70th Infantry Brigade War Diary December 1940.

Training during December included continuing the field firing exercises.

Work was also done on improving accommodation.

The Brigadier continued a round of inspections – noting that more Royal Engineer help was needed to finish constructing the accommodation huts.

A Brigade TEWT (Tactical Exercise Without Troops) was held – this included addressing the refugee and transport issues that would arise in the event of an invasion.

An Appendix was added to the December War Diary entitled “Training – December 1940” as follows:-

“Training on normal lines continued throughout the month, sometimes limited and sometimes varied by the conditions peculiar to the country.

First, considerable labour had to be expended in banking Nissen Huts to prevent them from being blown away and also to make them draught proof and protected against aircraft. When it is realised that the soil necessary to build these banks up to two feet high had to be carried in lorries, it is not surprising that training was often seriously curtailed.

On the other hand, frequent if irregular falls of snow have given many men their first opportunity of ski-ing, for a number of skis had been allotted to each unit both for operational and recreational purposes. Moreover each Battalion has formed its own ski platoon for reconnaissance and it is hoped that with more training and practice, these platoons will become highly mobile and skilled in their art. To assist in instruction two men from the Norwegian Platoon have been attached to each Battalion.

Another form of training for which this country is particularly favourable is Field Firing. Indeed all three battalions have excellent Field Firing ranges within a couple of miles of their camp. This in addition to field firing on a very much larger scale which was carried out three times in a barren valley some twenty miles from Alafoss. (This was the Kleifarvatn ranges.)

A beginning has also been made in learning the tactics of mountain warfare for here again admirable facilities are at all units’ doorsteps. Progress must, of course be slow if for no other reason than that there are few who have experience of this somewhat specialized form of warfare.

Lastly, though hardly appreciated by the men themselves, the appalling conditions of the local roads are fast raising the standard of M.T. driving to a very high level. Frozen roads, and roads inches deep in slush, torrential rain, gales and snowstorms area are all commonplace occurrences and lucky is the driver who has not already found his vehicle off the road on at least one occasion”.

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