots were originally the same as those issued to parachuting regiments, but these were substituted for infantry combat boots in Italy.
Colonel Frederick worried from the outset that the soldiers from both countries would have trouble forming a cohesive unit. On a base level, the techniques and commands used by either army were confusing to the other. Commands for marching, for example, had to be homogenized in order for the unit to operate in the field effectively. In order to satisfy the men from both countries, compromises were made. Canadian bagpipers were put into American unit marching bands to play reveille every morning. The marching styles and commands of the American and Canadian armies were mixed and uniforms were made identical. In the end, Frederick's fears were unfounded as the men bonded through training and dedication to the Force.
History
The First Special Service Force was activated on 9 July 1942 as a joint Canadian-U.S. force of three small regiments and a service battalion. Fort William Henry HarrisonFort William Henry Harrison
Fort William Henry Harrison is the Montana National Guard training facility.-History:Fort William Henry Harrison was authorized by a Congressional act of 12 May 1892 which was intended to establish, as a part of a greater consolidation program, concentrations of troops in a few larger...
in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
was chosen as the primary training location, due to its flat terrain for airborne training and its close proximity to mountains for ski and winter training. Following its initial training period in Montana, the FSSF relocated to Camp Bradford, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, on 15 April 1943, and to Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen was a U.S. army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. First serving as a cavalry post in 1894, today it is the center of a designated national historic district straddling the town line between Colchester and Essex...
, Vermont, on 23 May 1943. On 4 July 1943, it arrived at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation
Fort Mason
Fort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...
.
Aleutian Islands, 1943
On 10 July the Devil's Brigade sailed for the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. On 15 August 1943, 1st SSF was part of the invasion forceOperation Cottage
Operation Cottage was a tactical maneuver during the Aleutian Islands campaign. In the operation, which took place on August 15, 1943, Allied military forces landed unopposed on Kiska Island, which had been occupied by Japanese forces since June, 1942. The Japanese forces, however, had secretly...
of the island of Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
, but after discovering the island was recently evacuated by Japanese forces, it re-embarked and left ship at Camp Stoneman, California, and returned to Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen
Fort Ethan Allen was a U.S. army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. First serving as a cavalry post in 1894, today it is the center of a designated national historic district straddling the town line between Colchester and Essex...
, arriving 9 September 1943.
Italy, 1943
The original operation codenamed "Project Plough," a mission to parachute into German-held NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to knock out strategic targets such as hydroelectric power plants, was abandoned, but in October 1943, the commander of the Fifth United States Army, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, brought the 1st Special Service Force to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. The Devil's Brigade arrived in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in French Morocco in November 1943 and quickly moved to the Italian front arriving at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 19 November 1943 and immediately going into the line with the U.S. 36th Infantry Division.
The Force was tasked with taking two heavily fortified German positions in the Italian mountains; one at Monte La Difensa and the other at Monte La Rometonea. These positions were controlled by the 104th Panzer Grenadier Division with the Herman Goering Paratroop Division in reserve (both of which were armored divisions). The importance of these mountains lay in their position relative to Hitler's Gustov Line. That is, the German Winter line positioned on La Difensa and Rometonea were the last entrenched line before the Gustov and an allied push through the mountains would enable them to advance closer to Rome. Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. The German artillery atop La Defensa were also using a new weapon - the Nebelwerfer
Nebelwerfer
The Nebelwerfer was a World War II German series of weapons originally designed to deliver chemical weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called Chemical Troops ...
