Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1990

Materials

POLYESTER

No. Pieces

1

Height

1.9

Length

70.2

Width

10.0

Description

STRAIGHT, POLYESTER TIE. TIE IS BLACK WITH GREEN, ORANGE, AND BLUE THREAD WOVEN IN DIAGONAL STRIPES ALONG TIE LENGTH. TIE IS TIED INTO A WINDSOR KNOT. ON BACK SIDE OF TIE IS A GREY FABRIC TAG WITH BLACK AND RED EMBROIDERED WORDS; IT READS "V.I.P. 100% POLYESTER WASHABLE-NEEDS NO PRESSING GENTRY".

Subjects

CLOTHING-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

THE DONOR OF THIS ARTIFACT, JOHN LLOYD KNIGHT, SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE (ALSO KNOWN AS THE DEVILS BRIGADE) DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. THIS TIE GOES WITH UNIFORM P20000036002-5-GA. DONOR HAD HIS ORIGINAL UNIFORM ON A MANNEQUIN, WITH THIS TIE (IS NOT ORIGINAL ISSUE). THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FSSF WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE BROCHURE ‘THE DEVILS BRIGADE’, PRODUCED BY THE GALT MUSEUM. THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE WAS AN ELITE COMBAT UNIT CONTAINING BOTH CANADIAN AND AMERICAN CONTINGENTS, CREATED TO FUNCTION AS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OPERATION PLOUGH, DESIGNED TO SLOW THE GERMAN MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE A SABOTAGE UNIT, THE FSSF (NICKNAMED THE BLACK DEVILS BY GERMAN SOLDIERS) WAS COMPRISED OF HIGHLY-TRAINED, HANDPICKED VOLUNTEERS FROM CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. THE UNIT’S FOCUS WAS SOON ADAPTED TO PREPARE UNIT MEMBERS FOR VERSATILE AND SPECIALIZED ASSAULT MISSIONS. TRAINING BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER 1942 AT FORT WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON IN HELENA, MONTANA, AND CONTINUED FOR ROUGHLY A YEAR. THE INITIAL CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS NUMBERED BETWEEN 567 TO 769, WHILE THE NUMBER OF INVOLVED AMERICAN SOLDIERS RANGED FROM 851 TO 1,154. REJECTION RATES DURING THE TRAINING PROCESS WERE AS HIGH AS 50 PERCENT, WITH INTENSE REQUIREMENTS IN A VARIETY OF SKILLS INCLUDING DEMOLITION, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT, SABOTAGE, SMALL ARMS, PARACHUTING, MOUNTAINEERING, WINTER SURVIVAL, HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT, AND EXTENSIVE PHYSICAL FITNESS. BY LATE 1942, THE FSSF CONSISTED OF APPROXIMATELY 1,157 TO 1,923 CANADIAN AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WHO WORE THE SAME UNIFORMS AND TRAINED WITH AMERICAN-ISSUE WEAPONRY. IN JULY 1943, THE FSSF WAS SENT TO THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS IN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC TO ATTACK THE ISLAND OF KISKA, AND PUSH BACK THE OCCUPYING JAPANESE. IN NOVEMBER 1943, THE FORCE WAS SENT TO ITALY TO TAKE MONTE LA DIFENSA, A LINCHPIN IN THE GERMAN’S DEFENSIVE BERNHARDT LINE. THEY THEN CONTINUED THEIR ADVANCE, SECURING MOUNT SAMMUCRO AND MOUNT MAJO ACROSS THE VALLEY. IN FEBRUARY 1944 THE FSSF ASSISTED IN THE DEFENSE OF THE ANZIO BEACHHEAD, AN ALLIED FOOTHOLD IN ITALY THAT ENABLED THE LIBERATION OF ROME. FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 DAYS, THE FORCE HELD THE TERRITORY AGAINST GERMAN ADVANCES, MORTAR, AND ARTILLERY FIRE. THE FORCE ALSO CONDUCTED SUCCESSFUL NIGHT RAIDS AGAINST GERMAN-HELD POSITIONS, EARNING THEM THE MONIKER “THE BLACK DEVILS”. DURING THE LIBERATION OF ROME IN JUNE 1944, THE FORCE HELPED PROTECT THE FLANKS OF THE ADVANCE AND WERE THE FIRST ALLIED UNIT TO ENTER THE CITY. THE FSSF WAS DISBANDED ON DECEMBER 5, 1944, AND ITS MEMBERS WERE AWARDED OVER 5,100 CUMULATIVELY, INCLUDING THE LEGION OF MERIT, SILVER STAR, AND BRONZE STAR. IN 1999 THE SECTION OF HIGHWAY 4 AND INTERSTATE 15 FROM LETHBRIDGE TO HELENA WAS NAMED THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE HIGHWAY. IN 2013 THE AMERICAN CONGRESS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR TO THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE, AN AWARD GIVEN FOR HAVING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON AMERICAN HISTORY. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF THE DONOR, JOHN LLOYD KNIGHT, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM HIS OBITUARY. JOHN ‘JACK’ KNIGHT WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON AUGUST 24, 1919. AT AGE 10 MONTHS HIS FAMILY MOVED TO WOOLFORD, ALBERTA, 10 MILES OUTSIDE OF CARDSTON, WHERE HE LIVED UNTIL LEAVING FOR TECHNOLOGY TRAINING AT COLLEGE IN CALGARY. KNIGHT MARRIED LAURA MAY PITCHER IN 1941, PRIOR TO ENLISTING IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES, AND THE COUPLE HAD THREE CHILDREN, JOANNE, JOHN, AND MARGARET. HE ENLISTED IN LATE 1941 TO JOIN THE CANADIAN ARMY ELECTRIC DIVISION AS AN ELECTRICIAN, TAKING MILITARY ELECTRICAL TRAINING IN LETHBRIDGE, AND IN APRIL 1942 WENT TO HAMILTON TO FINISH THE COURSE. WHILE IN HAMILTON KNIGHT BECAME A WELDING INSTRUCTOR, AND THEN NOTICED A POSTER RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS FOR THE CANADIAN PARACHUTE BATTALION. OF 1000 MEN WHO VOLUNTEERED SOLELY FROM HAMILTON, KNIGHT BECAME ONE OF THE 68 WHO PASSED TESTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE. HE WAS SENT TO HELENA, MONTANA AND ACCEPTED INTO THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE, THE FIRST EVER OF WHAT ARE TODAY CALLED THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIAL FORCES AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS. KNIGHT SAW ACTION IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, NORTH AFRICA, ITALY AND FRANCE. WHEN THE UNIT DISBANDED IN DECEMBER 1944, KNIGHT HELD THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT AND WAS AWARDED NINE MILITARY SERVICE MEDALS INCLUDING THE BRONZE STAR AND THE SILVER STAR. KNIGHT WAS OFFERED AN OFFICER'S COMMISSION IF HE RETURNED TO THE FRONT OR WAS TOLD HE COULD GO TO THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE IN LONDON, ENGLAND. WHEN HE ASKED IF ANYONE HAS EVER BEEN KILLED AT THE COLLEGE AND THE ANSWER WAS NO, KNIGHT CHOSE TO RIDE OUT THE WAR IN ENGLAND. UPON HIS RETURN TO CANADA IN 1945, KNIGHT WORKED WITH HIS FATHER IN A JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP IN WOOLFORD, ALBERTA BEFORE MOVING HIS YOUNG FAMILY TO NOBLEFORD IN 1951. KNIGHT WORKED AS A SALES MANAGER AT NOBLE CULTIVATOR’S LTD., AND LATER AT GIESLER MANUFACTURING AND EDWARD’S ROD WEEDER. AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FIRST WIFE IN 1975, KNIGHT MARRIED KAY PIERSON, WHO PREDECEASED HIM IN 2008. AFTER HIS RETIREMENT AT AGE 67, KNIGHT SERVED ON THE VILLAGE OF NOBLEFORD COUNCIL AND THE OLD MAN RIVER PLANNING COMMISSION, AND WAS ACTIVE WITH THE NOBLEFORD OLDTIMERS AND ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION. JACK KNIGHT DIED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2013. ON AUGUST 25, 2010 GALT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED JACK KNIGHT ABOUT HIS MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE. OF HIS PRE-COMBAT TRAINING, KNIGHT SAID: “I FELT LIKE I HAD COMMITTED WAY BACK IN HAMILTON [ONTARIO] WHEN THERE WAS ABOUT A 1,000 OUT OF 4,200 VOLUNTEERS. THERE WERE 250 OF US SELECTED TO TAKE THE EXAMINATIONS [AND] 72 OF US THAT PASSED [AND] GOT SENT UP TO OTTAWA TO PASS SECURITY… OUT OF THE 72, 68 OF US PASSED THE CHECKS. WHEN WE WENT TO HELENA, MONTANA, 18 OF US FINISHED ALL THE TRAINING… YOU HAD TO DO THE PARACHUTE DROPS IN HELENA. THE UNIQUE PART [OF TRAINING IN HELENA] WAS THE FACE THAT THEY WERE TAKING UP TO 21 WEEKS TO QUALIFY IN BRITAIN. I WAS QUALIFIED AS AN INSTRUCTOR ON THE SIXTH DAY… I WAS NOT A VERY QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR BUT I STILL DID THE JOB… THE SPEED OF GETTING US PREPARED WAS OF THE ESSENCE BECAUSE THE ANTICIPATION WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BE READY FOR COMBAT IN LESS THAN NINETY DAYS. THAT MEANT WE HAD