The Devil’s Brigade: The First Special Service Force

by Sarah Bseirani, posted in Photographs, Still Pictures, U.S. Army, World War II
The First Special Service Force, a Joint U.S.-Canadian Fighting Unit: The insignia of the First Special Service Force, composed of US and Canadian soldiers in training at Ft. William Henry Harrison, Montana, is an Indian spearhead of deep red with the “USA” and “Canada” forming a white T against the background. The patch is worn on the left shoulder of the soldier, who is shown here sewing the coveted emblem to his blouse. The braided cord, of red, white and blue also signifies the wearer as a member of “the force.” 1943. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-187847-S.

World War II set the stage for the union of American and Canadian commandos into an elite military unit – the First Special Service Force. “The Devil’s Brigade,” as they soon came to be called, was created by Major Robert T. Frederick and activated on July 9, 1942.

The unit’s supplies – including uniforms, food, and equipment – would be funded by the U.S. Army, while the Canadian soldiers would be paid by the Canadian government. Initially, the unit would be half Canadians, including the command, officers, and enlisted. However, as the war progressed, the Canadian cohort fell to roughly one-third due to casualties and lack of availability of Canadian replacements.

The First Special Service Force–only Army unit composed of and officered by Canadian and U.S. soldiers, in training at Fort William Henry Harrison, Montana, under the command of Col. R.T. Frederick. These two groups have been successfully welded into a unified group: This group of parachutists wave and yell encouragement to a group about to board a transport while awaiting their turn. 1944. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-189158.
Jumping Doctors: Doctors of the join U.S. Canadian First Special Service Force practice the jump exit from a grounded transport plane at Ft. William Henry Harrison, center of training for the paratroops of the Force. Capt. George F. Evashwick, Turtle Creek, PA, Paratroop Field Surgeon, is jumping, while other doctors look on and await their turn. 1943. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-187744-S.

The US volunteers were officers who originated from Fort Belvoir and Fort Benning. The rigorous selection process excluded married men, and preferred occupations with an outdoor focus such as hunters, lumberjacks, and explorers. Once selected, they were not told the exact details of their new orders due to closely held secrecy surrounding the unit. However, they would soon learn their new positions as they arrived at Fort William Henry Harrison in Helena, Montana, for training.

The Force included three regiments who began their training on a tight schedule. They trained in a variety of skills such as jumping from planes, weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat, and skiing. Their training was designed to prepare them for deployment to mountainous, winter-weather areas.

The rugged terrain near Ft. William Henry Harrison, Montana, affords excellent practice for the para-skitroopers of the joint U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force in training there. Local Identifier Number: 111-C-3120.

Despite the winter uniforms of parkas and ski pants, the U.S. Army soldiers originally wore their standard-issue uniforms, while the Canadians initially arrived in a variety of uniforms such as kilts, shorts, and assorted headwear depending on their origins. Shortly after the unit’s formation, all members – both American and Canadian alike – donned uniforms from an American supplier. With that, however, Canadians and Americans would be told apart by their collar insignia and dog tags.

Even after the activation and training of the unit, the command met difficulty with ensuring both Americans and Canadians understood the commands and procedures. Each country’s techniques differed, so the two styles mixed to better serve the operations of the unit.

Infantry on Patrol in Italy. There is nothing in front of the Infantry in battle except the enemy. The Infantry leads the way to attack and bears the brunt of the enemy’s attack. The primary purpose of the Infantry is to close with the enemy in hand-to-hand fighting. Men of this Infantry patrol, one of the many that made possible the present offensive in Italy by feeling out the enemy and discovering his defensive strength, skirt a mine field along the barbed wire as they advance on a farmhouse containing Nazis, in the Anzio area, Italy. Fifth Army, April 14, 1944. 1st Special Service Force Patrol. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-189580-S.

Once training was complete, the unit saw action. First, they traveled to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska in July 1943 to combat any threat of Japanese forces. Following that, the First Special Service Force embarked to Italy in November 1943 where they would spend the bulk of their time during the war. The unit used their training in mountainous warfare, as well as their hand-to-hand combat skills, to repel Nazi forces.

After their time in Italy, the Devil’s Brigade traveled to southern France and participated in Operation Dragoon in August 1944, which followed the famed D-Day invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Overlord.

Infantry on Patrol in Italy. There is nothing in front of the Infantry in battle except the enemy. The Infantry leads the way to attack and bears the brunt of the enemy’s attack. The primary purpose of the Infantry is to close with the enemy in hand-to-hand fighting. On a side of a house, tommy gunners of this Infantry patrol, one of the many patrols that made possible the present offensive in Italy by feeling out the enemy and discovering his defensive strength, fire from the window of an adjoining building to blast Nazis out. The scene is 400 yards from the enemy lines in the Anzio area, Italy. Fifth Army, April 14, 1944. 1st Special Service Force Patrol. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-189582-S.

The First Special Service Force was disbanded on December 5, 1944 in France. Frederick, the unit’s founder and commander, believed the unit’s specialized training was no longer utilized in their assignments. Unfortunately, this was likely true as the newer recruits were not subjected to the same rigorous training the first members originally undertook. The now disbanded members were then sent to other American and Canadian units as replacements.

Nettuno Area, Italy. Three men of the 1st Special Service Force have been presented the Silver Star at their headquarters on the 3rd Division front. U.S. Fifth Army. March 14, 1944. Local Identifier Number: 111-SC-244751.

Following their heroism, the First Special Service Force received numerous awards. They were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, the Croix de Guerre, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Then in 2015, the unit was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

The Still Picture Branch houses numerous photographs of the First Special Service Force within the photographic records of the U.S. Army Signal Corps (111-SC). Samples of these photographs are included throughout this post. The photographs included in this post are considered US Government records and are therefore within the public domain. If you have any questions about the images in this post or the holdings of the Still Picture Branch, please contact us at stillpix@nara.gov.

Sources

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4 thoughts on “The Devil’s Brigade: The First Special Service Force”

  1. Great article! I just watched the movie this weekend for the first time and I was curious about the real story.

  2. My Dad joined the outfit after Anzio and later went to Norway when the unit disbanded. I never talked about it but got a bronze star. Is there someway to find out more about him and others in the FSSF?

    1. Thank you for your comment! The best way to find out more about a specific unit is to look into their Unit History records. The Archives II Textual Reference Branch houses various unit histories of Army units, and can be contacted for assistance at archives2reference@nara.gov. You can also find more information about unit records through a post on History Hub at https://historyhub.history.gov/military-records/army-and-air-force-records/b/army-air-force-blog/posts/wwii-military-unit-records-at-the-national-archives.

      Additionally, if you have not done so already, you can request your father’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), which likely contains additional details about his service. For more information about how to request personnel records from the National Archives’ National Personnel Record Center (NPRC), please visit our website here: https://www.archives.gov/veterans. Specifically, members of the military who separated between 1962-present can be found at the NPRC, while those who separated between 1912-1961 can be found at the National Archives at St. Louis. Please note that in 1973 a fire at the NPRC unfortunately destroyed a large number of US Army and US Air Force personnel records. You can find more information at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973.

      We hope this helps in your research!

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