Odd Unit Designations

[dragoon500ly]

Anyone care to take a crack at who the 5307th Composite Unit, Provisional were?





Give up?


In World War II they were officially the 5307th Composite Unit, Provisional; operated under the operational code word of GALAHAD Force and were known to the press as "Merrill's Marauders".

Their linage is carried on by the 75th Rangers.

[LBraden]

L Detachment of the 22nd Regiment.


The ORIGINAL SAS, only 60 men and 6 officers.... Talk about British foolery and paperwork.

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by LBraden

L Detachment of the 22nd Regiment.


The ORIGINAL SAS, only 60 men and 6 officers.... Talk about British foolery and paperwork.

Even the name SAS is a bit off: The only thing they had to do with aircraft was running around in jeeps blowing them up!

[Matt Wiser]

The Rosarious Flying Circus, named after its CO, Luftwaffe Major Ted Rosarious.

Give up?

This was a special Luftwaffe squadron that operated captured Allied aircraft for air combat training. They had 3 P-47s, 3 Spitfires, a Mosquito, 3 B-17s (later passed to KG 200-the Luftwaffe's Special Operations unit), a Short Stirling, a B-26, P-39 (from Russia), P-40 (from North Africa), two P-38s, a B-24, and at least 4 P-51s. All the bombers eventually were assigned to KG 200 for long-range recon and for dropping German agents behind Allied lines. Several B-17s and B-24s were recaptured at the end of the war, still wearing full German insignia.

[dragoon500ly]

Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment


Now known as the Special Boat Service.

[dragoon500ly]

Now here are some odd ball units:

2677th Office of Strategic Services Regiment

According to Shelby Stanton (WWII OOB), this unit was organized July 14, 1944 at Algiers under Fifth Army and was transferred to Caserta, Italy where it was absorbed into the OSS Operational Group Command on November 27, 1944. This unit even earned a battle honor: Rome-Arno.

Soooo, what did this unit actually do?

It seems, that no one really knows for sure. FOIA requests filed with the Department of the Army, Department of Defense and the CIA, all come back as either classified or information not available.

Best information that I've ever come across mention, in passing, that this was some kind of holding unit for reconnaissance and sabotage detachments. Problem with this is simply, why wouldn't the OSS simply operate this unit itself?

Next up is the 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion. This outfit served alongside the 2677th OSS Regt in the OSS Operational Group Command. A bit more is available about this unit. It was a holding unit for parachute-inserted reconnaissance teams that covered most of Italy and Yugoslavia. But like its fellow unit, lots of luck with the FOIA requests!

Alamo Scouts. This unit was the US Sixth's Army reconnaissance unit. It was a fairly small unit, perhaps 300 men at its largest, but it was responsible for conducting over sixty intelligence gathering missions in New Guinea and the Philippines.

Finally, the OSS strikes again with the Jingpaw or Kachin Rangers. OSS Detachment 101, stationed at New Delhi, India, recruited Kachin tribesmen in north-central Burma for a several operations around Mongkung and Heshi, Burma. By all accounts a fairly straight forward anti-Japanese guerilla outfit.

[Sanjuro]

PPA?
Popski's Private Army; the smallest of the three British Special Forces units operating in the Western Desert in WW2. Formed in 1942 by Vladimir Peniakoff (his nickname "Popski" came about because signallers had problems with his name), they finished the war with a flourish: disembarking their jeeps in St Mark's Square in Venice and driving around, the only wheeled vehicles ever to go there!

[dragoon500ly]

PPA was officially known as the Demolitions Section, Long Range Desert Group.

PPA was also rather famous for mounting a flamethrower onto a jeep and going Jerry hunting with it.

