ABSTRACT
Comprising a combat force of three regiments, each of two battalions of approximately 600 men and a “base echelon” or service battalion of about 600, the Special Service Force used American equip ment and ranks. It was commanded by an Ameri can officer, Colonel Robert T. Frederick (q.v.). Ca nadians, administered under the auspices of the 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion, made up ap proximately one-third of the combat force. The se nior Canadian officer acted as the commander’s executive officer, while Canadians commanded a fluctuating number of the force’s battalions. The Canadian contingent, however, was a one-time commitment, not to be reinforced.
