Tag Archives: First Special Service Force

Devil’s Brigade awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Forty-two members of the legendary First Special Service Force, better known as the Devil’s Brigade, attended a ceremony in Washington DC on Feb. 3, 2015 to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.  The First Special Service Force was a joint Canadian-American group of commandoes trained to drop behind enemy lines in occupied Norway during World War II. Fourteen of the attendees at the ceremony were Canadians.

FSSF ski training
Ski Training along the Continental Divide at Blossburg, Montana

When the mission to Norway was called off, the Forcemen were sent to assault the Japanese held island of Kiska in the Aleutians, then were sent to the mountains of Italy. In Italy they climbed the German held mountains of Monte La Difensa and Mount Radicosa.

The Devil's Brigade at Anzio
A Devil’s Brigade outpost at Anzio.

During the landing at Anzio, the Forcemen mounted large-scale night raids into German territory, their faces blackened by shoe-polish. German soldiers, terrified by their commando tactics and night raids, dubbed them the “Black Devils.” They eventually led the Allied advance into Rome.

The First Special Service Force participated in the invasion of Southern France, but was disbanded December 5, 1944, with the Canadians returning to their own army.

The surviving members of the Devil’s Brigade who were unable to attend the ceremony in Washington will receive their Congressional Gold Medals at a ceremony in Helena during the summer of 2015. Stay tuned for more information.

Suicide Mission: The Devil’s Brigade

Learn more about the Devil’s Brigade here.

Last two members of the Devil’s Brigade pass away in Helena

 

 

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Last two members of the “Devil’s Brigade” in Montana passed away last week

This week I learned of the death of Joe Glass and Mark Radcliffe, the last two members of the First Special Service Force living in Montana. Glass, originally from Canada, was 92, while Radcliffe was 94. Both men had lived in Helena for many years. Both men were heroes who saw too many of their friends and comrades killed in Italy and France. I mentioned Radcliffe in both editions of Montana’s Home Front During World War II. Radcliffe was also mentioned several times in “The Devil’s Brigade” by Robert H. Adleman and Col. George Walton. If you would like more information on the First Special Service Force, see my previous post, Suicide Mission: The First Special Service Force. The full story on the death of Glass and Radcliffe can found at the Helena Independent-Record.

FSSF
Joe Glass (l.) and Mark Radcliffe of the First Special Service Force

Senator Max Baucus introduced a Senate Resolution to honor the First Special Service Force in September, 2012.

My article on the history of the First Special Service Force can be seen here.

For more information, check out Montana’s Home Front During World War II.

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Just released! Montana’s Home Front During World War II, 2nd Ed.

Montana's Home Front During World War IIGet Your Copy of

Montana’s Home Front During World War II, 2nd Edition

  Look for it in a bookstore near you!

Published by Big Elk Books 2012
ebook versions available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

This compelling account of Montana’s contribution to the war effort covers personal stories, local politics, industry, agriculture, education, sports, and social life during the upheaval of a world-wide conflict. Montana’s Home Front During World War II is the tale of ordinary citizens who came together to support their sons and daughters overseas, and the tens of thousands of residents who left the Treasure State to serve their country in the military and defense plants. Those who remained planted Victory Gardens, purchased record amounts of war bonds, and endured the hardships brought about by war-time shortages and rationing. This highly-readable account is the most comprehensive look at Montana during the early 1940s, and the tremendous sacrifices made by ordinary people to support their country in time of war. Originally published in 1994, this revised edition of the classic Montana’s Home Front During World War IIincludes many rare and previously unpublished photographs.

Features:

  • The training of the First Special Service Force “Devil’s Brigade” at Fort Harrison.

  • The construction of Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Great Falls based Lend-Lease operation to aid the Soviet Union.

  • The experience of hundreds of Italian and Japanese civilians who languished behind barbed wire at the Fort Missoula Detention Center.

  • The hellish fighting encountered in the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines by the 163rd Infantry Regiment (Montana National Guard).

  • The terrors of night combat as the crew of the USS Helena battled Japanese ships in the treacherous waters near Guadalcanal.

Look inside the book.

Was Senator B.K. Wheeler duped into revealing America’s top-secret war plan, the Victory Program, just days before Pearl Harbor? Did the Soviets run a nationwide spy ring from an Air Force Base in Montana? The answers to these and many other questions are answered in Montana’s Home Front During World War II 2nd ed. Gary Glynn examines in detail the impact of the Second World War on Montana politics, industry, agriculture, education, sports, and crime.

Train with the Canadian-American commandos of the First Special Service Force “the Devil’s Brigade” as they become a superb fighting unit at Fort Harrison. Languish behind barbed wire at the Fort Missoula Detention Center with hundreds of Italian and Japanese civilians. Pick sugar beets alongside German prisoners of war and American college students from Sidney to Stevensville.

Fight alongside the men of the 163rd Infantry Regiment (Montana National Guard) in the hellish jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines, at Sanananda, Aitape, Wakde, Jolo and Zamboanga. Experience the terrors of night combat as the crew of the USS Helena battle Japanese ships near Cape Esperance and Guadalcanal. Cheer as the 5th Marines raise the USS Missoula’s flag over Iwo Jima.

Far from the famous World War II battlefields of European theater and the Pacific, many ordinary Montanans made tremendous sacrifices to support the war effort. Tens of thousands of residents left the Treasure State to serve their country or work in defense plants. Those who remained purchased record numbers of war bonds, planted Victory Gardens, and endured the hardships brought about by war-time shortages and rationing. Available in print and ebook formats.

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