I have been unable so far to locate the War Diary for January and February 1944 but know that the Squadron arrived home from Algeria in January. After being allocated their new billets they were allowed a long leave of twenty-eight days.  The second in command Captain Finch took charge of the Squadron after the departure of Major Hardiman through ill health. Captain Gentry became 2 I/C and in the Spring four new Officers transferred in as replacements for those leaving.

Initially some of the men were billeted in Ketton village in Northamptonshire before being re-located in new billets in the small village of Glaston in Rutland.  Some of the early re-enforcements had also been billeted in Ketton and now joined the rest of the Squadron while others joined over the following months.  Glaston was then as it is now, a small rural village sitting either side of the A47 road.  The houses are large, made from local stone and most have been here for years and in some cases centuries.   At the edge of the village to the west, sitting back from the road is Bisbrooke Hall, this became the home of HQ, 2 & 3 Troop.  The Officers and their Batmen took over Glaston House on the east side of the village and 1 Troop moved into the Three Horse Shoes pub.  All the accommodation was crowded and facilities minimal.

When the men went off on leave it was for many the first time they had been home in some years.  They were a proud bunch who wore their red berets, Parachute Wings and the Africa Star medal ribbon with the figure 8 in the middle which indicated they had been members of the British 8th Army - the "Desert Rats"

Extract of  4th Para Sqn War Diary March 1944

March 4  1 & 2 Troop move from billets in Ketton.  Officers Mess at Glaston House.  1 Troop billeted Three Horse Shoes Public House.  2 & 3 Troop billeted at Bisbrooke Hall
March  8  All Sqn to parachute refresher course at Ringway
March 13  Return from Ringway
March 14  Field Marshall Montgomery inspects 4th Para Bde at Barleythorpe Hall
March 16  King George inspects 4th Para Bde at Barleythorpe Hall.  Lt Wiehe leaves Sqn.  Inter Troop football match.
March 17  Lt H. Brown joins Squadron
March 19  Bridging course
March 24  Bridging course continues
March 28  Conference and debrief of Exercise Silk
March 31  1 & 3 Troop bridge building at Harringworth

Arriving back from their leave and joined by some replacements and new recruits the whole Squadron went to the Parachute Training School at Ringway, Manchester, for a conversion course, which also included some dreaded balloon jumps.

They returned five days later and the following day Field Marshall Montgomery inspected 4th Parachute Brigade at Barleythorpe Hall near Oakham, (Billets of the 133 Para Field Ambulance) Some of the men recall the Field Marshall giving one of his moral boosting speeches.
Two days later it was the turn of the King to inspect the men, again at Barleythorpe Hall.  It would be true to say that the men were less impressed by him than Montgomery.  As those who saw him close up swear that he was wearing make-up!
On the same day Lieutenant Wiehe, who had joined the Squadron in North Africa, was posted out to join the SOE.
An inter troop football match took place but the results were not recorded.

More new men joined the Squadron in March after initially being posted to 1st Parachute Squadron RE, but when that unit became over-strength they were posted into 4th Parachute Squadron.  Although they were not raw recruits and had undergone their full Airborne and specialist training they were not always well received.  Some of the longer serving members of the Squadron did not try to hide their animosity towards them with remarks like "Get your knees brown", referring to their own longer service and time spent overseas. Even when these remarks were meant to be light-hearted they often offended the newcomers.  

Lieutenant Harry Brown (later Faulkner-Brown) joined the Squadron on the 17^th.  Captain Temple left the Squadron and transferred to 4th Brigade Headquarters in the Intelligence Section

On the 19^th the Squadron began a bridging course.  The first of many bridges they would build and then dismantle in and around the area.  1 & 3 Troop built a FBE bridge (Folding Boat Equipment) and 2 Troop a Bailey bridge.

On the morning of the 24^th the Squadron erected a 220 metre bridge in just three and a half hours as part of exercise 'Silk.'  
The bridging course continued through the rest of the week with the Troops alternating between building the various types of bridges.  Later at a conference held at Oakham to discuss and debrief exercise 'Silk' the Squadron received credit for their part played.
The training routine in sapper skills continued into the last day of the month. 1 & 3 Troop carried out the task of erecting a Bailey bridge across a 120 metre gap at Harringworth, a village just a few miles away from Glaston.

In May one of the replacement Officers, Alan Scott Fleming, who had transferred to the Squadron from 1st Squadron RE in January left the unit with serious medical problems.  His position as OC 3 Troop was taken over on promotion to Captain by Lieutenant Harry Brown.
During this month, two other Officers joined the Squadron, Lieutenant Harris and Eden.