This is a set of never issued/used government contract wood skis as used by FSSF (First Special Service Force) and 10th Mtn Division troops in WWII.  Both skis are 89 inches in length.  They have never had binding and what little wear these skis have was caused by 65+ years of storage.  One ski is marked “76, “US”, 8392, 12/42″ and “Gregg MFG., St. Paul, MINN.”.  The other ski is marked “‘U.S.’, 4244, 76, 2-43″ and “S.L. Allen & Co, Inc. Phila, PA.”.

Price: SOLD

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These are part of a group of 10th Mountain Division items I recently acquired.  They are WWII issue wooden ski poles with hexagonal shaped wood shafts and wood rimmed baskets woven in leather.  The grips and wrist thongs are also leather.  The poles are in excellent condition and appear to have never been used.  The light wear they exhibit was probably caused by 65 years of storage.  These would be difficult to upgrade.

Price: SOLD

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This is an original, WWII era set of ski pole baskets as used by 10th Mountain Division troops and FSSF (First Special Service Force).  Perfect for restoring an original set of ski poles with damaged baskets.

Price: SOLD

I recently acquired these ski poles along with other mountain troop items I will be listing shortly.  They are very early poles literally made from shaped sticks of hickory as used by 10th Mtn Division and FSSF (First Special Service Forces) troops.  The baskets rims appear to be made from bent ash woven in leather.  The wrist thongs are a herringbone woven material.  They have inventory numbers painted over the white finish and are in structurally sound condition.

Price: $85.00 (USD)

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This uniform group is an exceptional offering to a member of the famed ‘Devil’s Brigade’, the First Special Service Force.  John P. Grantz was a member of 5-3 and is listed as such in the roster in the official First Special Service Force unit history, written by Robert D. Burhans (p. 343).

The WWII era Ike jacket shows minor wear, with a few tiny rub spots and holes, but they are small and can hardly be seen.  All insignia is original to the jacket and has never been removed.  The 3 place ribbon bar includes: EAME (European-African-Middle Eastern) campaign ribbon with an invasion arrowhead plus 4 campaign stars, a Pacific campaign ribbon with one star (for the assault on Kiska), and a Good Conduct ribbon.  The red/white/blue Force shoulder cord is magnificent along with the enlisted crossed arrows disc.  The FSSF shoulder patch is a known variant that was made and purchased in Nice, France.

Both the jacket and cap are named to Grantz.  The O/S cap is textbook with the correct FSSF braid and tape to the piping.

Another stunning part of this group (aside from the theater made patch), is Grantz’s V-42 knife.  This knife is in superb condition as is its leather sheath.  He must have sent this knife home rather than bringing it overseas.  The scabbard shows some minor rust on the rivet heads, but is otherwise excellent.  It still retains its original length, as many of these were cut down.

You would be hard pressed to find another named Force group with its original V-42 knife!

Price: SOLD

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This uniform was worn by a local veteran that served in the First Special Service Force. He was a scout (MOS 761) attached to headquarters and did reconnaissance for all three regiments. His separation record describes his duties as:

Served as a scout for infantry troops in combat with enemy in both European and Pacific theaters of operations. Patrolled enemy territory in order to obtain information concerning strength and positions of enemy units. Noted terrain features for combat purposes. Reported to S-2 and S-3 offices and made necessary changes on maps and records. Served on Aleutian Islands, in Cassino, and on Anzio Beachhead.

This soldier was at Fort Harrison (Helena, Montana) from its inception. His diary lists his arrival date as August 4th, 1942. Fort Harrison was where the FSSF was formed and training before being sent to kiska.

He received his Combat Infantry Badge December 5, 1944 (for La Difensa) and a Purple Heart for wounds received at Mussolini Canal.

Some of the items included in the group are:

• Class A blouse (shirt and necktie were added for the photo)
• Officers quality overseas cap w/ Force braid
• Wool Trousers and belt
• Discharge papers
• Diaries
• Wood carving from Aleutians
• Photographs
• Beachhead News papers from Anzio
• Letter opener made from two FSSF “fat tail” patches
• Fort Harrison souvenir pillow case
• FSSF Unit History book
• Print of the FSSF monument in Helena, MT
• Marble desk memento from a circa 1990′s FSSF reunion
• Kiska Booklet
• Hard Cover book about Anzio w/ veteran’s notes written inside
• Ephemera and other documents

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