Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice older book in good condition. Some tanning wear and marking due to age. Softcover. English. See images for condition.

About the book >.>.> Among the remarkable separate battalions were the 1st-6th Rangers. These were light infantry trained to slash deep into enemy-held territory in order to demoralize the foe in every way they could. Although the ranger battalions were not created by redesignating existing infantry outfits and so not given any official history before the time of their constitution in 1942 they were nevertheless heirs to a very old and proud tradition. That tradition went further back than the American Revolu-tion: indeed the rules drawn up by Robert Rogers in 1757 for his famous ranger companies that served for England in North America were re-printed for use in training the rangers of World War II. The rangers were not the only infantry constituted to perform com-mando missions. A comparable unit was the Ist Special Service Force. established in July 1942. This force was designed to operate behind enemy lines when snow covered Europe. Accordingly all its men were volunteers whose civilian aptitudes seemed to prepare them for swift operations in snow. Among them were lumberjacks game wardens forest rangers and professional skiers. The 1st Special Service Force was re-markable also in another wav: its personnel were drawn about equally from Canada and from the United States. It was an early experiment in international co-operation and it worked well. After vigorous campaign-ing-but not much of it in snow-the unit was disbanded in January 1945 and most of its American personnel transferred to a new regiment. the 474th Infantry. Still another commando-type outfit was the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) which was organized in October 1943. Its specialization was operation in Burma along the Ledo Road and its personnel were drawn from men who knew jungle fighting. This unit was commanded by Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill and became very famous under the nick name of “Merrill’s Marauders.” Like the men of the ranger battalions and of the 1st Special Service Force the Marauders were volunteers. (LL)