Interesting that they were actually known as "The Black Devils". A few more little snippets about the movie: Anachronisms: Postwar national boundaries on the wall map. Anachronisms: The leather gear used by the Brigade in the film (boots, pistol holsters, etc.) is black; black leather gear wasn't adopted by the US Army until the late 1950s. Anachronisms: The Canadian flag shown in the ceremony near the end of the film wasn't adopted until 1964. At the time depicted in the movie, Canada still used a "modified Union Jack" type of flag called the Red Ensign. Anachronisms: All of the American officers, when wearing neckties are wearing Army Green neckties. They should be wearing khaki ties. Army Green did not come along until well after WW II. The enlisted men are all wearing the proper ties. Factual errors: Although the crossed-arrows insignia worn in the film by the First Special Service Force were fact, the red berets were pure fiction. All members of the Force eventually wore U.S. Army dress uniforms with U.S. paratrooper boots and distinctive red,white, and blue braided shoulder loops, overseas cap piping, and parachute wing backings.
It irritates me that they changed the history of unit around so. The US contingent wasn't the conglomeration of malcontents, jail-birds and thugs as were protrayed in the movie. The movie was fun to watch though, even the highly fictitious scene showing the capturing of the Italian town when the German commander is getting his bath and dresses in his uniform.
Not their only cinematic outing - Peter Falk's scout character in Anzio is a Black Devil, and a posse of them likkered up appear in the party scene at the beginning of the movie. As an aside - Anzio has to be THE finest film ever made for mistakes and anachronisms! And Legendary for the most famous use of molegrips (close to a motorcyclists' heart!) in history...
Not their only cinematic outing - Peter Falk's scout character in Anzio is a Black Devil, and a posse of them likkered up appear in the party scene at the beginning of the movie. As an aside - Anzio has to be THE finest film ever made for mistakes and anachronisms! And Legendary for the most famous use of molegrips (close to a motorcyclists' heart!) in history... I'm not 100% sure I want to know but .....how were the molegrips used in the film? CS
Unfortunately I don't have a screenshot - but if you have a copy of the film...look closely at the "Loudspeaker tank" when the Rangers are ambushed...
Peter, A great link to read about the Devils Brigade. Sounded like a really tough outfit and very high on the casualty rate! Regards Tom
Name & Battle Honours Revived The Canadian Government announced that the secret counter-terrorist and special operations unit known by the rather inglorious name of Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2) will be renamed after the Canadian component of the wartime FSSF, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion (Devils Brigade). Likewise, the newly created Canadian Special Operations Regiment will be renamed 2nd CSS Battalion. With these names come the many battle-honours, unit lineage, and traditions of the Force. This recognition of the achievements and heroism of Canadians within the Force will be welcomed by veterans who, as both of these new books acknowledge, often felt swallowed by the United States Army and forgotten by their own nation. Canadian Virtual Military Museum
The bartender reaching over the bar and punching one of the lumberjacks in the brawl was Gene Fullmer, former undisputed middleweight champ.
Well worth one's time: The Devil’s Brigade: How this Second World War elite commando unit became the first of its kind
Wife's uncle Wilfred Brousseau was in the Devil's Brigade. After the war he recounted the story of one of his exploits right under the eyes of German officers at the Monte Carlo casino. See attached article from the Ottawa Evening Citizen Newspaper, August, 1945.
I would just like to say that i do have a book that goes by the title: The Devil's Brigade by Robert H. Adleman and Col; George Walton. Chilton Books a division of Chilton Company Publishers Philadelphia . New York. Simultaneously in Toronto, Canada in 1966. What a cracking book. The First Special Service Brigade.. I call them the headless chickens. Here, then, is the story of the First Special Service Force, a military unit also known as "The Thugs," "The Braves," and, most durably, "The Devil's Brigade." It is told, as nearly as possible, if not in the actual words, at least in the spirit of the men who were there. It should be repeated again that there is not one (undocumented) sentence in this book. If it reads as if it were wildly implausible, so was the Devil's Brigade. I nearly misted this book at £12.00. I do doff my cap to these chaps. In short from page 166 The Black Devils of Anzio was selected to hold 13 kilometers on the southern flank of the 52 Kilometer Anzio-Nettuno Front. The words of that chap called Mark Wayne Clark. General, U.S.A. (ret.) They was then over 35 per cent under strength. Stu.
Interesting piece of history. Thanks for the info. My father was in 1st Ranger Btn and went into the FSSF HQ Service Co after Casino. Truck/Ambulance driver. I can spend hours digging for info in this FSSF site. First Special Service Force FSSFHomepage01 November 26, 1944, Field, Southern France Cloudy some rain cool. 2nd Regt move postponed 24 hrs. Very few troops moved back today. Some artillery fire on the line last night. The Officers dinner and dance staged by 463 Pct F.A. Bn to which our officers and friends (girls of course) were invited was very successful. It was held in Beauesoleil near Monte Carlo the forbidden city.
See the Files below: It looks has if some of the chaps that are mentioned in your second link have contributed to the book i mention. Not really had the chance to read through all of the link. Click on images if required. The second link does look good & rather detailed. Thanks for providing it. Regards, Stu.
Berhan's book is supposed to be the FSSF Bible but my dad's name is not in it. I have documents prooving he was. He is in the addendum. Just saying in five years of researching to track down my father's stories and the stories of the men he was with I find as many mistakes of what happened as there are in the movies. When I get back to a computer I'll check back in with you.
I see Sheldon Sommers name in the page. He was the Doc who pulled my dad off the line in the Chiunzi Pass and Dad spent the rest of the war with him. He had an interesting post war life. I've communicated with his niece who spoke of he as a quiet and kind man. He gave her $20 million but I believe he was from my research on him. I have a copy of a hand written letter he sent to John Hummer, author of "An Infantryman's Journal". Hummer was in the same Range company as my father. This is what is in the letter. Trying to persuade another Ranger who had seen and done more than enough that is was time move away from the front.
Alas, the movie is not very good. It has some fine actors (Holden, Robertson, Vince Edwards, Jeremy Slate, Richard Jaeckel, my dad's old buddy Claude Akins) but they are stick with a bad, cliched script and pedestrian direction, to say nothing of the anachronisms. The picture never comes close to doing adequate justice to one of the finest outfits Yet the movie has one genuinely fine moment, when the Canadians arrive at the camp. I had never heard "Scotland the Brave" before I saw this scene, and when I heard it and saw the scene I also got for a few fleeting moments some sense of just how good the Canadian Army was.
One of my best online pals had a relative in the Rangers at Chiunzi Pass. He was quite a character, a real wild man who never fit in anywhere. He was killed in Italy.
I'd be interested in knowing the name of the Ranger to learn his Btn and Co. My dad was 1C. There is a FB page for relatives of the WWII Rangers. Your friend might find his relatives name listed in this searchable database. Search Page
