First Special Service Force

The First Special Service Force

The First Special Service Force was a unique fighting force in many ways. Chiefly, and most famously thanks to the 1968 motion picture by United Artists, the force was bi-national, consisting of American and Canadian personnel. This unit, trained in amphibious, mountain, and airborne warfare was perhaps the most highly trained unit of its size to emerge from the Second World War.

Brief History

The genesis of the First Special Service Force was a British scientist who felt that mastery of the snows in Norway, through a specially designed vehicle, would permit Allied commandos to operate at will in that theatre and prevent the Germans from obtaining necessary raw materials from that area. The US War Office was convinced by the British Prime Minister, as well as the British Chief of Combined Operations (which oversaw commando training and operations), to develop such a machine. A joint force of specially trained light infantry from Canada and the United States were raised.

The proposed snow vehicle did in fact come into production, however the M29 "Weasel" never saw action in Norway, nor did the Canadian-American commandos expected to use it ever become issued with one.

	Training in Montana, men of the 1SSF show their skill at skiing and parachute jumping. The Force was entirely equipped by the US Army, including weapons like the M1 Garand rifles shown here.

The commando force became known as the First Special Service Force, and was raised at Helena Montana under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick of the US Army, with a Canadian as second in command. Approximately half the leadership positions in this force were occupied by Canadians, with about 1/3 of the unit's personnel drawn from the Canadian Army. Conceptually the unit was a Brigade, though in terms of actual numbers, the unit was organized much differently (see below). Administratively, the Canadian component of the Force was known, at least in Ottawa, as the Second Canadian Parachute Battalion. On 1 May 1943, the commander of the Canadian contingent began signing the unit's war diary as the CO of the "1st Canadian Special Service Battalion."

Entrance standards were high, and during the initial period of training, from July 1942 to the summer of 1943, was rigorous. All members of the Force became proficient in winter operations, including skiing, as well as parachute jumping (every man in the Force was a qualified parachutist) and amphibious operations. The FSSF, training in Virginia in mid 1943, bested even the leading Marine units in embarkation drills. Hand to hand combat training was emphasized, as was work with demolitions. The average age of the Force was a little higher than regular infantry, and most of the Forcemen had been non-commissioned officers prior to reassignment. The Force was thus very mature in outlook, and their growing skills were a testament to that.

The Force participated in the Aleutians Campaign in August 1943; the Japanese had captured several islands here during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. By this time, the Force's expected mission - a large raid on Norway - had been cancelled. The Japanese had deserted the Aleutians, however, and the Forcemen saw no combat there.

In Nov 1943, the FSSF was on the other side of the world, reassigned to the United States Fifth Army, which was fighting its way north through the rugged mountainous terrain of Italy. After a 12 day attack was stopped cold at Monte la Difensa, the Force went in and cleared the veteran German 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment from the summit, a feat immortalized in the 1968 motion picture The Devil's Brigade.

At Mount Sammucro, their next major battle, the Germans granted them the nickname which later served as the title of that film, individually referring to the Forcemen as "Black Devils." Monte Majo followed in January 1944, but by 8 January, after roughly two months in combat, the 1,800 men making up the combat strength of the Force had dropped to just over 500.

At the end of January, the Force was ordered to the Anzio beachhead, where for 90 days they occupied defensive positions making up a large part of the entire perimeter. They patrolled aggressively, with the crack Hermann Goering Division opposite them. Replacements arrived during their time in the beachhead, and on 23 May 1944 the now-recovered FSSF moved forward again, leading the advance of VI Corps to Rome and the Advance to the Tiber in June.

In August 1944, the Force was able to use its amphibious skills during the landings on islands flanking the invasion beaches in Southern France as part of Operation DRAGOON. The unit then fell under the operational control of the 1st Airborne Task Force, clearing the French coastline east to the Italian border. It was their last major mission, and in December 1944, with the need for specialized forces waning, the Force was disbanded. The Canadians went largely to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, the Americans to the 474th Infantry (Separate) Regiment, or to US parachute units. The 474th ironically finished the war in Norway.

