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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:10 am
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Posts: 4765
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:15 am
Looks pretty nice)) The main thing is that I don't need house there))) 
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:16 am
While in the area, I also visited the Mazargues Commonwealth Cemetery: from CWGC: Marseilles was the Base of the Indian troops in France during the 1914-18 war; and throughout the War the Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy, British troops and Labour units worked in the port or passed through it. Four of the town cemeteries were used, in the main, for the burial of officers and men of the Commonwealth forces who died at Marseilles.  Mazargues has graves from both the First World War and the Second,  It is also interesting considering soldiers from India, Figi, Egypt, and China are buried here, alongside other soldiers and sailors who died in WWI.       
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Posts: 4765
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:21 am
RIP, During the I World War The father of my grandfather was in captivity in Italy, and was very proud that he visited it.
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:23 am
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:27 am
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:31 am
But the majority of the Canadians in Mazargues are actually from the
1st Special Services Battalion, the 'Devil's Brigade',
formed with our American friends.
On August 14, 1944, the 1st SSF landed at Îles d'Hyères during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. On August 22, it was attached to the 1st Airborne Task Force, a provisional Seventh Army airborne division, and later made part of the Task Force. On September 7, it moved with the 1st Airborne Task Force to defensive positions on the Franco-Italian border. During the war the 1800-man unit accounted for some 12,000 German casualties, captured some 7,000 prisoners, and sustained an attrition rate of over 600%.
They were part of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the south of France during August, 1944:
As originally conceived, Operation Anvil/Dragoon was to land Free French and American troops in the south of France. Initially, the objective was Toulon, to which Marseille was soon added. Later, Saint Tropez became a third objective. These were to be captured simultaneously with the Normandy landings. The postponement of the operation threatened to become permanent, but the capture of Rome and the excellent progress made with Operation Cobra finally convinced the British to agree to the renamed Operation Dragoon.
On August 1, 1944, the U.S. 6th Army Group (“Southern Group of Armies” or “Dragoon Force”) was activated in Corsica under Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers. The army group included American and Free French Forces. The assault was carried out by three U.S. divisions of VI Corps, reinforced with a Free French armored division. The 3rd Infantry Division landed on the left at Cavalaire-sur-Mer (designated Alpha Beach), the 45th Infantry Division on the center at Saint-Tropez (Delta Beach), and the 36th Infantry Division on the right at Saint-Raphaël (Camel Beach). French commandos demolished German artillery emplacements at Cap Negre, west of the main invasion (this sub-operation was code-named Operation Romeo). The commandos were supported by additional French commando units and by British and American airborne troops (in Operation Dove). In Operation Sitka, the U.S. 1st Special Service Force captured two small islands offshore to ensure the security of the beachhead. All of Operation Dragoon was covered by a deception and decoy operation (code-named Span). A large naval fleet provided heavy gunfire, and seven escort carriers launched close air support.
On the first day, more than 94,000 troops with 11,000 vehicles were landed. Because many German troops that had been in the area were sent north to resist the Normandy invasion, the landings met with light resistance, and the Allies penetrated inland 20 miles in just 24 hours.
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:36 am
If you look at this map, and look at the small islands just off the coast, little bit to the right of Toulon, that's where the 1st SSF landed, to take the islands and to protect the invasion. 
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Regina 
Site Admin
Posts: 32460
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:39 am
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:39 am
Afterwards, the 1st SSF moved to the mainland, and then moved towards the
Franco - Italian border.
It was their last operation, the unit was decomissioned in December 1944.
In September of 1999, the main highway between the city of Lethbridge, Alberta Canada and Helena, Montana in the United States was renamed the "First Special Service Force Memorial Highway". This highway was chosen because it was the route taken in 1942 by the Canadian volunteers to join their American counterparts for training at Fort Harrison.
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:45 am
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:46 am
Have a look at the inscription on the bottom: Rest in Peace In the French sun To your Courage We pay Homage Course it works much better in French.. 
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Regina 
Site Admin
Posts: 32460
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:47 am
I've met a man who was in the Regina Rifles and transfered to them. He wrote a book about his experiences which I have a signed copy of. I'll take a look through there to see if those guys are mentioned too.
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Posts: 33691
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:49 am
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Regina 
Site Admin
Posts: 32460
Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:54 am
I took a quick look to see, and at least one of them (Granger) was actually American.......or at least that's where his parents are from.
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