I am researching or trying to anyway an American who might have served in some sort of inter-allied American/Brit commando unit. I know of the Devil's Brigade but that was US/Canadian. There also seems to be the 6th SAS who might have been made up of Americans but this is debatable. Anyone have any other info on a British elite unit compromised of Americans?

The Jedburghs comprised British and Americans. Why do you think he was involved in British Special Forces?

No.9

I was told by someone who insists he was as he that it is what the journal he kept as a soldier says. The Jedburghs came to mind also but he saw service in North Africa 42' where he was captured in Dec and spent time as a POW in Italy.

In consideration of scant and dubious information, as it appears he was in Torch during November '42 and was captured in December, if his journal mentions anything about Special Service men, I would say a fair guess is that he was either a member of the Rangers, which were trained by the Commandos, or he was part of the American forces who went ashore at the same time as the Commandos, who for the landing wore American helmets and carried Garands.

Sounds like someone could be reading too much into his notes?

No.9

Honestly I think that the guy was in the Rangers rather than some US/Brit unit, as he was originally part of the Iowa National Guard 34th of which upon creation 80 percent of the Rangers came from this division. However I don't want to jump to conclusions on this by limiting myself to what is already general subject matter (i.e. crap that can be found on a basic Wikipedia search)
He claims that they did not use American gear but rather British equipment, mentioning something about boots that could be worn on either foot making them very uncomfortable.
As for the notes, that's really all he left as he apparently was scarred and rarely mentioned his WWII experience to anyone.

49 Rangers were taken along on the Dieppe Commando raid in ’42, to give operational experience. Other than this, the Commandos did not have an American 'Commando' or any American Troop within their own Battalions.

They also never had 'any foot' boots. Most likely, if he was with the early Rangers - or an applicant, he tried and/or used British boots and didn't like them. When America formed the Rangers in '42, they relied entirely on the British Commandos for guidance and training, and definitely used some of their equipment.

If possible, post the man's notes would be helpful.

No.9

I captured an American in the German army near Vire in Normandy..late July early August. I often wonder what happened to him, did he make it back to the USA. He was captured in farmyard by two British men, one weilding a Sten, the other Me! weilding a damn great big knife an American had given me when I was wounded the first time. Had a smoke and a yarn with him before turning him in.
Sapper

IT was a Bowie knife!

Hello Sapper, nice to see you back over here among adults and free of 'The Wicked Witch of the West'.

Re your post, did you get his story as to how/why he came to be with the Germans?

No.9

So yea I got the info today and without a doubt this American did serve in the number #1 British Commando, as a photocopy of an official Ranger Veteran letter dated from 1966 indicates. The writer of the letter also asks for names and address of others in the #1 and #6 Commando, as he was clueless as me. So the question is was there a whole unit of Americans fighting within the British Army? I really don't expect anyone to come up with any solid info as this possibly undiscovered

What you’ve said so far indicates the Operation was Torch in November 1942, where the landings included Nos.1 and 6 Commandos as well as US Rangers. As the French were thought more likely to be better disposed towards the Americans than the British (who had sunk their fleet), a number of British Commandos wore American helmets and carried Garand rifles.

As this was the first major action for the US Rangers, some of them were attached under commando of the Commandos. The Rangers were however formed and established by this time and this attachment of some men for the landing was as far as it went. Is it possible that an American ‘national’ could have found his way into the British forces and thereafter enlisted for the Commandos – yes, as an individual in wartime Britain. Did No.1 Commando (or No.6) have a regular ‘American’ Troop, no – such men would have been needed by the Rangers.

To find a specific breakdown of assignment you’d need to see the battle orders/War Diary as held in the British Public Records Office or the American equivalent, or some credible book which sites them. Alternately you could send an enquiry to The US Rangers, bearing in mind 80% of individual records were lost in the 1973 St. Louis fire, as you probably know.

A general outline of Torch at http://www.combinedops.com/Torch.htm

No.9

Sapper, What you have described sounds very similar to what appears in the TV series Band of Brothers. Has someone stolen your story!!

I know of yanks serving in the British Armed Forces but i do wonder how common it was in the German. I mean a lot of germans moved to America in the 19th and 20th Century.

Ross

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