first special service force roster

When that mission was canceled, the FSSF was repurposed for combat operations in the . Please bring a photo ID to enter the complex, Montana Military Museum 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Fort William Henry Harrison. PHONE: 406-324-3550 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, directly answerable to the joint Chiefs of Staff. Reconnaissance missions performed by the Devils often went as deep as 1,500 feet (460 m) behind enemy lines. Following the liberation of Rome, the Force was given the assignment of leading the landings on Southern France, fighting their way to the Franco-Italian border. The story of this amazing unit, who they were, and the legacy they left transcends state and international borders. The Force arrived in Naples on 19 November 1943 and went into the line at Santa Maria with the 36th Infantry Division. With a new mission, the Force departed Fort Ethan Allen for San Francisco, arriving at the Port of Embarkation on Independence Day 1943 and on 10 July they sailed north.On 15 August 1943, the FSSF joined the invasion forces marshaled off the island of Kiska. In the latter category, they had obtained a substantial amount of the latest plastic explosive available for demolition training, far more than they could possibly use. Letters of recruitment were posted to all U.S. Army units in the Southwest and on the Pacific coast. Please note that Dick is not named in ANY force book. 1 st Special Forces Regiment Constituted 5 July 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 2d Company, 1st Battalion, First Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined. Although not in the official lineage, the experiences of other Special Operations elements contributed to the organization and doctrine of Special Forces. The origins of the First Special Service Force (or the Force, as its members referred to it) began at the highest levels of the Allied Command in World War II. Most of the men went into Helena to relax on their days off. When the Special Forces Tab was created in 1983 for wear by members of the U.S. Army Special Forces, it was also retroactively awarded to members of wartime combat units that had been identified as predecessors of the Special Forces. 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. 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. To end the ceremony, the Canadian elements were dismissed by being honoured by the American troops with a Pass in Review, eyes right, officers salute. The plan was as follows (all Regiments were in the 1st Company): At 16:30 hours on 1 December, 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within 6 miles (9.7 km) of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa (6-hour march). 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. After Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, the senior Canadian member broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the Force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson, who commanded the 2nd Regiment. Others were dressed in trousers and green uniform jackets and wore green caps. [37] The Johnson light machine gun in particular helped greatly increase the firepower of the unit and was highly regarded by those who used it in combat. The Force received the Congressional Gold Medal Feb 3rd, 2015. The unit was activated at Fort Harrison on 20 July 1942. After Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, the senior Canadian member, broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson, who commanded the 2nd Regiment.[11]. Occupations preferred: Rangers, lumberjacks, north woodsmen, hunters, prospectors, explorers and game wardens. There are 2 Robert Carroll's in the Roster so if anyone knows which one it . On 5 December 1944, the Force was disbanded. The 1st SSF was given the assignment of capturing seven bridges in the city to prevent their demolition by the withdrawing Wehrmacht. http://www.helenair.com/articles/2002/08/17/stories/helena/6a1.txt. Tarantino cited the 1SSF as an influence.[51]. Others were dressed in trousers and green uniform jackets and wore green caps. [12], The combat force was to be made up of three regiments. Soldiers were given Saturday evenings and Sundays off. 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%. [1], The modern American and Canadian special operations forces trace their heritage to this unit. Pyke was invited to join Mountbattens staff. Under OSS veteran Colonel Aaron Bank, the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) deployed to Bad Tolz, Germany, September 1953. Mountbatten liked the idea as did Prime Minister Winston Churchill and it was proposed to President Franklin Roosevelt and Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall. The plan was as follows (all regiments were in the 1st Company): At 16:30 hours on 1 December 2nd Regiment would be trucked to within 6 miles (9.7km) of the base of the mountain and march the rest of the way to La Difensa (6-hour march). [6] Furthermore, Frederick concluded that there was no concrete way to evacuate the troops after a mission. 1st Regiment, coupled with U.S. 36th Infantry Division would be the reserve units for the 2nd Regiment. Third 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. Leading part of the assault into Rome from the Anzio beachhead was the U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force (FSSF). A combined U.S. and Canadian unit, the FSSF was originally formed to conduct unconventional warfare in Nazi-occupied Norway. All identification on Force soldiers was to be removed except their dog tags.After reaching the base of the mountain and having had a single nights rest, 2nd Regiment (600 men total) began their ascent of La Difensa on 2 December at dusk under cover of a heavy artillery barrage. 