1st Inniskillings moves to West Indies

HMT Empress of Australia in convoy during the Second World War, © IWM (A 26473)

The 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers embarked on the MV Georgic and sailed home from Singapore on 25 August 1949. Three weeks later, the Battalion arrived in Belfast on 17 September, having served overseas for 15 years in India and the Far East. The Battalion was welcomed ashore by the Colonel of the Regiment, past and serving Inniskillings, and The Drums and Pipes of the 5th (TA) Inniskillings. The Battalion then marched through the City and past the City Hall, where the Lord Mayor took the salute, before moving to Ballykinlar to begin a short period of leave.

During the six weeks before departing for the West Indies, there were marches through Londonderry, Omagh, Strabane and Sion Mills. All too soon it was time to embark at Belfast on 1 November aboard the MV Ulster Prince for Liverpool where the Battalion transhipped to the HMT Empress of Australia bound for the West Indies. The Empress was not a normal troopship, having been built as an ocean liner, and all ranks were accommodated in cabins instead of across the usual separate mess decks, but husbands were separated from the wives who were also travelling on board.