. The paths leading up La Difensa were heavily scouted by the Force prior to their attack and it was reported to Lt. Col. T.C. MacWilliam (who would lead the 2nd regiment in their assault) that the best way to approach the entrenched enemy was up an almost vertical escarpment over the right of the hill mass. In doing this, the Force hoped to catch the Germans off guard, as previous allied attacks on the mountain had met the enemy head on. The assault was planned for December 2, meanwhile the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. The plan was as follows (all regiments were in the 1st Company): At 16:30 hours on December 1, 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). 1st Regiment, coupled with 36th Infantry Division would be the reserve units for the 2nd Regiment. 3rd Regiment would be split in two, half to supply the 2nd Regiment following the initial assault and the other half to be reserves with the 1st Regiment and 36th Infantry Division. 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 night's rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on December 2 at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. One soldier recalls the severity of the shelling: "It looked as if we were marching into Hell. The whole Goddamned mountain was being shelled and the whole mountain seemed to be on fire". The soldiers of the 2nd Regiment came within range of the German positions at midnight and began to climb the final cliff, which jutted upwards at an angle of 65 degrees for 1000 feet (304.8 m). The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. Upon reaching the top, MacWilliam signaled his men to move forward into a depression in front of the German entrenchment. Initially, the soldiers were given the order to hold their fire until 6am, but the Germans were made aware of the allied positions after members of the Force tripped over loose gravel while moving along the mountaintop. German flares shot into the air and the battle began. Through gun and mortar fire, the men of the 2nd Regiment managed to set up machine guns and return fire, surprising and overwhelming the Germans. The 5th Army Staff had guessed that the battle would last between 4-5 days, but within two hours, the Germans on La Difensa had retreated to La Remetanea. Previously, American and British forces had suffered many casualties in futile attempts to take the important Camino Ridge. The 1st SSF was successful in taking their initial objective of La Defensa but were delayed in obtaining their actual objective of Monte La Remetanea (Hill 907). The attack on 907 was halted after the death of the 1st Battalion CO Lt. Col. T.C. MacWilliam. While he desired that the Force momentum continue, Frederick ordered a halt in the advance on 907 in order to wait for reinforcements and supplies. The Force dug in at Defensa, anticipating a German counter attack. However, massive allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliane rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. While waiting for the orders to attack Remetanea, the 2nd Regiment were resupplied by the 1st and 3rd Regiments, who brought them Whiskey and Condoms (to keep the barrels of their guns dry in the rain). Once the British forces broke through the German lines at Monte Camino, the Force was ordered to attack their primary objective (Hill 907). The successful assault on Defensa was the basis for the 1968 motion picture titled The Devil's Brigade
The Devil's Brigade (film)
The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col...
.
The 1st SSF immediately continued its attack, assaulting Monte La Remetanea from 6 December to 9 December. It captured Hill 720, starting from Monte Sammucro on 25 December, and after difficulties assaulted Monte Majo and Monte Vischiataro almost simultaneously on 8 January 1944. During the mountain campaign the 1st SSF suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91 dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. They were relieved by the 142nd Infantry.
Anzio, 1944
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
commanded the four German divisions at Anzio, which included the Herman Goering Division, the Reichsfuhrer (SS) Division and the 35th Panzer Grenadier (SS) Regiment. Combined German and Italian strength at Anzio was an estimated 70 000 men.
The Special Force brigade was withdrawn from the mountains in January and on 1 February was landed at the beachhead created by Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
, south of Rome, replacing the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions, which had suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Cisterna
Battle of Cisterna
The Battle of Cisterna took place during World War II, on 30 January-2 February 1944, near Cisterna, Italy, as part of the battle of Anzio that followed Operation Shingle. The battle was a clear German victory which also had repercussions on the employment of U.S...
. Their task was to hold and raid from the right-hand flank of the beachhead marked by the Mussolini Canal/Pontine Marshes
Pontine Marshes
thumb|250px|Lake Fogliano, a coastal lagoon in the Pontine Plain.The Pontine Marshes, termed in Latin Pomptinus Ager by Titus Livius, Pomptina Palus and Pomptinae Paludes by Pliny the Elder, today the Agro Pontino in Italian, is an approximately quadrangular area of former marshland in the Lazio...
. 1st Regiment was positioned on the Force's right front, which comprised one-third of the entire line, while the 3rd Division guarded the remaining two-thirds of the line. 2nd Regiment, which had been reduced to three companies following the attacks on La Difensa, Sammucio and Majo, were tasked with running night patrols into Axis territory. Shortly after the SSF took over the Mussolini Canal sector, German units pulled back up to 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to avoid their aggressive patrols. The Force's constant night raids forced Kesselring to fortify the German positions in their area with more men then he had originally planned. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devil's often went as deep as 1500 feet (457.2 m) behind enemy lines.
German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Force actually contained. A captured German Lieutenant admitted to being under the assumption that the Force was a division. 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. An order was found on another prisoner that stated that the Germans in Anzio would be "fighting an elite Canadian-American Force. They are treacherous, unmerciful and clever. You cannot afford to relax. The first soldier or group of soldiers capturing one of these men will be given a 10 day furlough." .