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. The weekly training schedule comprised reveille at 0430 from Monday to Saturday followed by calisthenics and then breakfast at 0630. They entered combat on December 3, 1943 with a strength of 1,800 men, and completed their mission on January 17, 1944 with fewer than 500 men. The story of this amazing unit, who they were, and the legacy they left transcends state and international borders. The hand-to-hand combat instructor was Dermot (Pat) ONeill, an ex-Shanghai International Police Officer, who was an expert at unarmed 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. The attack on 907 was halted after the death of the 1st Battalion CO Lt. Col. T.C. Canadian and American members of the 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. It set the doctrinal foundation for the first Special Forces unit, the 10th Special Forces Group, activated on June 11, 1952 under the Psychological Warfare Center , Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A reviewing stand was set up at the intersection with Sixth Avenue for local and state government leaders and military officers and each company rendered honors with eyes right as it passed. In Operation Desert Storm, General Norman H. Schwarzkopf described the Special Forces as "the eyes and ears" of the conventional forces and the "glue that held the coalition together.". 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. He also claimed he took part in Anzio and Cassino battles. They wanted a replacement for the twenty plus pound Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), a cumbersome weapon for a man to carry in the mountains along with his regular gear. In order to satisfy the men from both countries, compromises were made. [19] Strategically, the mountains provided a commanding view of the countryside and highway, giving German artillery on the mountain control of the surrounding area. While carrying out beachhead operations at Anzio, legend has it that a member of the force uncovered the journal of a German lieutenant from the Hermann Goering Division. Planners intended to use the force to attack hydroelectric plants in occupied Norway, oil fields in Romania, and even targets in Russia. After a brief rest, the Force was sent into the Anzio Beachhead on 2 February and took up positions on the Allies right flank. First Regiment was positioned on the Forces right front, which comprised one-third of the entire line, while the 3rd Regiment guarded the remaining two-thirds of the line. When they tried to give him a medal for his act of heroism, Wendell declined saying, "Give it to the man who lost his leg". His plan, code named Operation Plough, proposed the creation and training of a small force of highly mobile soldiers that could be inserted into Norway to destroy 14 hydro-electric dams supplying power for Hitlers nuclear weapons development program. Under the Williamson-Wickham agreement, Canadian soldiers were issued and wore American uniforms. You may purchase a replica directly from, https://www.congress.gov/113/bills/hr324/BILLS-113hr324enr.xml, http://www.c-span.org/video/?324142-1/congressional-gold-medal-ceremony, http://catalog.usmint.gov/first-special-service-force-3-inch-bronze-medal-438.html?cgid=military#, http://catalog.usmint.gov/first-special-service-force-one-and-one-half-inch-bronze-medal-439.html?cgid=military#. Following the liberation of Rome, the Force was given the assignment of leading the landings on Southern France, fighting their way to the Franco-Italian border. [35], Ski training, taught by Norwegian instructors, began in December. [34], The hand-to-hand combat instructor was Dermot (Pat) O'Neill, an ex-Shanghai International Police Officer, who was an expert at unarmed combat. The rugged, mountainous terrain and extreme winter conditions made Montana the ideal place for training. We seek to educate future Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifices that generations of American Soldiers have made to safeguard the freedoms of this Nation. Finally, the plan had called for troops to be parachute 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. [43] In the end, Frederick's fears were unfounded as the men bonded through training and dedication to the force.[44]. Congressional Gold Medal. The event was video taped and can be viewed or purchased at It got the attention of Chief of Combined Operations Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. 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 FSSF suffered 77% casualties: 511 total, 91dead, 9 missing, 313 wounded with 116 exhaustion cases. American members of the Force arrived for training in Helena in standard U.S. Army attire: green twill coveralls, some wearing khaki pants and fatigue hats. Theirs is the untold story of two nations creating a unique WWII fighting force made up of the hand-picked best from across North America who set the standard for todays Special Forces. Training lectures were given by veterans of overseas wars in the evenings from Monday to Friday. The FSSF was then moved to the Anzio beachhead, where it was assigned over 8 miles of the right flank with fewer than 1,100 men, facing a full division of 10,000 Nazi soldiers. After they secured the bridges, they quickly moved north in pursuit of the retreating Germans. (Special Forces carried the Ranger lineage from 1952 to 1958.) The plan for Operation Plough was given to Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower and ended up on the desk of one of his staff officers, Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick who reviewed it and reported to Eisenhower that it was militarily unworkable. Second 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. Forcemen were armed with a variety weapons, both standard issue and otherwise. German prisoners were often surprised at how few men the Force actually contained. ALL of the veterans who attended the CGM Ceremony - Photo by Eric Morgensen, Eugene Gutierrez and Charlie Mann accepting the CGM in behalf of the FSSF. The men climbed with ropes tied to one another in the freezing rain. MacWilliam. Under the Williamson-Wickham agreement, Canadian soldiers were issued and wore American uniforms. They entered combat on December 3, 1943 with a strength of 1,800 men, and completed their mission on January 17, 1944 with fewer than 500 men. This was the original goal Project Plough was designed to undertake, and with that the First Special Service Force lost its mission. In spring 1943, the Force underwent amphibious training at Norfolk, Virginia, for possible future amphibious operations. 