The Jedburghs: France, 1944, and the Secret Untold History of the First Special Forces by Lt. Col. Will Irwin, U.S. Army (Ret.) This first full history of the pioneering special forces units of World War II-dropped behind German lines into France to assist with the D-Day landings- offers new perspective on the struggle to liberate Europe. Irwin is a former U.S. Special Forces colonel with unique access to surviving veterans, archival documents, diaries and correspondence.