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A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM JOHN HART AND THE FSSF ASSOCIATION.
When the Second World War started, Waters joined the 14th Army Tank Battalion (Calgary Tanks) in 1941. Waters, now a young lieutenant, was posted to the First Special Service Force, a commando style military force that consisted of both Canadian and U.S. soldiers.
As a member of the Force, he took part in the American 5th Army’s Salerno and later Anzio landings in Italy. At Anzio, the Americans awarded Waters the Silver Star for Gallantry for exposing himself to enemy fire while directing a coordinated infantry-tank attack. Later, after the breakout from Anzio, he commanded one of the first units of the Force to enter and capture Rome.
After Italy, Waters was promoted to command the First Canadian Parachute Battalion in Europe where his unit made first contact with the Russian Army near Berlin during the fall of Germany.
Waters in 1988, described the soldiers of the First Special Service Force as “clever, courageous and just a little bit crazy!” He went on to say that “Members of the force carried a special fighting knife designed by the Force Commander, Lt.-Col. Frederick. The knife had a dagger style blade, sharp as a razor, with a sharpened ‘skull punch’ on the end of the handle grip.
The US Silver Star Medal is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest personal decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against the enemy. Lt. Stan Waters was awarded his Silver Star by the Americans at Anzio for his Gallant actions, exposing himself to enemy fire while directing a coordinated infantry -tank attack. Image: Private collection.
The Honorable, Lieutenant-General Stanley Charles Waters, CD. Image:
Baltherwick.net.