It was at Anzio that the Germans dubbed the 1st Special Service Force the "Devil's Brigade." 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. During Anzio, the 1st SSF fought for 99 days without relief. It was also at Anzio that the 1st SSF used their trademark stickers; during night patrols soldiers would carry stickers depicting the unit patch and a slogan written in German: "Das dicke Ende kommt noch," said to translate to "The Worst is yet to Come", placing these stickers on German corpses and fortifications. Canadian and American members of the Special Force who lost their lives are buried near the beach in the Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery
Anzio War Cemetery
The Commonwealth Anzio War Cemetery is to be found about a kilometer from Anzio town in Italy. It is located 70 kilometers south of Rome. It should not be confused with the Beach Head Cemetery which is for Americans....
and the American Cemetery in Nettuno
Nettuno
Nettuno is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, 60 kilometers south of Rome. It is named in honour of the Roman god Neptune...
, just east of Anzio.
When the 5th Army breakout offensive began on 25 May 1944, the 1st SSF was sent against Monte Arrestino, and attacked Rocca Massima
Rocca Massima
Rocca Massima is a comune in the Province of Latina in the Italian region Lazio, located about 40 km southeast of Rome and about 25 km north of Latina, in the Monti Lepini area....
on 27 May. The 1st SSF was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. During the night of 4 June, members of the 1st SSF entered Rome. They are among the Allied units to be the first to enter Rome. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans.
France, 1944
On 14 August 1944, the 1st SSF landed on the islands of Port CrosPort-Cros National Park
Port-Cros National Park is a French national park established on the Mediterranean island of Port-Cros, east of Toulon. It also administers natural areas in some surrounding locales....
and Îles d'Hyères
Îles d'Hyères
The Îles d'Hyères is a group of three islands off Hyères in the Var département, in the south-east of France. The three mediterranean islands are named Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Île du Levant. Together, they make up an area of .-See also:...
during Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the invasion of southern France. They fought the small Battle of Port Cros
Battle of Port Cros
The Battle of Port Cros was a battle of World War II fought off the French Riviera in the Mediterranean Sea at the islands of Port Cros. The battle began when a United States Navy warship encountered two German warships in August 1944 while supporting the Allied Operation Dragoon...
in which they captured the five forts on the islands from the German Army. Nine men were killed in action or died of wounds received in combat. 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. On 7 September it moved with the 1st Airborne Task Force to defensive positions on the Franco-Italian border. During the war the 1,800-man unit accounted for some 12,000 German casualties, captured some 7,000 prisoners, and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%.
Disbandment, 1944
The 1st SSF was disbanded 5 December 1944 in a field near Villeneuve-LoubetVilleneuve-Loubet
Villeneuve-Loubet It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the Loup River.It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Villeneuve-Loubet holds a special place in the history of the Force, not only because the unit was broken up there, but also because it is one of the villages that the 1st SSF had the hardest time capturing in southern France, on 26 August 1944. The day the unit was disbanded, the American commander held a parade honouring the unit. To end the ceremony, the Canadian elements were dismissed by being honoured by the American troops with a marchpast, eyes right, officers saluting. After the unit's break up, the Canadians would return to other Canadian units (most of them became replacements for the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was formed in July 1942 during the Second World War; it served in North West Europe. Landing in Normandy on D Day, June 6, 1944 and in the airborne assault crossing of the River Rhine, Operation Varsity...
), some American members were sent to the Airborne Divisions as replacements, and others formed the 474th Infantry Regiment, which served with the Third United States Army and performed occupation duty in Norway.
Wartime decorations
A large number of the Devil's Brigade members were honored for their acts of valour, including Tommy PrinceTommy Prince
Thomas George "Tommy" Prince, MM was one of Canada's most decorated First Nations soldiers, serving in World War II and the Korean War.-Early life:...
, Canada's most decorated aboriginal soldier of World War II. 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. When they tried to give him a medal for his act of heroism Wendell declined with the words, "Give it to the man who lost his leg".
