When at 11.00 am on the 11th November 1918, (The 11th
hour, 11th day of the 11th Month) Commanding Officers
announced the Armistice to their respective Battalions,
the news was received with relief, yet with the dignity
and self control which had marked Irish Guardsmen from
beginning to the end of the War.
After resting,
the 1st & 2nd Battalions marched to Cologne as part
of the Army of occupation, remaining there until 1919.
During the period of demobilisation after the War the
2nd Battalion was disbanded on the 31st March 1919 and
its single Union Flag (not even colour), which had only
been presented two months earlier by the Prince of Wales
at Cologne, were laid up at Caterham. Meanwhile the 1st
Battalion returned home and was stationed at Warley, with
the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion.
The 1st
Battalion settled down to its peacetime duties. The Regiment
returned to full dress for the first time on St Patrick's
Day 1920. However, the 1st Battalion saw service overseas
when in 1922 under command of Lt Col The Hon HRG Alexander
it carried out a tour of duty of a little over a year
in Constantinople were it joined an Allied formation stationed
there as a deterrent on 05th September 1923 the Battalion
embarked for Gibraltar where they remained for several
months. It was during this time that the Army order was
published giving official sanction to the use of the designation
"Guardsman". Also men had been referred from
the Bath Star to the St Patrick Star.
The Battalion
arrived home in April 1924, and on
28th May 1927 was presented with New Colours
by His Majesty King George V in the
grounds of Buckingham Palace.
On 26th
April 1939 the 2nd Battalion was reformed by order of
His Majesty King George VI, the King presented Colours
to the Battalion on the 14th February 1940 at Wellington
Barracks.
