Established in 1942, the First Special Service Force was a highly secretive joint American and Canadian arctic warfare/paratrooper unit. Originally intended to fight a guerilla war on the glacial plains of Norway, the First earned most of their fame fighting in the mountains of Italy. The 1st SSF reportedly engaged in the "morale building" activity of terminating enemy night sentries with their V-42 stilettos and leaving the body for their comrades to find along with a calling card bearing the unit insignia and the message "Das dicke ende kommt noch"; ("The worst is yet to come"). The grouping of items in this lot reportedly come from an unnamed 1st SSF soldier and includes his stiletto, garrison cap, shoulder cord, and a pair of pocket knives carried in the field. 1) Case V-42 stiletto: 12 1/2 inches overall with a 7 1/4 inch blade showing hollow-ground double edges and the signature long ricasso with serrated thumb pad and "Case" marking. Fitted with a black painted steel guard, a leather guard pad, ribbed leather washer grip and the flared "skull crusher" pommel. With the unique "long drop" staple reinforced brown leather sheath. 2) Garrison cap: tan cloth construction with a red, white and blue trim and no visible makers marks. 3) Shoulder cord: made from braided red, white and blue strands. 4) Two small pocketknives: one "U.S." marked Ulster brand with two blades, three tools and horn grips and a Camillus with 2 blades and black plastic grips. 5) A set of WW I style dog tags: two aluminum discs made out to a Gustave A. Lindholm of the United States bound with white cord. Consignor notes provide no connection between Lindholm and the owner of the rest of the lot.

1) Excellent with over 95% of the original blue finish on the blade and some minor spotting along the edges and light handling marks. Some bright steel is visible on the guard with some scuffing of the leather and spotting on the pommel. The sheath is good with some staining and cracking. 2) Good with some light stains and a small hole on the left front, possibly from a rank insignia. 3) Good with mild handling marks and some bleeding of the red cord color onto the white cord. 4) Good. One of the blades is stuck on the Camillus and both show wear and spotting appropriate to age. 5) Very good with some mild wear on the discs and staining of the cord. A fine grouping of items from one of the elite fighting forces of the Second World War.