Special Services (Devils Brigade)

I am looking for any information regarding this division and specifically 1st Company 3rd Regiment insurgence across France to Mortola around early to mid-September. My dear friend is tracing her heritage and is going to visit the stones at Juno Beach, Marseilles next June. She is looking for anyone who has information or knowledge of an uncle known as S Sgt Edward Armatto who served in the Special Services and was KIA 16th September 1944.

I would appreciate your help

 

Go to ww2 general thread and in the search at top of page put in first special service forces there is some useful info and links

 

You might want to check out this site if you havent already. They may have better info on what you are looking for if you contact them.

http://firstspecialserviceforce.net/

http://firstspecialserviceforce.net/FSSF_Members_pg1.html

 

Hi Alex,

I wrote about the First Special Service Forces on this thread http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-general/24128-first-special-service-forces.html it includes the link to FSSFHomepage01 in the In Memorium section it lists S. Sgt. E.A. Armatta, September 16, 1944. The transcription on the homepage of the unit diary states the following for the dates around September 16, 1944.

September 14, 1944, Nice, France
Clear and cool. Major Biscoe spent the day at Dragingnon checking with the 51st
Evacuation Hospital for Cdn admissions, discharges and transfers. They handle all
personnel evacuated from this sector and either return them to duty when recovered
or send them to a convalescent Hosp or evacuate them to the interior (at present
Italy). They send all there returns to 7th Army but as yet the unit has been given not
information except for 1 D.O.W., and also checking with the American Military
Cemetery for Cdns buried there, found one officer who had been buried 27 Aug. No
information had been sent by the hospital in which he died and burial returns always
take along time to come through. The Br. Graves Registration were going to send
the effects to Cairo, having no other instructions. They were asked to obtain
authority to send them to 2 Ech and the effects they had were brought to the unit for
shipment to 2 Ech.

September 15, 1944, Nice, France
Bright and cool. The Heinie one man submarines keep turning up. They don't seem
to do much damage and several have been destroyed. A Frenchman suspected of
espionage was brought in and put in the stockade until he sobers up.

September 16, 1944, Nice, France
Clear and cool. The Frenchman was turned over to French Intelligence today.
Artillery still scattered along front lines and taking its toll on our personnel. Looks
like the Force is getting another Anzio deal, being given a very large front to hold by
active patrolling with its high rate of casualties. The Force is completely committed
with no reserves and for that matter there are no troops to speak of between here
and Marseilles, but the hun seems to be fighting a holding war though he has more
troops than we and some really fine forts (built by the French as the southern portion
of their maginot line)

September 17, 1944, Nice, France
Bright, warm and windy. 3 more Cdn O.R's killed when a shell hit there fox hole.
Force Commander is requesting more Cdn reinforcements. O.C. requests we be
brought back up to strength while the Base Det is at Santa Maria, Capua Vetere. It
is proposed the Base will move out by the end of the month and come up here. If the
reinforcements can be selected in time they will come up with the Det and get their
training here. From now on it will be a different matter with no base in Italy.


Since the above entry for September 17 and your reference to Juno, I looked at the Veterans Affairs Canada Virtual Memorial for S.Sgt. Armatta, Search Details - Veterans Affairs Canada

Which gives the following:

In memory of
Staff Sergeant
EDWARD ANTHONY ARMATTA
who died on September 16, 1944

Service Number: B/128519
Age: 24 Force: Army Unit: Canadian Special Service Battalion, R.C.I.C. Division: 1st Son of Anthony Armatta and of Mary Armatta (nee Kot), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Commemorated on Page 238 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/content/collections/books/bww2/ww2238.jpg


Cemetery:
MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY
Bouches-du-Rhone,France

[CLICK HERE FOR CEMETERY PLAN]
Grave Reference: Plot 3. Row D. Grave 32.

Location:Marseilles is the chief town in the Department of the Bouches-du-Rhone.
Mazargues is a suburb on the south-east side of the town, 6 kilometres from the centre of Marseilles, on the coast road to Toulon via La Ciotat - Avenue General Delattre de Tassigny (No.24). The MAZARGUES WAR CEMETERY lies on the western side of this road.

Since he died in World War II and she would have his service number (if not before is located in this post) she could order his full military service record from the National Archives of Canada. The History Channel has also frequently had programs on about the FSSF with interviews with Veterans - both Canadian and American - which she may wish to try to look at. Their website might even have some of them available for purchase - which I have not checked.

I hope this helps you out. I wish her good luck and hope she makes a connection with someone who can tell her more. Please give us an update if she does.