Transcripts of accounts and recollections of 15 Canadian veterans regarding their personal experiences and observations during their service with the FSSF, 1942-1944. The veterans are: Vernon J. Doucette, D.M. Lloyd Dunlop, Eugene Forward, Bert Hopkins, Joe T. Jamieson; Peter Kroll, William, Sam McGee, Paul Schoeler, Charlie Mann, John Rowe, Paul Schoeler, Peter Smith, Bill Story, Jim Summerside, and George Wright.
A veterans “quote list” organized by subject matter from our interview records documenting their personal experiences during their service with the FSSF, 1942-1944.
Two articles on the 1 CSSBN role and service with the FSSF, 1942-1944.
Consists of multi-media records that document the Battalion’s administrative activities with The Minister of National Defence; the Chief of Defence Staff; NDHQ staff, Ottawa; CMHQ staff, London, England; 6th Airborne Headquarters, Adlershot, England; Battalion and sub-unit airborne/parachute training in Canada; The U.S., Fort Benning, Georgia; Aldershot, England; Combat operations, D-Day jump, 6 June 1944 and subsequent operations in Normandy, France; Emergency deployment and operations in the Ardennes, “The Battle of the Bulge”, Belgium; Deployment and operations to Holland; the Rhine Jump, 22 March 1945; Advance into Germany and the race to Wismar; repatriation to Canada and the Battalion’s disbandment.
The 1 CSSBN personnel were selected, recruited, integrated and served in a new American Army unit. Together with their American counterparts they trained and fought as the First Special Service Force, (FSSF), “The Devil’s Brigade”, 1942-1944. Records and photographs document the 1 CSSBN personnel’s selection in Canada; training in various U.S. Army and Naval bases; Fort William Henry Harrison, Helena, Montana; Camp Bradford, Naval Operational Base, Norfolk, Virginia; Fort Ethan Allen, Burlington, Vermont; Camp Stoneman, California; Camp Patrick Henry, Norfolk, Virginia. Also documented are military operations in the Pacific Theatre - Aleutians Campaign; the Mediterranean Theater – Naples – Foggia Campaign; Rome-Arno Campaign; Southern France Campaign; the European Theatre – Franco-Italian Border; the disbandment of the FSSF and the disbandment of the 1 CSSBN.
Records document the Battalion’s daily activities.
Consists of:
Review regarding the Rwanda 1991-1994 genocide. Deployment of the United Assistance Mission in Rwanda, (UNAMIR) of which Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire was Commander. Actions and incidents involving this force
Consists of records related to the following:
No 1 Airborne Research Development Center, August 1945.
Rivers, Shilo, Manitoba.
Canadian Joint Air Training Centre, 1945.
Canadian Special Air Services Company, 1947-1948.
Canadian Airborne Centre, 1948.
Airborne Logistics, 1950’s.
Signs and motto of Airborne Forces.
The Airborne Bridge, by B.A.J. Franklin, unpublished manuscript. (Cdn SAS Coy).
28 Central Ordnance Depot, 1953
Mobile Striking Force, (MSF) Parachute Jump Battalions, 1947 – 1958.
Mobile Striking Force Battalions’ annual historical reports. 1, 2 Bns PPCLI; 2,3 Bns R22R.
Mobile Striking Force exercises, 1969-1960.
Defence of Canada Force (DCF), 1958 – 1965.
Force Mobile Command (FMC), 1966-1967.
Medical problems caused by parachute training.
Series contains materials pertaining to the First Special Service Force battalion (Also known as the "Devil's Brigade" or the "Black Devils"). This includes military documents regarding the organization of the FSSF, their campaign operations, interviews, etc.
Consists of accounts and recollections of 23 Canadian and American veterans regarding their personal experiences and observations during their service with the FSSF, 1942-1944. The veterans are: Don Ballantyne, Ralph Wilson Becket, Cyrill Boisse, Robert Davis, Tom Gilday, Herb Goodwin, Mark Radcliffe, Emil Eschenberg, Donald J. Green, Dick Hilton, Joe Jamieson, Donald Mackinnon, L.J. Martin, J.D. Mitchell, Ray Routhier, John Schuetz, W.G. Sheldon, Gordon Sims, Ed Thomas, two unidentified veterans, Henley Wood, George Wright.