Post World War II special forces legacy
In 1952 Colonel Aaron BankAaron Bank
Colonel Aaron Bank was an officer of the United States Army, and the founder of the US Army Special Forces, commonly called "Green Berets". He is also famous for his exploits as an OSS officer during World War II, parachuting into France to coordinate and activate the French Resistance and...
created another elite unit using the training, the strategies, and the lessons learned from the Devil's Brigade's missions. This force evolved into the Army Special Forces (Green Berets). In Canada, MI&LO (Military Intelligence and Logistical Operations) 1952 – 1988; today's Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR
Canadian Special Operations Regiment
The Canadian Special Operations Regiment is a battalion-sized, high-readiness special operations unit part of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command...
) like the Green Berets trace their roots to the FSSF. Just like World War II, Canada's elite JTF2 and the United States' elite SFOD-D operators were united once again into a special assignment force for the 2001 invasion
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. The 1st Special Forces Group
1st Special Forces Group (United States)
The 1st Special Forces Group is a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was activated on 24 June 1957 at Camp Drake, Japan.-Unit history:It was among the first groups of the Special Forces to be officially formed. The group is responsible for operations in the Pacific...
traces its origins to the Devil's Brigade.
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
for bravery under fire in combat.
First Special Force Memorial Highway and other commemorations
In September 1999, Alberta Highway 4 and Interstate 15 in Montana, being the main highway between the cities of LethbridgeLethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, Alberta Canada and Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, Montana in the United States, was renamed the "First Special Service Force Memorial Highway". This highway was chosen because it was the route taken in 1942 by the Canadian volunteers to join their American counterparts for training at Fort Harrison.
The force is also memorialized in a commemorative plaque outside the Protestant Cemetery, Rome
Protestant Cemetery, Rome
The Protestant Cemetery , now officially called the Cimitero acattolico and often referred to as the Cimitero degli Inglesi is a cemetery in Rome, located near Porta San Paolo alongside the Pyramid of Cestius, a small-scale Egyptian-style pyramid built in 30 BC as a tomb and later incorporated...
, next to the Pyramid of Cestius
Pyramid of Cestius
The Pyramid of Cestius is an ancient pyramid in Rome, Italy, near the Porta San Paolo and the Protestant Cemetery. It stands at a fork between two ancient roads, the Via Ostiensis and another road that ran west to the Tiber along the approximate line of the modern Via della Marmorata...
and another on the Embassy of the United States in Rome
Embassy of the United States in Rome
The Embassy of the United States of America to the Italian Republic is the diplomatic mission of the United States to Italy. The embassy's chancery is situated in the Palazzo Margherita, Via Vittorio Veneto, Rome. The current United States Ambassador to Italy is David Thorne...
, facing Via Vittorio Veneto.
Aleutians campaign, 1943
- KiskaKiskaKiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
and Little Kiska – 15 – 19 August 1943 - Segula IslandSegula IslandSegula Island is an island in the Rat Islands archipelago of the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska. It consists of a Holocene stratovolcano, called Segula Volcano.Segula Island is three to four miles in diameter, and is located about east of Kiska Island...
– 17 August 1943
Italian (Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno) campaigns 1943–1944
- Monte la DifensaMonte la DifensaThe battle for Monte La Defensa, which took place between 3 December and 9 December 1943, occurred during Operation Raincoat, part of the Battle for the Bernhardt Line during the Italian Campaign in World War II....
, Rocca d'Evandro – 3 December – 6 December 1943 - Monte la Remetanea, Rocca d'Evandro – 6 December – 9 December 1943
- Monte Sambúcaro, S.Pietro-S.Vittore – 25 December (Christmas Day), 1943
- Radicosa, S.Vittore – 4 January 1944
- Monte Majo – 6 January 1944
- Monte Vischiataro – 8 January 1944
- AnzioOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
– 2 February – 10 May 1944 - Monte Arrestino – 25 May 1944
- Rocca MassimaRocca MassimaRocca Massima is a comune in the Province of Latina in the Italian region Lazio, located about 40 km southeast of Rome and about 25 km north of Latina, in the Monti Lepini area....
– 27 May 1944 - Colle Ferro – 2 June 1944
- Rome – 4 June 1944
Southern France, (Alpes-Maritimes) campaign, 1944
- Port CrosPort-Cros National ParkPort-Cros National Park is a French national park established on the Mediterranean island of Port-Cros, east of Toulon. It also administers natural areas in some surrounding locales....