Organization

The FSSF was outfitted entirely by the US, with uniforms, equipment and weapons. In some ways they were similarly outfitted to US parachute units, however, there were also major differences, as outlined below.

The Force itself was equal to an over-strength Canadian Infantry Brigade (equivalent to a US or German Regiment), consisting of three "Regiments" divided each into two battalions, as thus:

• First Special Service Force

  • First Regiment

    • 1st Battalion

      • Company

      • Company

      • Company

      • Company

    • 2nd Battalion

      • (as above)

  • Second Regiment

    • (as above)

  • Third Regiment

    • (as above)

  • Service Battalion

    • Maintenance Company

    • Service Company

    • Military Police Platoon

    • Forward Air Controllers

Each "Regiment" of two battalions only consisted of about 600 men at full strength, with companies of about 100. The Force was short on supply troops, though the integral Service Battalion was a unique concept at the time of its introduction in 1942. The goal was to have all non-combat personnel at the Brigade headquarters.

• FSSF Company

  • HQ Platoon

  • 1st Platoon

  • 2nd Platoon

  • 3rd Platoon

The platoon commander (a lieutenant) would be armed most likely with a carbine and .45 calibre pistol, and would have two sections under his command. The section is described as being twelve men led by a Staff Sergeant. The two sections had a section leader with a Thompson SMG, a BAR Gunner, nine M-1 Garands, a Johnson LMG, and either a Bazooka or a 60mm Mortar.

Support Units

As the FSSF was a light infantry unit, it required heavier support units on occasion.

456th Parachute Artillery Battalion

The FSSF arrived in the Anzio beachhead with this unit attached as "semi-permanent" fire support. The battalion was comprised of three batteries, each with 4 x M1A1 75mm pack howitzers. It also had an anti-tank platoon of four x M3A1 37mm anti-tank guns.

• Battalion Headquarters

  • Security (two Trucks, two .50 calibre Heavy Machine Guns)

  • Signals, Supply, Maintenance

• 75mm Battery

  • Section (2xJeeps, 2x75mm Guns)

  • Section (2xJeeps, 2x75mm Guns)

• 75mm Battery (as above)

• 75mm Battery (as above)

• Anti-Tank Platoon

  • (4xJeeps, 4x37mm AT Gun)

Ranger Gun Company (Anzio)

Also while at Anzio, the FSSF acquired a Gun Company from Darby's Rangers; this consisted of 4 x T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage halftracks.

81st Reconnaissance Battalion

This battalion (part of the 1st US Armored Division) was sometimes used in support of the FSSF, and probably operated with one recon company (as shown below) in support of each FSSF battalion. The 81st Reconaissance Battalion used M8 Greyhound armoured cars, M5A1 Stuart light tanks, the M19 60mm mortar, and the 1/4 ton truck (both armed and unarmed).

Jeep	MG Jeep	M8 Greyhound	M5A1

• Recon Company

  • Armoured Car Platoon

    • 3 x M8 Greyhound

    • 3 x Jeep (MG)

    • 3 x Jeep

    • 3 x 60mm Mortar

  • Light Tank Platoon

    • 5 x M5A1 Light Tank

  • Sardinian Mule Company

Uniforms

The Force used American uniforms and equipment primarily, including some distinctive badges.

US Army officers' Class "A" Jacket with unit insignia of the First Special Service Force.

US Army Enlisted Mens' Class "A" Jacket with unit insignia of the First Special Service Force.

In action, the Force wore standard US Army combat clothing, with some special items such as the fur edged parka shown here. Lieutenant J. Kostelec of Calgary and Lieutenant H.C. Wilson of Washington state rest on the steps of the Force's Clearing Station, near Venafro, Italy, in Jan 1944. PAC Photo.

Charles L Stewart, at right, in the uniform of the FSSF, with his brother who was in the RCAF. Photo courtesy of William Stewart.

Insignia

Collar Badges

On the "Ike" Jacket or Class "A" uniform, a circular CANADA disc was worn in place of the U.S. disc normally worn by Enlisted Men. On the opposite collar, a crossed arrows disc was worn by Enlisted Men. 1

Officers wore a pair of straight CANADA badges in brass in place of the U.S. worn by American officers, with a crossed arrows badge worn below on the lower lapels. At left is a repro badge, courtesy Ted Harris. 2

At far left, an original Canada disc, a screw back design, made in Montreal by William Scully. To its right, a reproduction disc, courtesy of Ted Harris.

