With Japanese forces closing in on Singapore, the British withdrew all their troops into the city and prepared for a siege. Rommel continued his surprise offensive, reaching as far as the border between Libya and Egypt; but after this the fighting subsided again as the two sides rested and refitted. On 26 January the first American troops landed in Europe, in Northern Ireland. And on 1 February the pro-Nazi Vidkun Quisling was reappointed President of Norway.
The snowstorms that descended on Caithness last week continued to fall, with the whole county now affected as far south as Latheron parish. The Head Teacher of Latheron School recorded in the log book: “Jan 26: No school. Stormy weather. Blizzard. Jan 29: fresh fall of snow. Miss Davidson absent Jan 26th-Jan 28th – unable to return from Spittal owing to blocked roads. She had to walk 4 miles through deep snow to Georgemas Junction to get connection with Wick. Country districts isolated.”
The children of Barrock School, however, refused to let a mere snowstorm disrupt their education, as their Head Teacher recorded on “30 January: “Continuance of storm, roads blocked, but children in vicinity are attending well.”
Meanwhile, Pulteneytown Academy had more problems than just the weather. Their log book entry for 27 January reads: “Special class did not meet on Monday and to danger from floating mines.”
The John O’Groat Journal reported the remarkable case of Mr and Mrs Donald Forbes of
Wick, who had seven sons on war service, and one son-in-law. Two had emigrated to New Zealand and served with the New Zealand forces (one had been captured by the Germans in Crete). The others were in the RAF, the merchant navy, the Royal Artillery, the Seaforth Highlanders and the eldest was a fire fighter in Kirkcaldy. (Their son-in-law, Sergeant David Bremner, had been evacuated from Dunkirk.) As the article concluded, “It is sincerely hoped they will all return in safety to their respective homes.”
Now that the danger of a German invasion appeared less imminent, men from the Home Guard were asked to replace serving soldiers manning the guns of 303 Coast Battery. Colonel McHardy of the Home Guard received a letter describing the sort of men who would be suitable: “They are required to actually replace men on the gun, who have been posted away. They should be capable of loading a 100 shell, i.e., a certain amount of strength and not too short.”
Finally this week, over in Orkney, Hettie Munro of Thurso had an enjoyable Burns Night:
“We celebrated Burns Night on Monday 26th and danced some eightsome reels etc., after eating haggis and cockie leekie. It was good fun, especially initiating Connie & Bill into the mysteries – when the haggis appeared Connie looked round rather apprehensively and said, “Is this it?” Another pleasant evening.”
