War Diary of the 1st Mountain Regiment January 1942.

2 January 1942 – Weedon.

MGA East Central District inspected barracks at Weedon.

11 – 17 January 1942

Tests were carried out with a 3.7 Howitzer under Arctic conditions at Farnborough RAF Experimental Station.

13 January 1942 No. 1117543 Gunner Martin J (451 Mountain Battery) died at Hatfield Hospital. 15 January 1942 – Edinburgh. 453 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery, Regimental HQ and detachment of Ammunition Column moved from Edinburgh to Dalwhinnie to camp under snow conditions. 16 January 1942 454 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery, Regimental Signals Section and detachment of Ammunition Column moved from Edinburgh to Dalwhinnie to camp under snow conditions. 17 January 1942 – Weedon. 451 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery, moved from Weedon to Edinburgh. 18 January 1942 452 Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery, moved from Weedon to Edinburgh. 19 January 1942 – Dalwhinnie. 454 Battery animals stampeded during the night. Six or eight were not recovered for about a week.

21 January 1942

Heavy snowfall at Drumochter. Mule No. 459 (453 Battery) was destroyed at Dalwhinnie. 23 January 1942 Very heavy snowfall during previous night. At 12:00 hours it began to rain. By 14:00 hours all tents in 453 Battery and Regimental HQ were soaked. 454 Battery re-pitched their camp at Drumochter, remainder moved into buildings at Dalwhinnie.

No. 327939 Gunner Lloyd (453 Battery) died in Castle Hospital, Edinburgh.  (Commonwealth War Graves has his date of death as 31 January 1942).

24 January 1942 454 Battery moved into billets at ? Cumbermore Lodge – very wet. 25 January 1942 Sleet and slush. 26 January 1942 Freezing again. C.O. issued orders to bivouac on following day. 27 January 1942 453 Battery began shooting on way to bivouac. At 12:00 hours heavy, wet snow turned to rain and C.O. ordered Batterys back to billets. 28 January 1942 Fine day. 453 Battery fired at Breakachy and 454 Battery at Cumbermore. 29 January 1942 454 Battery fired at Cumbermore. 30 January 1942 453 Battery and detachment Ammunition Column moved from Dalwhinnie to Weedon. Colonel Lloyd (from DAVRS) and Major Gilmore (DADVRS Sc. C.) inspected animals. 31 January 1942 454 Battery and detachment Ammunition Column moved from Dalwhinnie to Weedon. Regimental HQ and Regimental Signal Section moved from Dalwhinnie to Edinburgh.