33rd Field Hygiene Section War Diary - December 1940
1 December 1940
Warning Orders received from Movement Control re. embarkation through visit of E.S.O. to Unit.
2 December 1940
Record of shipping weights etc. sent to Movement Control.
2 – 10 December 1940
Unit in course of preparation for embarkation. Kits and clothing checked and brought up to scale.
Equipment G1098 also checked, numbered and inventoried, certain articles re-packed.
Daily drills instituted and inspection twice daily.
During the whole period at HUYTON there were several raids by enemy aircraft and numerous “alerts”. No damage was done in the vicinity of this Unit and it suffered no casualties.
11 December 1940
Embarkation date was provisionally fixed for 15 December 1940.
The following promotion was made; Corporal Gardiner to be Sergeant.
The following local appointments were made:
13 December – S/Sgt Donaldson T H to be acting local unpaid QMS.
11 December – Pte Searle W A T to be acting local unpaid L/Cpl.
10 December – Driver Jones E S (RASC) to be acting local unpaid L/Cpl.
12 December 1940
Messages were received regarding the embarkation of the Unit and its equipment on 15 December 1940 from Movement Control, Liverpool.
Officer Commanding visited E.S.O. and received instructions for loading of G1098 equipment to H.M.T. J4.
13 December 1940
Day spent in transporting to Canada Docks G1098 equipment and loading this on H.M.T. J4.
14 December 1940
Day spent in closing correspondence, completing documents and closing Imprest Account. Final cleaning up of billets, packing of Kit Bags etc.
15 December 19
09:30 hours. Unit paraded and stacked baggage outside Billet.
10:15 hours. Short service on parade ground by Chaplain of 5th AMPC Centre.
10:45 hours. Unit embussed with personal baggage.
11:30 hours. Unit arrived at Canada Docks, Liverpool and embarked on H.M.T. J4. Unit was not assigned any permanent duty on ship.
16 December 1940
H.M.T. J4 proceeded to Mersey Bar.
18 December 1940
16:00 hours. H.M.T. J4 sailed from Mersey.
18 – 24 December 1940
At sea.
25 December 1940
Convoy of transports including H.M.T. J4 encountered an enemy surface raider. Some shells fell in the water close to the ship which was undamaged. No casualties were sustained by this Unit or other personnel on the ship.
It appears that the sea voyage continued until early January.
To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - click here.