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. Because of the high level of interest from both British and American leaders the Army adopted the plan and placed Frederick in charge because he was the man most familiar with the details. During Anzio, the 1st SSF fought for 99 days without relief. If you would like to see photos of them please check out the photo gallery. In 1942 a highly specialized joint Canadian-American force was created to undertake special operations in Europe. 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. 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. The unit wore red, white, and blue piping on their garrison cap and on the breast an oval (or trimming) behind their Parachutist Wings. General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, accepted the suggestion for Project Plough. They were taken in to families and some forty of the surviving original Forcemen, Canadian and U.S. alike, returned to Montanas Capital City following the war to marry and build families, businesses, even careers in the Montana National Guard. Once the British forces broke through the German lines at Monte Camino, the Force was ordered to attack their primary objective (Hill 907). In October 1943, the commander of the United States Fifth Army, Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark ordered the FSSF to Italy where its members demonstrated the value of their unique skills and training. MacWilliam (who would lead the 2nd Regiments assault on Remetanea) believed that the best way to approach the entrenched enemy was up an almost vertical escarpment over the right of the hill mass. Project PLOUGH was a 1942 unconventional operational concept proposed to the British government by Englishman Geoffery N. Pyke. For other uses, see. He named his new command the First Special Service Force (FSSF) with the thought the unusual name might suggest to German spies it was merely an entertainment troupe to raise the morale of soldiers. These men worked with partisans under the Guerrilla Command late in the Korean War. We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. (The Canadians did not officially become a unit until AprilMay 1943, under the designation, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion. To end the ceremony, the Canadian elements were dismissed by being honoured by the American troops with a Pass in Review, eyes right, officers salute. In lifestyle and appearance, he fit the common stereotype of a scientist-engineer-inventor or in British slang, a "boffin". He sold the idea to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General George C. Marshall during a planning conference in London. 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Colonel Frederick ran into battle and assisted the litter bearers in clearing the wounded Force members. 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 2 December, while the men were trained in mountain climbing and fighting tactics at their temporary barracks at Santa Maria. Joint U.S.-Canadian military unit in WWII, "Devil's Brigade" and "The Black Devils" redirect here. Standard boots were originally the same as those issued to parachuting regiments, but these were substituted with infantry combat boots in Italy. The Germans shot flares into the air and the battle began. 2) From October to November: unit tactics and problem solving. Former and active-duty SOF soldiers from both countries would like to honor the FSSF by hosting this anniversary event at Ft. Harrison, where the Force trained in 1942/1943. This allowed the combat units to focus on training while the Service Battalion handled work details, maintenance, administration, food services, etc. Eventually, it was decided that the uniforms would come from an American supplier and olive drab trousers and blouses were issued. It was awarded five U.S. Army campaign streamers and another ten by Canada. Called the Johnny Gun by Forcemen, the Johnson greatly increased the firepower of the unit and was highly regarded by those who used it in combat. It was at Anzio that the Germans dubbed the FSSF the Black Devils. There is no record of any German ever referring to the Force as The Devils Brigade. They were referred to as black devils because the Brigades members smeared their faces with black boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night. During the night of 4 June, members of the 1st SSF entered Rome, one of the first Allied units to do so. Pyke was invited to join Mountbatten's staff. Inspection teams also scoured the western camps for ideal candidates. He selected Fort William Henry Harrison just west of Helena, Montana, as the training venue. We were established in 1983 as a member-based, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Those chosen, owing to the secrecy of the mission, were often told that they had been selected to undergo training for a parachute unit. Due to a decision to raise an actual Canadian parachute battalion, the Canadian volunteers for Project Plough were also sometimes known unofficially as the "2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion". We never hear them come." Two uniform elements differentiated an American from a Canadian Force member: In July 1942, the Canadian Minister of National Defence, James Ralston, approved the assignment of 697 officers and enlisted men for Project Plough, under the guise that they were forming Canada's first airborne unit, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion (1CPB). However, massive allied artillery barrages and the flooding of both the Rapido and Garigliano rivers prevented the Germans from reforming. The three decades following Vietnam witnessed Special Forces participation in virtually every campaign fought by the U.S. Army. 