Editing First Special Service Force (section)

===Name, insignia and uniforms===
Legend has it that while carrying out beachhead operations at [[Anzio]], a member of the FSSF found the journal of a German lieutenant from the [[Hermann Goering Division]]. The journal contained the following entry: "The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line. We never hear them come." This legend was never verified as fact by any member of the FSSF; however, the FSSF was known as the Black Devils and as the Devil's Brigade. The members of the FSSF preferred the latter. General Frederick had cards printed up with the FSSF insignia and the words {{lang|de|Das dicke Ende kommt noch!}} or "The worst is yet to come" printed in red ink down the right side<ref>{{cite book|last=Kemp|first=Ted|title=A Commemorative History: First Special Service Force|year=1995|publisher=Taylor Publishing|location=Dallas|page=31}}</ref> to be left on the bodies of dead Germans as a form of psychological warfare.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nadler|first=John|title=A Perfect Hell|year=2005|publisher=Anchor Canada|location=Canada|page=207}}</ref> This was so effective that Sergeant Victor Kaisner reported hearing a German soldier whisper {{lang|de|"Schwarzer Teufel"}} ("Black Devil") as the German's throat was being sliced on the beachhead.<ref name="nadler203">{{cite book|last=Nadler|first=John|title=A Perfect Hell|year=2005|publisher=Anchor Canada|location=Canada|page=203}}</ref> However, recent historiography surrounding the FSSF debates whether or not Frederick and his general staff made up the nickname in order to instill fear in the enemy.<ref name="nadler203"/>

The FSSF was unofficially first known as the "Braves". Their spearhead shoulder insignia was chosen with this name in mind.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> The formation patch was a red spearhead with the words USA written horizontally and CANADA written vertically. The branch of service insignia was the crossed arrows formerly worn by the [[United States Army Indian Scouts]]. The FSSF wore red, white, and blue piping on their [[garrison cap]]s, and on the breast an oval (or trimming) behind their [[Parachutist Badge (United States)#Army|Parachutist Wings]]. Members of the FSSF also wore a red, white, and blue [[fourragère]], [[lanyard]], or shoulder cord made out of [[parachute]] suspension lines.

American members of the FSSF arrived for training in Helena in standard U.S. Army attire: green twill coveralls, some wearing khaki pants and fatigue hats. Others were dressed in trousers and green uniform jackets and wore green caps. Ultimately, however, the American uniforms did not differ widely from one another. The Canadian troops, however, arrived in all different manners of uniform: some wore [[kilts]], others tartan trousers ([[trews]]), and others Bermuda shorts. Headgear differed just as widely, depending on where the soldier was from – wedge caps for some, black berets for troops taken from armoured regiments and large khaki [[Tam o' Shanter (cap)|Tam o' Shanter]]s for soldiers from Scottish regiments. Under the Williamson-Wickham agreement, Canadian soldiers were issued and wore American uniforms. Eventually, it was decided that the uniforms would come from an American supplier and olive drab trousers and blouses were issued. Two uniform elements differentiated an American from a Canadian: the collar insignia had either "U.S." or "Canada" above the crossed arrows; and Americans wore American metal ID tags and Canadians wore Canadian ID discs. Frederick instructed Major Orville Baldwin to develop a unique fourragère (also known as an aiguillette or lanyard) for all members of the unit, thereby replacing the regimental fourragère worn by the Canadian soldiers. The result was a braided fourragère made with red, white and blue parachute cord. For mountain warfare, the men were given baggy ski pants, parkas, and a helmet. Standard boots were originally the same as those issued to parachuting regiments, but these were replaced with infantry combat boots in Italy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kemp|first=Ted|title=A Commemorative History: First Special Service Force|year=1995|publisher=Taylor Publishing|location=Dallas|page=64}}</ref>

Colonel Frederick worried from the outset that the soldiers from both countries would have trouble forming a cohesive unit. On a base level, the techniques and commands used by either army were confusing to the other. Commands for marching, for example, had to be homogenized in order for the unit to operate in the field effectively. In order to satisfy the men from both countries, compromises were made. Canadian bagpipers were put into American unit marching bands to play "[[Reveille]]" every morning. The marching styles and commands of the American and Canadian armies were mixed and uniforms were made identical.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nadler|first=John|title=A Perfect Hell|year=2005|publisher=Anchor Canada|location=Canada|page=73}}</ref> In the end, Frederick's fears were unfounded as the men bonded through training and dedication to the force.<ref>{{cite book|last=Peppard|first=Herb|title=The Lighthearted Soldier|year=1994|publisher=Nimbus Publishing|location=Halifax|page=32}}</ref>