6 Innisks- August 1944
1st August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
A quiet day with no activity. The few men in camp were needed to carry out the administrative duties.
Bttn HQ was still busily engaged in completing the many ‘A’ details required for the disbandment of the battalion.
1400 A swimming party left for Ishmalia.
2nd August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
CO, Adjutant, Major Mathew and IO, who was working as Assistant Adjutant left for the 2nd Bttn to tie up final details about personnel from 6 Innisks, who were to be absorbed into 2 Innisks.
Major RB Myles was appointed to command the bttn in the absence of the CO and Major EJ Griffiths was appointed A/Ajt in the absence of Captain R Blyth. Warning was received that the brigade would now be going to Alexandria instead of Palestine as previously arranged and that the move would take place earlier than originally intended ie 7th August instead of 12th August.
Movement Order received from Brigade HQ.
3rd August – QASSASSIN.
Weather – fine and warm.
Normal routine at Qassassin with Bathing Parade in the afternoon.
4th August – QASSASSIN.
Weather very warm and bright.
Normal routine at Qassassin.
0900 At Alexandria, a conference was held at 2 Innisks to decide where to put the personnel transferred from the 6th Bttn.
5th August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
Normal routine at camp.
1400 CO, Adjutant, IO and Major Mathew returned from Alexandria and work was started on movement orders and administrative details for the move of the bttn to Alexandria.
In the evening, personnel returned from leave and the camp list its deserted appearance, as everyone re-installed with beds etc.
6th August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
Bttn went ahead with arrangements for the move to Alexandria.
1100 CO spoke to the bttn on the Parade Ground for the last time as their Commanding Officer and said goodbye and wished everybody ‘Good Luck’ in their new units.
1130 -1330 A photographer was brought from Ishmalia and photographs were taken of the bttn as a whole, Officers’ Mess. Sergeants’ Mess, Cpls’ Mess and groups of each coy and a sufficient number of copies ordered so that all members of the 6th Bttn would have a record of their bttn.
1400 The personnel of the 6th Bttn, who could not be absorbed into the other bttns of the brigade left for the ITD at Geneifa.
The rest of the day was very quiet. People continued with the task of packing up, but without the usual cheerful cross-chat, which normally accompanied these operations, for to everybody the death of the bttn has now become a very real thing and there was nobody that did not feel very deeply about it.
1500 The Commanding Officer said goodbye to all NCOs personally.
1600 CO left for 2nd Bttn with Major Mathew.
7th August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
0400 Reveille.
0430 Breakfast. After breakfast, final packing was done and the bttn was embussed by 0620 hrs.
0630 Column moved off u/c Major RB Myles. The journey was very tedious and the convoy had to refill at one of the PSPs on route.
A halt of one hour was called at midday for tea and haversack rations.
2130 Convoy arrived at Sidi Bishr. The 6 Innisks’ convoy was divided into groups so that personnel for 2 LIR and 1 RIrF went at night into their respective camps.
Everyone was soon settled in for the night, being too tired to worry very much about comfort and checking rolls etc was left until morning.
8th August – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
6 Innisks personnel were shown to the coys, which they were to join and their manes etc were checked and added to coy rolls.
A tent was set up in which the Bttn HQ of 6 Innisks could continue to work until the bttn was finally closed down.
Nothing further of interest happened during the day; the time was spent by the new personnel in feeling their feet and settling in.
9thAugust – QASSASSIN.
Weather fine and warm.
Normal bttn routine was carried out, starting with an RSM’s parade, followed by a run and a dip in the sea.
During the day, many applications for transfer were received at 6 Innisks Orderly Room from 6 Innisks personnel, who found that they could not settle down satisfactorily in the 2nd Bttn.
2359 The 6th Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers now ceased to exist.