Just wondering...

474th Infantry Division New
jamesdelaney0116
Classification: Query
Surnames: Delaney
My father was part of General Brady's invasion force onto the beaches of Anzio, Italy. He was an Intell Officer of the 1st US / Canadian Special Service Forces...later known as the "Dirty Dozen" or Black Devils Brig. They were held up on those Anzio Beaches forever because of the German Big guns raining bombs down from the hills surrounding. The US "Rangers" were totally wiped-out and "Merged" into the 1st US. Special Forces organization...the FIRST SPECIAL FORCES mission were to secretly go out EVERY night as small groups of 3-5 soldiers AND bring back German Soldiers ALIVE every morning to get Intell. They were ISSUED 18 inch Daggers, "to be used "Silently" in "Hand-to-hand fighting'...so the "enemy" were not awaken...(I have PHOTOS of Mounty Christo (the Mounstery had by the Germans-and finally Bombed after 30 days..of waiting) Then it was onto ROME... I'm Creating a Webpage on this Invasion Force of General Bradleys Command of the 474th Inf Divison and the US Rangers and the 1st US Special Forces ...[this was the GROUP that later became the "GREEN BERETS" of Vietnam]...stationed at Ft Bragg...USA. I would appreciate any photos to COMPLETE the "Whole Picture" of our US FORCES on Anzio, Italy...HAVE a BOOK with listed MEMBERS of 1st Special Forces AND ITALY Campaigne complete with photos of that SMALL GROUP. Thank-you Patricia Ratcliff, Peace...Jim Delaney (son of James Philip Delaney-1st US.SPECIAL FORCES of Anzio, Italy.)

I am researching my Great Uncle Francis Joseph Morris. He started with the 4th Ranger Battalion, Company C in North Africa, transferred to the First Special Service Force after the fiasco at Cisterna, Italy, then ended up in the 474th Infantry Regiment (separate) in January 1945 after the FSSF was dissolved. Do you know anything about the specific movements of the 474th in Germany? I know they were doing rear area security for the 3rd Army, and part of that included hunting down SS who were fleeing from the Allied forces after concentration camps like Dachau were liberated. It is just overwhelming to think about what these guys went through! (update: if anything it would have been Buchenwald, not Dachau because Weimar was in the 3rd Army's area of operations).

I just had the Honor to attend parts of the Force's Annual Reunion here in DC. It is a very active organization and you should be very proud to have a claim to membership.

Please check out their site:

http://www.firstspecialserviceforce.net/