187 Field Ambulance - War Diary March 1942
1st March 1942 Velindre
10:00 hours – Weather cold. Training continued especially map reading and gas.
2nd March 1942
10:00 hours – Captain McGowan who has been on P.T. Course at ALDERSHOT proceeded on sick leave – he had been admitted to Military Hospital ALDERSHOT for a few days previously for removal of two ?? This Officer is 29 years of age and from his letters apparently found the Course somewhat too strenuous and it would appear that Officers over 25 years old should not be sent especially when of poor physique.
3rd March 1942
17:30 hours – Field Ambulance marched 19 miles – nobody except Quartermaster, whose first march it was, fell out.
OC and Major Browne set off for Brigade TEWT on Mountain Warfare.
5th March 1942
18:00 hours – OC returned from TEWT – a most useful exercise ? which one personally feels was of benefit especially as we made some mistakes ? always measured against.
Major Browne remained behind and ? ? billet in PONTYPOOL.
7th March 1942
18:00 hours – Urgent orders received for Lt W? Polish Medical Officer to report at LEEDS at 15:00 hours on the 8th. Got him off at once. A very good type of Officer – keen, well disciplined and interested in work.
Captain Smith reported back from sick leave and privilege leave – very good to have him back.
9th March 1942
18:00 hours – Staff Sergeant Allison of B Company, after being categorised B2 was posted to 17 Company, a great loss – this Staff Sergeant has been with the unit since the beginning and previously with parent unit 150th Field Ambulance but unfortunately he is a very heavy type of man and an old injury knee has been giving him a lot of trouble. He has been replaced by Records by another Staff Sergeant from another unit – a very bad bit of work. OC is protesting – it is extremely disheartening if good sergeants who have been in the unit since the beginning lose their chance of promotion in this way. OC writing strong letter to Records.
Pte Chapman also left. 11 Category A men of 34 – 36 years of age are group posted to the unit – seem very good men and am posting pick to A Company removing ? elements in this Company which requires stiffening up.
The Matrix Test which began on 5th and finished on 6th gave the unit a good report – the general standard of intelligence as judged by this test was stated to be above an average Infantry Battalion. Some men – about six – will have to go after seeing Specialist in Psychological Medicine.
Route March – fairly stiff. Took the new men and only one fell out, though climbing had not been done by him before.
12th March 1942
09:00 hours – Waggons arrived for loading, got on well with this – all done by evening.
13th March 1942
09:30 hours – Entrained for PONTYPOOL – barracks looked clean.
18:00 hours – Arrived PONTYPOOL 14:30 hours – met by Major Browne and shown to billets which are extremely separated – some very small in some cases. Very dirty – behind A and B Companies ? large dump of ? this ? lunch salvage of ? Unloaded men and kits – left rest of unloading for morning.
14th March 1942
12:00 hours – Went round billets again – not impressed - washing, latrines, cookhouses, poor but must make best of it.
Saw OC Mule Corps -agreed to put loads down on Sunday 15th and to start on 15th. Marching down but the mile distance too great and may have to use transport. Lt Slater reported back, was not wanted at all and no work done – a complete waste of time and petrol.
15th March 1942
18:00 hours – OC and Major Browne went to Brigade re arrangements for further training.
Advance Party moves on Monday week. ? to go to ADOS. Abergavenny and get losses made up without Court of Enquiry. Apparently Officers ? to Iceland now.
18th March 1942
19:00 hours – Mule Training continuing – men seem to be getting in to it though methods of training etc are various - each Indian and other Officers apparently having a different method. In addition, the Company at Crickhowell where Captain Smith and Staff Sergeant were trained also have their own method.
19th March 1942
19:00 hours – Loaded Mules for the first time – went well but ? of drawing a wheeled stretcher by ropes attached to the mule cause a proper dust-up ending up in horse stampeding stretcher flung about with feet in air, patient – an Indian Naik – having wisely thrown himself off. The horse then took the wheels full pelt into its stables from whence they returned somewhat bow-legged. This one demonstration made it quite clear that no type of leather or strap attachment is any use. That is proposed to have these stretchers drawn by Mules and all Officers also saw what happened are definitely against this; it will in my opinion have to be done by attaching wooden poles to the stretcher within a leather bucket on mule saddle, but as I say, it is not in my opinion a feasible proposition, they are better pushed by men.
