In my Dad's copy of "The Road to Rome"it metions that the FSSF was relieved at Monte Artessimo by another unit. Dad wrote that that unit was the 36th Combat Engineers.

Ah, just placed this elsewhere. Funny you should mention it...

I could expand a little on the First Special Service Force. When we were relieved from the Moletta River Front to get scraped off and some replacements we had only a few days to train them.. The Regiment ordered each of the Lieutenants who had the British Commando Training in Africa to go with two non-coms to the Musolini Canal Front with the FSSF. Our job was to learn the terrain and be ready to take over the positions when the Regiment followed up in about a week. I went along with the evening patrols as a rifleman with an experienced FSSF Sergeant leading and my non-coms did the same. It was quite an experiences and we learned plenty to run the patrols and raids when the rest came up.

The FSSF never got the opportunity to blow out the Heavy Water plant in Norway which they were originally trained for but they did a heck of a job wherever they went. They spearheaded the assault out of Anzio and later went to France to outpost the line between France and Italy. They had been supplemented by the survivors of Darby's Rangers and actually were wasted in France. Eventually they were converted to the 343rd Infantry Regiment and the Canadian Soldiers returned to Canadian Divisions.

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.