187 Field Ambulance - War Diary January 1942

187th Field Ambulance War Diary – January 1942

2nd January 1942 Velindre 10:00 hours – Very few men here as large batch have gone off on 14 days’ disembarkation leave. All Officers are gone except OC and Quartermaster. Have settled in wellwith chief difficulty being black-out orders. Cannot understand why a ? of the more important orders cannot be handed to units on arrival. In this unit’s case all its G 1098 Office and other stores are still at sea between Iceland and UK and there are innumerable references being made to ACI’s and orders which cannot be looked up. Rations are certainly on the short side and have to be supplemented by 2 ½ p per man per day all of which goes to increase their meal. 5th January 1942 12:00 hours – Settling in well. Village is very rural but people are extremely friendly and hospitable. There is a Dance Hall and Cinema so overall the troops should not be badly off. 14th January 1942 10:00 hours – Leave Party back. This brings unit back up to strength as ? ? batch of about 20 men who left on 8th January for 14 days, leave will now be due to me. 20th January 1942 09:00 hours – Lt Col Macnamara proceeded on disembarkation leave. Captain Hanlan, Dental Officer, went to LLANELLY to open dental centre there. 15:00 hours – Captain Sheehan, Brigade RC Padre visited the unit and stayed overnight. Weather is very cold but no snow. 21st January 1942 Normal training. 22nd January 1942 10:00 hours – Went to Brigade HQ and received some idea of future events. Roads very bad with snow and ice. Last party from disembarkation leave returned. 23rd January 1942 During the past two days the unit has been examined and graded according to standards by ADMS Iceland ( C) Force for Mountain Warfare. 24th January 1942 09:30 hours – Unit route march including cross country running in Battle Order. Men appear to be fairly fit on the whole. 25th January 1942 09:00 hours – C of E Church Parade to Velindre Church – special service is held each Sunday for the unit by the Rector. 26th January 1942 09:30 hours – Unit cross-country march of eleven miles including crossing streams, climbing hills and getting through barbed wire. No one fell out on the march. 27th January 1942 11:00 hours – Officer i/c Barracks visited the Camp. Normal Company training – weather very cold. 28th January 1942 15:30 hours – The Rector – who is also the local Welfare Officer – visited the unit and arrangements were made to give a concert by the unit Concert Party in the Village Hall in two or three weeks’ time. 29th January 1942 09:30 hours – Each Company to have a Company Office away from the Orderly Room to try and decentralise. Difficulty is lack of offices. 30th January 1942 11:30 hours – Visited Brigade HQ for Conference of Brigade CO’s – met ?. Received instructions to begin privilege leave for the unit on February 2nd. Captain Lintott returned to the unit having completed two weeks’ temporary duty with 10th DLI. 31st January 1942 09:30 hours – Unit route march.

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