January 1941

New years day was an official holiday and only duty personnel were required to work. The weather was cool and bright at New Years. The officers entertained the Sergeants in the officers mess at Kingswood Court. Short route marches were instituted in order to prepare the unit for the 60 mile march which was scheduled for the later part of the month. 7 day leaves were again authorized with rail warrants. Air activity on the part of the Germans was heavy again in the Kingswood area. It was on one of these early leaves that I went to Aberdeen to stay with the sister of the RMS. I cannot recall now the exact time but it was when the 7 days leave periods were started.

Church parades held each Sunday in the Company areas and the padre was kept quite busy getting around to each of them. The CO, Lt. Col W.W. Southam, was away on a Senior Officers course and his place was being taken by Major W.B. Hendrie. The weather was cold, sleet and rain for a good part of the month. The companies were still out practicing digging and revetting trenches. A report that two German airman were loose in our area was received and when we went to try to find them we failed to find any trace.

Set out on the 60 mile march on 27 Jan and left Kingswood at 0800hrs and we covered 21 and a half miles and reached Croydon where we stayed in billets of the R 22e R. The second day we marched a total of 23 and a half miles to Westerham and Godstaone and stayed the night in the billets of the PPCLI. We marched 16 and a half miles the third day from Westerham direct to Kingswood via secondary roads. The weather every day was raining, foggy and we were all thoroughly miserable. Feet mighty sore at the end of the march but I did not drop out although a total of 6 men in the unit were unable to finish the march due to foot trouble.