Buttons

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia

On the shirt and the field jacket, a shoulder patch (referred to as a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or SSI, in American terminology) depicting a red arrowhead with the USA and CANADA stitched in white was used. Per US custom, the patch was worn on the wearer's upper left sleeve.³

Grimshaw also identified the formation patch worn on Kiska as an FSSF item of dress.4 Badges at right courtesy Bill Alexander.

Fourragere

A third item of distinction was a red/white/blue braided shoulder cord worn with the dress uniform. The cord was often jokingly referred to by Forcemen as indicating they belonged to a unit of barbers. The unit's name, "Special Service Force", was deliberately selected by Colonel Frederick as being vague, perhaps even easily confused with "Special Services" who provided amenities to soldiers in the field.⁵

Parachute Oval

Reproduction parachute oval, courtesy Ted Harris. The ovals were used to back the US metal jump wings.6

US Battle Honours

As Awarded By The American Government

• Pacific Theater

  • Aleutians Campaign

  • Kiska-Little Kiska August 15-19, 1943

  • Segula Island August 17, 1943

• Mediterranean Theater

  • Naples-Foggia Campaign

    • Monte la Difensa December 3-6, 1943

    • Monte la Remetanea December 6-9, 1943

    • Height 720 (Monte Sammucro) December 25, 1943

    • Radicosa January 4, 1944

    • Monte Majo January 6, 1944

    • Monte Vischiataro January 8, 1944

    • Mussolini Canal (Anzio) February 2 - May 10, 1944

    • Monto Arrestino May 25, 1944

    • Rocca Massima May 27, 1944

    • Colle Ferro June 2, 1944

  • Rome-Arno Campaign

    • Rome June 4, 1944

  • Southern France Campaign

    • Ille d'Hyeres August 14-17, 1944

    • Grasse August 27, 1944

    • Villeneuve-Loubet August 30, 1944

    • Vence September 1, 1944

    • Drap September 3, 1944

    • L'Escarene September 5, 1944

    • La Turbie September 6, 1944

    • Menton September 7, 1944

Canadian Battle Honours

• Monte Majo

• Monte Camino

• Monte la Difensa-Monte la Remetanea

• Anzio

• Rome

• Advance to the Tiber

• Italy 1943-44

• Southern France

• North-West Europe 1944

Legacy

The First Special Service Force was perpetuated by both The Canadian Airborne Regiment and the United States Army Special Forces (commonly known as the "Green Berets"), both created in the 1960s. Bi- or Multi-national forces since the Second World War seem to be fairly uncommon, particularly with regards to special forces units.

Bibliography

• Adleman, Robert H. The Devil's Brigade Toronto, ON: Bantam Books of Canada, 1967

• Burhans, Robert D. The First Special Service Force: A War History of the North Americans 1942-1944 Nashville, TN: Battery Press, 1981

• Coottingham, Peter Layton. Once Upon A Wartime Neepawa, MB: P.L. Cottingham, 1996

• Horn, Bernd and Michel Wyczynski Hook-Up! The Canadian Airborne Compendium: A Summary of Major Airborne Activities, Exercises and Operations, 1940-2000. (Vanwell Publishing Ltd., St. Catharine's ON, 2003) ISBN: 1551250713 252pp.

• Peppard, Herb. The Lighthearted Soldier: A Canadian's Exploits with the Black Devils in WW II Halifax, NS: Nimbus Publishing Ltd., 1994

• Ross, Robert Todd. The Supercommandos: First Special Service Force, 1942-1944 An Illustrated History, Atglen, PA: Schiffer, Publishing Ltd., 2000

• Swann, Steven. "The Devil's Brigade: Reference Notes for ASL" in ASL Annual '90, The Avalon Hill Game Company, Baltimore, MD, 1990.

Dramatic Portrayals

The Devil's Brigade (United Artists, 1968)