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. Research using the Commonwealth War Graves database has now identified that the casualty was Gunner James MARTIN 115743 and that the Commission has his date of death as 19/1/1942.

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 Batteries 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 DAVD&RS) and Major Gilmore (DADV&RS Scottish Command) 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.

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