On 21 January British and Australian troops attacked Tobruk and captured it next day, along with 25,000 prisoners, 236 artillery pieces and 23 tanks, for the loss of 400 men. In the Mediterranean the Luftwaffe targeted British shipping supplying Malta and finally forced HMS Illustrious to leave the area for repairs. And in East Africa, British forces attacked Italian Somaliland.
Heavy snow storms continued to batter Caithness this week. Thrumster School recorded in its log book on 22 January: “The weather to-day was exceptionally stormy, with driving sleet & snow, & though fifteen children put in an appearance it was decided to mark no attendance and dismiss school at 10.30am.”
Stemster School was also badly affected all week. On 22 January the head teacher noted, “School impossible; intensive drifting; roads blocked.” Two days later, “4 pupils present to-day. This week owing to blocked roads & tracks through fields has been a “washout” as regards attendance & progress.”
The realities of war meant that the Caithness survivors of the HMS Jervis Bay, who had recently been home on leave and honoured in a civic reception, were now back on active duty. As the John O’Groat Journal reported, at the same time as the seven Caithness Naval Reservists returned to duty, another survivor of the Jervis Bay, Donald Bain, returned home after hospital treatment in Canada – but only for a month’s leave.
On 23 January P.C. Kennedy on duty in Dunbeath telephoned the authorities in Wick to report a torpedo: “I have 
just been informed by Donald Murray, Senior, Ramscraigs, Dunbeath, and Donald Sutherland, Roadside, Ramscraigs, Dunbeath, that this morning they observed a torpedo lying on the shore at Ramscraigs, Dunberath. They stated that it was possible that the torpedo might be washed out with the next tide, and that if the Naval Authorities wished to examine it they would require to attend to it immediately.”
Finally this week, the John O’Groat Journal reported on the Old New Year ball held in support of the Caithness Prisoners of War Fund. Over 300 people had packed into the Breadalbane Hall to see four girls come in singing and carrying gas-masks, followed by Father Time. He was interrupted by an air raid siren and the entry of Spirit of the Year “(Miss Ruby Bain), a sprightly figure”. A large bomb then appeared: “All eyes were on the [High Explosive] as it slowly descended. “Crash!” Before the blinking guests had quite recovered from the explosion, real enough, out stepped “Miss 1941” to make her debut, or should it be “debomb”?”