[Sanjuro]

Officially it was No.1 Demolition Squadron, PPA; its original function was to attack the Afrika Korps fuel supplies. The name is alleged to have come from General Hackett; exasperated at Peniakoff's delay in choosing a suitable name he said "You'd better come up with something quick or we shall call you Popski's Private Army!"
"I'll take it" replied Popski.
He had previously gone on one mission with the LRDG, been wounded, and awarded the MC; however, the LRDG's main function was reconnaissance- hence the setting up of an independent unit under Popski.

[Louied]

Hello all,

Panther Al, the Special Air Service title comes from the beginning of the setting up of the commando forces. The Commandos were referred to as Special Service troops ( for example 3rd Commando Bde. was originally 3rd Special Service Bde. The name changed in 1944 to prevent the association with the SS), Special Air Service troops were additionally parachute trained, hence the Air title.

Sanjuro, great info on the PPA. I believe the official title was No.1 Long Range Demolition Sqd., RE

Two more units from WW2 you guys made me think of are The Raiding Support Regiment, they provided heavy weapons support for other special forces units. (The forerunner of the present day Special Forces Support Group). The other is Ian Fleming's 30 Assault Unit (also known as 30 Advanced Unit)the RM/RN intell unit that was charged with advancing with or even in front of the lead formations to seize intell and assets of the germans before they were destroyed (or the Soviets got them). The Army equivalent was T-Force which was made up of the 1st Bucks Rifles, 5 Kings (the merged 5th Bn. & 8th Liverpool Irish Bn.), & the 30th Royal Berks.

Oh almost forgot one other unit which was pretty conventional but developed a special forces mission. In 1940 the Kent Fortress Engineers were a typical TA unit however they became tasked with destroying oil reserves in The Netherlands, France, & Greece to prevent the Germans from using them. If you can get the book XD Operations it was written by their former CO and is truly an interesting read.

LouieD

[95th Rifleman]

There appears to be some confusion as to why the SAS where called the SAS.

Colonel David Stirling envisioned an elite, small unit of paratroopers to go behind enemy lines and cause confusion and distraction and they where trained as such.

Their first operational mission was a complete disaster, they lost 22 out of 65 men in an operation delvivered via parachute. Stirling went back to the drawing board and formed a relationship with the LRDG in which they transported his troops to target and a legen was born.

The Special Air Service designation was kept, even though their deployment method had been changed but the name was due to their origin as an airbourne commando force.

The SAS is the Grandfather of all modern, western special forces from the Israelis commandos to the American Green Berets.

[dragoon500ly]

In a never-ending search for oddball or little know units, how about this one?

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Equipment wise, these patrols had first calim on any new weapons. At a time when the Royal Army couldn't get their hands on a Thompson, the patrols often had 2-3 on hand as well as a selection of pistols and rifles and a rather impressive amount of demolition material.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

In a never-ending search for oddball or little know units, how about this one?

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Equipment wise, these patrols had first calim on any new weapons. At a time when the Royal Army couldn't get their hands on a Thompson, the patrols often had 2-3 on hand as well as a selection of pistols and rifles and a rather impressive amount of demolition material.

The actor Anthony Quail was an intelligence officer in such a unit. There was a good documentary on them on Discovery a couple of years ago, unfortunately I can't remember the name of it.

[rcaf_777]

Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman

The SAS is the Grandfather of all modern, western special forces from the Israelis commandos to the American Green Berets.

Sorry the American Green Berets and the Canadian Airborne Regt come the
1st Speical Serivce Force not the SAS

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by James Langham

The actor Anthony Quail was an intelligence officer in such a unit. There was a good documentary on them on Discovery a couple of years ago, unfortunately I can't remember the name of it.

The news recently reported a hitherto-forgotten stash of weapons, ammo, and grenades in an English attic or barn loft. Was apparently cached for the above reasons--to bring the war to Jerry when he invades! Caused quite a stir in a country with such stringent firearms laws.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

The 201, 202 and 203 Battalions, The Home Guard Auxiliary.

