Staff Sgt. William "Bill" E. Brotherton, originally of Medicine Hat, was a member of the First Special Service Force in the Second World War. He died in Italy in December 1943 and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
In January 1944, the news families lived in most fear of came to Medicine Hat.
Staff Sgt William “Bill” E. Brotherton, who is recorded as having lived at 178 Eighth St. N., was killed in action in the Second World War on or about Jan. 11, 1944 at Mount La Difensa, Italy.
A member of the First Special Service Force, he was chosen to infiltrate enemy territory to address the source of machine gun and sniper fire that had caused significant loss of life.
According to newspaper reports he did this with “skill and aggressive spirit, once coming to within a yard of an enemy position before being discovered.” He managed to reduce several positions of the enemy killing seven with rifle fire, destroying machine guns and snipers.
“Brotherton’s spirit and skill reflect credit upon himself and the two armies which he serves.”
Brotherton of the FSSF was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on Dec. 6, 1943.
Brotherton was born April 5, 1918, in Medicine Hat, attended Alexandra High School and worked for CPR before enlisting with the Calgary Highlanders in 1939. He was dispatched overseas in June 1940 and then transferred to the 1st Canadian Paratroops Corps before being returned to North America for advanced training. He was then transferred to the 2nd Canadian Paratroops Corps stationed at Helena, Montana and returned to Europe in October 1943.
The FSSF was an elite group of highly trained soldiers and about half a dozen were from this area, including Geoffrey Hart, father of local resident John Hart.
Born in Maple Creek on Aug. 31, 1920 Geoffrey’s training included hand-to-hand combat and stealth techniques, with night flighting and the use of almost every type of weapon.
The FSSF was officially created on July 9, 1942, to perform sabotage missions behind enemy lines in the mountains of Italy and also in Norway.
On Dec. 3, 1943 Geoffrey was part of the Force that stormed Monte La Difensa – the mountain stronghold that had withstood countless attacks for weeks and caused great loss of life.
On this particular day they waited for the cover of darkness before two soldiers climbed steep granite cliffs and secured ropes for the others to use. They were able to catch the enemy by surprise because they’d come from behind.
The story of “La Difensa” is depicted in the 1968 film “The Devil’s Brigade.”
In spite of significant loss of life the Force continued across mountains driving the enemy back and allowing the Allied armies to advance through the valleys. There were times when the Force would silently kill one of the enemy and leave behind a sticker with a warning: “The worst is yet to come.”
The diary of a German soldier reads: “The Black Devils are all around us and we never see them.”
By May 1944 the Force had been fighting for 99 days straight.
Geoffrey Hart survived the war and later died in a work-related accident when his son John was only 16.
Brotherton’s name is recorded on the Cenotaph.