Telephone message that Colonel Ash Moody, Officer i/c administration will inspect office and stores, men’s clothing etc at 15:00 to 15:30 hours on 20th March.
21st March 1942
10:00 hours – After making all arrangements for inspection no one turned up.
Men went to Baths at Pit Head.
23rd March 1942
10:00 hours – Major Browne left at 10:00 hours on 22nd March with Staff Captain of 70th Infantry Brigade HQ for PORTMADOC to take over new Camp for Mountain Warfare.
Rang up Brigade re Col Ash Moody but got no answer.
Made out orders on Sunday for first regular Route March with Mules to CRUMLIN and back – about eighteen miles. Not easy to follow loading tables which will not fit our equipment.
Large number of new men in last few days back from leave but learning well.
Letter from Records – Staff Sergeant Vaughan to go to 17 Company and Sergeant Farrow to be promoted Staff Sergeant. This is extremely good as Staff Sergeant Vaughan too old and without any experience of Field Ambulance work.
Programme sent to Mule Company on 22nd March (see Appendix A).
25th March 1942 Pontypool
12:00 hours – Marched to CRUMLIN and back – eighteen miles and had haversack ration, there was an hour’s delay in marching off, chiefly owing to there being a lot of odd loads but this was to be expected as it was the first day and also some of the men had only a few days training.
Several points cropped up. Contact between front and rear was bad, the leading Company streaking away without considering about the rear, must be contact files. Officer in charge last Company was not behind Company and no men behind to help if last Mules were in trouble, this contact and looking after was found to be most important.
Another point came out forcibly. Captain Smith was going back on a road on the map without previously reconnoitring the road. It was a track on a very steep hill which eventually faded out, Mules and Horses had to come down a very difficult hill with no main road, then found a very ? gate. ? maps are very little use as a guide to country fit for Mules, all sorts of obstacles crop up, small gates, bridges etc very difficult for wading animals.
On 24th March 1942 did a long march of 23 miles to ABERCAIRN thence over bird mountain. Loading was much better and half ? was out of ?? , this march provided some very stiff going and again brought out the lessons of contact and Officer in rearguard, and another big mistake at foot of steep hill – leading Company did not halt and as a consequence column became very broken up, and OC became rearguard and eventually had to ride forward and halt the leading Company. Too much emphasis cannot be laid on this matter of contact. Leading Company should have halted at bottom of hill and then column could have formed up well-disciplined on a ? point.
Loads went well and Mules gave little trouble.
Great praise should be given to the 32 Mule Company for the horses provided when one considers that most of the personnel have not ridden before and that horses had to pass trains both under and over bridges and ride along tarmac through town with buses and cars etc and that no horse has ever given a single moments trouble.
The General Officer Commanding South Wales District inspected the unit at work, thought very little of unit but did not look much at loading, which had been done very well. Undoubtedly will have to do something about ? ? kit.
27th March 1942
10:00 hours – On 26th March went for a march to ABERREEG starting at twelve o’clock and reaching ABERREEG at 16:30 hours. Carried stretchers with Bearer Section with blanket ? ? in each. The pace going out was appallingly slow – men felt the stretcher carrying very much. Lunch taken at 14:30 hours. Had a hot meal prepared at ABERREEG and left again at 19:15 hours for march over mountain to PONTYPOOL; went very fast and well with stretchers, again old mistake here keeping in touch with leading riders at crossroads. Arrived back 22:30 hours.
31st March 1942
21:50 hours – Under orders previously received unit entrained for Mountain Warfare Camp near PORTMADOC. OC had received orders to proceed to interview at War Office, so Major Phillipson, having arrived a day or two before, took the unit up.
Appendices attached to 187 Field Ambulance War Diary for March 1942
Appendix A
This short document listed the planned cross-country marches, giving; destination, Pack Animals required, timing, start point and estimated time of return. In addition, details were given of a planned conference between the Field Ambulance NCOs and Officers, and Officers from the Mule Companies. While this document was mentioned in the March War Diary it was actually filed with the April 1942 War Diary in the relevant file at The National Archives.
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