January 1942

The unit started the New Year with a vehicle holiday. The Army Commander Lt. Gen Montgomery lectured the officers in the Brighton on 2 January. It was during this month that Lt.Col Southam left the unit as he was promoted to Brigadier and assumed command of the 6th Cdn Inf Bde.

Very early in the month I caught a severe cold which developed into pneumonia which hospitalized me for over 6 weeks. I was one of the early cases treated with the new Sulpha drug. It was used experimentally and worked quite well. I was evacuated from the unit to L cdn Ind Bde Forward dressing station and from there to the No 1 Casualty Clearing Station and from there to the No 1 Canadian General Hospital at Horsham. After being discharged from the hospital I was sent to the Infantry Holding Unit. While there I was ordered to report to London for duty at Canadian Military Headquarters where I was employed as a claim clerk with the JAG Department on 15 March 1942.

This is the end of my journal with the 48th Highlanders. Of course the war went on and I had many other experiences, but never again as a Highlander.