(photo by Bob: 2007-08-10 - explore)
The Devil's Brigade
I went out for a quiet paddle on Corry Lake last Friday. Sure was busy out there, what with the heavy machine gun fire, the explosions, the parachute drops and the fighter jets.
I subsequently learned that this was part of a military demonstration honouring visiting Canadian and American veterans of the First Special Service Force -- The Devil's Brigade -- on the occasion of their 61st reunion. The First Special Service Force was a joint U.S.-Canadian unit that fought with valor and distinction in the Italian Campaign of the Second World War. A summary of their battle record can be found on the Veteran's Affairs Canada website. Another -- probably less reliable -- history is the 1968 movie, The Devil's Brigade, starring William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Vince Edwards, Andrew Prine and Claude Akins.
The Canadian Special Operations Regiment, based in Petawawa, has been recently formed as part of the Canadian Special Operations Force Command. The Command can trace its roots back to the Devil's Brigade and hopes to be able to formally accept the unit's battle honours and lineage.