The 2nd (Reserve) Garrison Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers* had been formed at Dublin in Spring 1916 and sailed in August for a destination described as ‘East’ and started arriving in Salonika on 24 August 1916. The description of their first months was ‘thankless’:

Our duties consisted in guards for Supply Dumps, loading and unloading trains – to say nothing of supplying the Staff with batmen; in fact what was required to be done, from guarding Bulgar prisoners to cutting the General’s hair, we had to find the necessary men for doing it.

A brigade formed of such Garrison battalions went into front-line service in 1917 before returning to base duties in Salonika. During service in Macedonia, the 2nd Garrison Battalion lost three officers and 31 men from wounds and sickness as well as two taken prisoner, one of whom was an officer.

*
Royal Irish Fusilers, also known as ‘Faughs’ from their motto Faugh a Ballagh.