TO BE QUALIFIED IN SKIING, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT AS WELL AS PARACHUTING… [IN MY CAREER] I ONLY JUMPED TWICE [DURING TRAINING IN HELENA]… [IN COMBAT] I LOADED UP WITH THEM IN KAMCHATKA ON THE ALEUTIAN ISLAND FOR A JUMP ON KISKA… BUT I NEVER HAD TO JUMP AGAIN.” KNIGHT DESCRIBED THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ABOUT SPECIFIC COMBAT MISSIONS: “THE NIGHT WE TOOK ON MONTE LA DIFENSA, WE SCALED A 280 FOOT CLIFF IN THE DARK… THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERSON ON DEFENSIVE THAT NIGHT SO WE WENT THAT ROUTE BECAUSE WE WOULD BE LEAST SUSPECTED BY THE ENEMY. THE ENEMY THERE WAS MADE UP OF BOTH GERMAN AND SPANISH SOLDIERS… I WAS ON ONE OF THE FIRST PATROLS THAT LEFT TO PATROL THE REGION [NEAR MONTE LA DIFENSA] AND SORT OF BY ACCIDENT I CAME UPON A COMMUNICATION MAN IN THE GERMAN ARMY AND HE WAS SENDING MORSE CODE. I FOLLOWED THE SOUND AND TOOK HIM PRISONER. TO GET HIM BACK INTO OUR LINES WAS REALLY TRICKY BECAUSE HIS UNIFORM TO OUR FELLOWS WAS COMPLETELY IDENTIFIABLE AND THEY BROUGHT FIRE ON US, BUT WE GOT BACK INTO THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE BATTALION LINES… THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCE GOT THE REPUTATION THROUGHOUT THE WAR ABOUT TREATING PRISONERS FAIRLY. WE HAD A LOT MORE PRISONERS COME TO US BECAUSE WE HAD TREATED THEM FAIRLY THAT WOULD NOT HAVE COME OTHERWISE… [NIGHT RAIDS IN ENEMY TERRITORY] WAS JUST ACTION TO CREATE INSTABILITY IN THEIR SECURITY. IF THEY COULD SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE FIRST SPECIAL SERVICE FORCES COULD GET BEHIND THEIR LINES AND STAMP A POSTER ON THEIR POST OFFICE OR ON A LIGHT POST IN A DOWNTOWN REGION THAT HAD AN INSIGNIA, U.S.A./CANADA ON IT… IN MOST CASES THEY WERE THAT SHAPE AND [READ] ‘ACHTUNG/ATTENTION THE WORST IS YET TO COME’… LITTLE PSYCHOLOGICAL WARNINGS… MOST OF OUR DIRECTIONS ON THE ANZIO BEACHHEAD AND IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SOUTH FRANCE… CAME FROM OUTSIDE OUR UNIT… I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT THE WHOLE BEACHHEAD. IT JUST DIDN’T SEEM REASONABLE THAT WE, WITH 1200 TO 1300 MAXIMUM AND A MINIMUM OF 800 MEN HAD 30 PERCENT OF THE BEACHHEAD. THE AMERICANS WERE NEXT TO US… THEY HAD 35 PERCENT BUT THEY HAD 51,000 MEN! THE BRITS WERE NEXT TO THEM AND… THEY HAD ABOUT 35 PERCENT AND THEY HAD 45,000 MEN… IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM FROM KNOWING HOW STRONG WE WERE, WE JUST CONTINUALLY ATTACKED. IF THEY WOULD HAVE ATTACKED US, THEY’D HAVE FOUND OUT HOW WEAK WE WERE AND THEY WOULD HAVE KICKED THE DEVIL OUT OF US… [DURING THE LIBERATION OF ROME] WE HAD GERMAN AIRPLANES FLYING AROUND AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE INTO ROME TO OCCUPY IT AND PEOPLE INTO ROME TO TAKE CARE OF THE PRISONERS AND AID PEOPLE… WHEN IT CAME MORNING, MY OBJECTIVE AS ASSIGNED WAS TO HOLD AND TAKE THE RAILROAD YARDS. THE RAILROAD YARDS MINUTE TO MINUTE WENT FROM TERRIBLY ACTIVE TO TERRIBLY CALM. [I MANAGED TO CAPTURE] 140 PEOPLE, GERMAN SOLDIERS OR GERMAN SOLDIER ASSISTANTS, SPANISH… AND I HAD THEM ALL LINED UP SO THAT IF THERE WAS ANY SHELLING, THEY WOULD BE THE BIG LOSERS… WHAT RAN IN MY MIND WAS TO LINE THEM UP JUST LIKE THEY WERE ON A SUNDAY PARADE SOMEPLACE… AND THEY DID BASICALLY LEAVE US ALONE IN THE RAILROAD YARDS… [EVENTUALLY] THINGS CLEARED UP ON THE STREETS AND WE WERE HELD UP IN THIS STOREFRONT AND I WAS ABLE TO PUSH ON BY GOING FROM ONE STOREFRONT TO THE NEXT AND OUT INTO THE STREET, GETTING IN WHERE THE FIRING STARTED. WHEN THE FIRING COOLED OFF WE COULD PULL OUT AND TRAVEL. I GOT THROUGH TO THE GESTAPO HEADQUARTERS, OH MY!” FOR A COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW, AND HARD COPIES OF KNIGHT’S OBITUARY AND ‘THE DEVILS BRIGADE’ BROCHURE, SEE PERMANENT FILE P20010021001.

Catalogue Number

P20000036001

Acquisition Date

2000-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail