Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 79 continued ... Teufel) are all around us every time we come into the line." The FSSF became known as the “black devils” (in 1968 Hollywood would dub them “The Devil’s Brigade”). In late May the Allied forces broke out from the Anzio beachhead; Private Aubrey Spidle was now in charge of a heavy machine gun section. Lieutenant General Mark Clark, commanding the 5th US Army, had agreed with the other Allies to use his army to cut off a large part of the retreating German army after breaking out of the Anzio Beachhead; however, he was fixated on getting to Rome first and claiming the prestige that that it would bring him. Clark arbitrarily, and without warning, broke with the orders of General Harold Alexander’s plan to encircle the retreating German 10th Army, and made a dash for Rome – much to the delight of the retreating German forces. Mark Clark went so far as to order his troops to bar access to Rome by any other Allied forces – British, New Zealanders, Indians, South Africans and Canadians. On 4 June 1944 the FSSF spearheaded the entry into Rome. Despite Clark’s wishes for an allAmerican entry into Rome, the FSSF spearhead contained a number of Canadian soldiers – including Aubrey Spidle. On 14 August Aubrey took part in the amphibious landing on the islands of Port Cros and Levant in the Mediterranean. This action enabled the Seventh U.S. Army to land safely in southern France during Operation DRAGOON. In late August the FSSF were moved into a spearhead position as the Allies advanced into southern France. It was during this time that Sergeant Spidle was severely wounded. The forcemen had to scale a 200-meter cliff to enter the town of Cannes. Aubrey would recount that the enemy forces, well ensconced in the mountains above the town, saw them coming and commenced blocking their approach with mortar and artillery fire, coupled with enfilade machine gun fire. Sergeant Spidle sought cover, and would later tell Robert Hirtle of Mahone Bay, “I just got there, I got hit. I made a dive over this rock pile and fell over a cliff dropping about 25 feet.” He had been hit by gun fire in the leg and shoulder; however, unbeknownst to him at that time, he had also fractured 4 vertebrae. “That was the longest night of my life,” he said. Aubrey laid there all night and was found the next morning by two stretcher bearers. “Was I ever happy to see them” he said, “They loaded me on the stretcher, took me out to a field dressing station and patched me continued ... Purple Heart Medal Private Spidle and the ‘forcemen’
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