Tea drinking became a habit that persisted long after the unit left England.
On the slightest provocation at any time of the day or night there was always a
“brew” on somewhere.
GUNS - DECEMBER 1941.
17.
Landing leaves started immediately after the arrival at ALDERSHOT.
24 brand new 25-pdrs and the majority of the vehicles were drawn by the 23rd of December.
The arrival of the equipment meant everyone had now a definite job and a distinct
rise in morale was noticeable.
On the 25th December, the new CO,
Lt-Col. K.N. Lander arrived in time to celebrate Christmas with the Regiment.
For the first Christmas outside of CANADA there was a Regimental dinner of pork with
the officers serving beer.
18.
With the coming of the new year the CO soon let it be known that there was still a lot of work to be
done and put the Regiment through the hoops with a vengeance.
Regular Saturday morning parades and inspections were instituted.
Guns were painted, polished and burnished.
Tactical signs were painted on vehicles.
An intensive training programme was initiated which swamped the Adjutant,
Capt. C.T. Fitzpatrick with syllabi and gave the subaltern instructors
many a headache.
Emphasis was placed on the training of drivers, map reading, night convoys, gun drill
and deployments.
The latter were handicapped by a lack of manuals and suitable areas.
On 6 February the guns were taken to POLING for a camera calibration.
The roads were extremely icy and were the cause of a major calamity when one of Fox troop
guns over-turned and was badly smashed.
SENNYBRIDGE - FEBRUARY 1942.
19.
On the 19 February the Regiment made the first of many trips to SENNYBRIDGE
Ranges.
The first half of the stay at SENNYBRIDGE was confined to troop and battery
deployments
and shoots.