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Darby's Rangers (released in the UK as The Young Invaders [1]) is a 1958 American war film starring James Garner as William Orlando Darby, who organizes and leads the first units of United States Army Rangers during World War II.
William O. Darby (February 8, 1911 – April 30, 1945) was a career United States Army officer who fought in World War II, where he was killed in action at age 34 in Italy. He was posthumously promoted to brigadier general. Darby was the founding commander of the First Ranger Battalion, which evolved into the United States Army Rangers.
Hundreds of American soldiers surrendered to the Germans when they found themselves surrounded. In the demoralizing aftermath, Maj. Gen. John Lucas, the 45th Infantry Division commander, sent U.S. Army Ranger force commander Lt. Col. William O. Darby to take command of the shattered 179th Infantry.
In efforts to prevent German occupation of seaports in North Africa, the 1st Ranger Battalion spearheaded an invasion at the Port of Arzew in Algeria. This was accomplished by executing a surprise night landing, silencing two gun batteries, and opening the way for the capture of Oran.
Darby’s Rangers led the American amphibious assault. Ranger operations in Sicily followed a clockwise course around the island, from the Gela landings to Palermo and ending near Messina. Commanded by LTC Darby, Force X landed at Gela and the 3rd Ranger Battalion, under Major Dammer, landed twenty miles to the west at Licata.
Darby and the 1st Rangers are Formed. The U.S. Army did not have special operations units in 1941. That quickly changed when America declared war on the Axis and entered WWII.
These were “Darby’s Rangers,” members of the U.S. 1st Ranger Battalion, recruited earlier that month in Northern Ireland from among the 34th Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division. Their leader was a lean, young West Pointer from Arkansas named William Orlando Darby.
