187 Field Ambulance - War Diary March 1940

3rd March 1940 HAUGHTON-LE-SKERNE.

Captain Dutton returned from a fortnight at the Anti-Gas School at TREGANTLE and Lt Mashiter had done a week at the Army School of Hygiene.

Anti-Gas lectures have been started for all Officers and NCOs in the evening after completion of courses on RAMC administration.

Captain Dutton is examining every man individually in gas.

12th March 1940

Captain Leslie promoted Major.

26th March 1940

The unit has now been in existence two months. Billets have really improved. Washing places have been put up in yard of Whinfield Hall. Two more lavatory seats for night use have been put in Whinfield Hall. An E T Centre has been started in the same room. The Range has not yet arrived and there are still no facilities for washing dishes.

Men have completed the whole of the Nursing Orderly III Course and preliminary anti-gas training.

Officers and NCOs have had a complete set of lectures on RAMC administration and gas, signal message writing and are now starting Map Reading.

Men have attended the following Courses -

? 4, ? 1, Nursing for a month in Military Hospital Catterick or York 22, Sanitation 3, Water Duties 3.

Kit and equipment are woefully deficient. The men do everything in one suit of Battle Dress, and up till recently, washing facilities have been extremely poor.

The PT Instructor has proved a godsend and is an excellent man.

28th March 1940

The men have returned from Easter leave. This leave has had a bad effect on discipline and training and they will require pulling together.

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