Editing First Special Service Force (section)

=== Canadian recruitment ===
In July 1942, the [[Canadian Minister of National Defence]], [[James Ralston]], approved the assignment of 697 officers and enlisted men for Plough, under the guise that they were forming Canada's first airborne unit, the [[1st Canadian Parachute Battalion]] (1CPB).

Due to a decision to raise an actual Canadian parachute battalion, the Canadian volunteers for Plough were also sometimes known unofficially as the "2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion". (The Canadians did not officially become a unit until April–May 1943, under the designation, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion.)

While its members remained part of the Canadian Army, subject to its code of discipline and paid by the Canadian government, they were to be supplied with uniforms, equipment, food, shelter and travel expenses by the US Army. It was agreed that a Canadian would serve as second in command of the force and that half of the officers and initially one-half of the enlisted men would be Canadian. This resulted in a total force of 1,800 men: 900 US soldiers and 900 Canadian soldiers.<ref>United States House of Representatives. [https://www.house.gov/feature-stories/2015-2-6-1st-special-service-force-honored "1st Special Service Force Honored"]</ref> As casualties depleted the Force, restrictions on the availability of Canadian replacements reduced the proportion of the Canadian contingent to about one-third of the total. After Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, the senior Canadian member, broke his leg during parachute training, the highest ranking Canadian in the force was Lieutenant Colonel Don Williamson, who commanded the 2nd Regiment.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nadler|first=John|title=A Perfect Hell|year=2005|publisher=Anchor Canada|location=Canada|page=58}}</ref>