This Day in History: 1945-09-21

The 1st Battalion moved from Alexandroupolis to winter quarters in Xanthe, reputed to be the coldest part of Greece. The Regimental History reports ‘tedious conditions’.  The men constructed roads, wastage pits, cookhouse fireplaces, and transformed a line of stables into a very reasonable “Drama Ghar” in which cinema shows and theatre performances were held. Royal Engineers erected a bath house providing hot showers and baths.  To help alleviate the tedium a 3-day shooting party went by caique to Samothrace and yielded 200 brace of partridge ‘but stormy seas resulted in a seasick and drenched company which made land on the return journey after an anxious 8-hour passage’.

1st Battalion Guard of Honour in Salonika