Unlike the rest of the Home Guard (UK WWII), these three battalions were covering formations for a series of stay-behind units. Formed into patrols ranging in size from 4-10 men and provided with a carefully camouflaged underground bunker, their mission was to wait for the German invasion, and then conduct sabotage missions once the front lines had passed them by.

Time Team (UK archaeological TV show) found one of their camouflaged bunkers in a London backyard in 2009 (near Shooters Hill). Apparently there's almost no records of their existence. Also, it was stated that the members of these units had orders to assassinate their recruiters as their first order of business should the Germans take control of Britain to eliminate their ability to identify them.

Life expectancy was about 2 weeks - if they were lucky.

[Targan]

Z Force, properly titled the Z Special Unit. A combined ANZAC and Allied forces special unit that operated in the Pacific theatre in WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Special_Unit

They conducted some seriously ballsy ops, particularly Operation Jaywick in which unit members disguised as Indonesian fishermen were able to sail to Singapore where they infiltrated the main harbour and used limpet mines to sink four Japanese ships.

One of their last surviving members, a Chinese-Australian man named Jack Sue, lived here in Perth and only died a couple of years ago.

[simonmark6]

My Grandfather talked about such units. I don't think there were many such units in Wales but Grandad was in the Home Guard and a notorious poacher as well as being a quarry blaster and he was in a group organised to act as guerrillas should the Germans reach as far. He had some chilling tales that included planning to kill the men that recruited them as you mentioned. In fact, his unit would have been busy butchering dozens of locals before they got to any Germans, that included people that might be useful to the enemy even if they were considered totally loyal.

I think it might have been one of Churchill's mistakes if it had happened and might have driven more people to consider the guerrillas as criminals rather than freedom fighters.

One mission he described highlights the cold blooded nature of the concept, a major rail line runs near us and the best place to block it for a long time was overlooked by a primary school. The squad not only planned how to destroy it but decided it would be best done in school time for the following reasons:
1) It would catch a major train carrying steel
2) They could plant secondary bombs to catch the rescuers of the children

Bastards. Necessary for victory perhaps, but bastards none the less.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

The news recently reported a hitherto-forgotten stash of weapons, ammo, and grenades in an English attic or barn loft. Was apparently cached for the above reasons--to bring the war to Jerry when he invades! Caused quite a stir in a country with such stringent firearms laws.

I caught that newscast! It seems that one of the members of the HGA had moved its ammo stash from their underground bunker and stored in it his barn. Only recently, he notified the police of his little collection of stuff and by all reports, the police took one look and called for Bomb Disposal. The total cache came to something like 3,200kg of explosives and ammo.

Now THATS a lot of sabotage!

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Time Team (UK archaeological TV show) found one of their camouflaged bunkers in a London backyard in 2009 (near Shooters Hill). Apparently there's almost no records of their existence. Also, it was stated that the members of these units had orders to assassinate their recruiters as their first order of business should the Germans take control of Britain to eliminate their ability to identify them.

Life expectancy was about 2 weeks - if they were lucky.

There is a group at undergrounduk.org, they have conducted excavations of some of the Home Guard Auxiliary patrol bases, its some pretty intresting stuff!

[rcaf_777]

I working on idea that the US would such an organization prior to the bombs dropping

[Cpl. Kalkwarf]

Originally Posted by Targan

Z Force, properly titled the Z Special Unit. A combined ANZAC and Allied forces special unit that operated in the Pacific theatre in WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Special_Unit

They conducted some seriously ballsy ops, particularly Operation Jaywick in which unit members disguised as Indonesian fishermen were able to sail to Singapore where they infiltrated the main harbour and used limpet mines to sink four Japanese ships.

One of their last surviving members, a Chinese-Australian man named Jack Sue, lived here in Perth and only died a couple of years ago.

Z force sounds more like it should have something to do with Zombies :P

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

I working on idea that the US would such an organization prior to the bombs dropping

Most of NATO had similar networks. Gladio is the best known and a good starting point.