– 15 August 1944 - Îles d'HyèresÎles d'HyèresThe Îles d'Hyères is a group of three islands off Hyères in the Var département, in the south-east of France. The three mediterranean islands are named Porquerolles, Port-Cros and Île du Levant. Together, they make up an area of .-See also:...
– 15 August – 17 August 1944 - GrasseGrasse-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
– 24 August 1944 - Villeneuve-LoubetVilleneuve-LoubetVilleneuve-Loubet It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the Loup River.It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
– 26 August 1944 - VenceVenceVence is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France between Nice and Antibes.-Population:-Sights:...
– 1 September 1944 - DrapDrapDrap is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
– 3 September 1944 - L'EscarèneL'EscarèneL'Escarène is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as Scarena.-Population:-References:*...
– 5 September 1944 - La TurbieLa TurbieLa Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-History:...
– 6 September 1944 - MentonMentonMenton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
– 7 September 1944
Media depictions
The Devil's BrigadeThe Devil's Brigade (film)
The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col...
is a 1968 film starring William Holden
William Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
, Cliff Robertson
Cliff Robertson
Clifford Parker "Cliff" Robertson III was an American actor with a film and television career that spanned half of a century. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film PT 109, and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie Charly...
, and Vince Edwards
Vince Edwards
Vince Edwards was an American actor, director, and singer, best known for the roles of TV doctor "Ben Casey", and Maj. Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film The Devil's Brigade.-Early life:...
, focusing on the Force's training and deployment to Italy.
Also in 1968, the WW2 film "Anzio" featured Peter Falk as Corporal Jack Rabinoff, who identified himself to co-star Robert Mitchum as a member of the American-Canadian 1st Special Service Force.
Three documentaries have been made about the Force: "Black Devils" in 2000, an episode of History Channel's "Dangerous Missions" series, written produced and directed by Darryl Rehr; Daring to Die: The Story of the Black Devils, written and directed by Greg Hancock and Wayne Abbot, and Devil's Brigade, a 2006 TV miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
produced by Frantic Films
Frantic Films
Frantic Films Corporation is a Canadian branded content and live action production company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Frantic Films is known for producing live action reality shows, documentaries and for its past work in feature film visual effects....
.
The comic book character Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
was depicted as having been a member of the Devil's Brigade in North Africa.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds features a character named Lt. Aldo Raine aka "Aldo the Apache" played by Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
. Raine appears to be a member of the joint American-Canadian 1st Special Service Force, as he is seen wearing the unit's crossed arrows collar insignia and red arrowhead shoulder patch. The character also mentioned being dropped into Italy (where he apparently learned some Italian), a country where the Devil's Brigade was deployed. The inclusion of this detail is likely a nod to the film depiction of The Devil's Brigade which Tarantino cited as an influence for Inglourious Basterds.
Re-enactment
The First Special Service Force is represented by at least one military reenactment group. The First Special Service Force Living History Group is made up of men from both Canada and the United States within North America and there are also now groups representing the forcemen in Italy, France and Great Britain. Members of this group in 2006 ventured to Monte La Difensa and placed a memorial plaque dedicated to the men of the force.See also
- Winter LineWinter LineThe Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
- Operation Shingle / Battle of AnzioOperation ShingleOperation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
- Operation DragoonOperation DragoonOperation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
- Former United States special operations unitsFormer United States special operations unitsFormer United States special operations units are disbanded or otherwise inactive unconventional warfare units of the United States military. Most units were created to fulfill specific duties within a particular conflict, and were disbanded once that conflict ended...
Books
- Cottingham, Peter Layton Once Upon a Wartime: A Canadian Who Survived the Devil's Brigade (P.L. Cottingham, Manitoba Canada, 1996)
- Hope, Tom, ed. Bonding for Life: The post World War II story of the elite strike brigade, First Special Service Force (First Special Service Force Association, 2007) ISBN 978-0-9797275-0-2
- Stanton, Shelby, World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939-1946 (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole Books ISBN 0811701573
- Wickham, Kenneth. "An Adjutant General Remembers" (Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association, 1991).
- Wood, James A. We Move Only Forward: Canada, the United States, and the First Special Service Force, 1942–1944 (St. Catharines, OntarioSt. Catharines, OntarioSt. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
: Vanwell Publishing, 2006).