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 marching styles and commands of the American and Canadian armies were mixed and uniforms were made identical. The men attacked one another with unsheathed bayonets as part of the training exercises and injuries were common. 3) From November to July: skiing, rock climbing, adaptation to cold climates and operation of the M29 Weasel. This legend was never verified as fact by any member of the brigade; however, the force was known as the Black Devils and as the Devil's Brigade. The First Special Service Force was activated on 9 July 1942 at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana. It also had a small Air Force Detachment and a Service Battalion. The basic concept, which came from the staff of Lord Louis Mountbattens Combined Operations Command, called for a force able to fight on land, on the sea, in the air, and in winter conditions. Due to a decision to raise an actual Canadian parachute battalion, the Canadian volunteers for Project Plough were also sometimes known unofficially as the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion. While its members remained part of the Canadian Army, subject to its code of discipline and paid by the Canadian government, they were to be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the U.S. Army. Despite being forty percent understrength, the Force effectively held thirteen kilometers of front for ninety-nine continuous days and even penetrated the German main line of resistance on occasion. The Montana winter could be counted on to provide plenty of snow for ski and snowshoe training while the frigid temperatures, often plunging to sub-zero temperatures, Fahrenheit, for days at a time, would acclimate the troops for what lay ahead. [20] 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. Special Forces traces its lineage to the First Special Service Force (FSSF), constituted on July 5, 1942. It got the attention of Chief of Combined Operations Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. 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 Remetanea. This was to have been a commando unit that could be landed, by sea or air, into occupied Norway, Romania and/or the Italian Alps on sabotage missions against hydroelectric plants and oil fields. Canadian bagpipers were put into American unit marching bands to play Reveille every morning. [21] 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. Ironically, Japanese forces had abandoned the islands due to lack of support from the Imperial Navy shortly before. [45] The entire length of Alberta Highway4 received the same name in 1999.[45]. The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) has a long and storied history serving the Nation during peacetime and war. Commands for marching, for example, had to be homogenized in order for the unit to operate in the field effectively. The Forcemen landed on the rocky shores of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands, only to discover the Japanese had secretly abandoned the island. It was also at Anzio that the FSSF 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 colloquially to The worst is yet to come. The Force trained with enemy weapons, taking them apart, reassembling and shooting them until they were as proficient with them as with their own. After receiving his orders, Frederick began to organize a staff, obtain American and Canadian volunteers, and locate a place to train the new unit. In the fall, a group of Norwegian Army ski troops arrived to teach the Forcemen cross country skiing. Firstly, he argued that Plough endeavored to achieve unrealistic objectives with the number of troops that the plan called for. As a light infantry unit destined for alpine or winter combat, various items of non-standard clothing, equipment and rations, including skis, parkas, haversacks and the mountain ration were issued. The first officer picked to lead the unit, Lieutenant Colonel Howard R. Johnson, did not get along well with Pyke. The letters called for single men, aged 2135 with three or more years of grammar school. The FSSF spearheaded the Italian Campaign, taking on the impossible task of clearing the Nazis from the mountains of the Winter Line. The men of the Service Battalion received high level infantry and physical training and the parachute riggers had airborne training. [3] In Romania, there were the strategically important Ploieti oil fields that met one quarter of the Germans' consumption, and Italian hydroelectric plants powered most of south German industry. [26], 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. With a new mission, the Force departed Fort Ethan Allen for San Francisco, arriving at the Port of Embarkation on Independence Day 1943 and on 10 July they sailed north. The FSSF was then moved to the Anzio beachhead, where it was assigned over 8 miles of the right flank with fewer than 1,100 men, facing a full division of 10,000 Nazi soldiers. Each regiment was led by a lieutenant colonel and 32 officers and boasted a force of 385 men. On the beachhead in Anzio, for example, a nighttime Force patrol walked into a German minefield and was pinned down by machine gun fire. They were relieved by the142nd Infantry. With that, the FSSF re-embarked troopships heading for San Francisco, arriving on 30 August and 1 September. This picture was in one of my grandparents photo albums. This unit, trained in amphibious, mountain, and airborne warfare was perhaps the most highly trained unit of its size . FSSF Roster of Men Here is a list of the men of the First Special Service Force.
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