This was intended to traverse the whole of
the Eastern Transvaal south of the railway. The columns were to be
extended from Middleburg through Carolina up to the Swazi border on the
east, and then, with a circling movement based on Middleburg, gradually
to sweep the country through Ermelo towards Bethel. Having rounded up
all this country, the drive, extending from Bethel on the south to the
Pretoria-Lorenzo railway on the north, was by a combined movement to the
westward, to push all the Boers remaining in this part of the country
with their cattle on to Johannesburg-Springs and the Pretoria-Standerton
railway lines, which were guarded. The movement was under the direction
of Sir Bindon Blood, and his forces consisted of eight columns.

The battalion found itself again under the command of General Walter
Kitchener, forming part of his column, which was composed of the
following troops:--

1st Devonshire Regiment.
2nd Rifle Brigade.
6th West Australians (450 strong).
2nd I.L.H. (800 strong).
Four guns 53rd Field Battery R.A.
One 5-inch gun.
One naval 12-pounder.

Its position in the drive was on the left or outside edge of the circle
of the operations.

The forces were put in motion on the 13th May, on which day Kitchener,
advancing in the direction of the Swazi border, marched to Zaaiplaats
(12-1/2 miles), and thence without incident through Riet Kuil, reaching
Schoonora on the 15th. In the neighbourhood of Schoonora Commandant
Trichardt, with 170 of his followers, was surprised by the Australian
mounted infantry, who killed one Boer and captured 300 head of cattle. A
considerable number of Boers were reported to be in the neighbourhood.

The drifts over which the column had to pass after leaving Riet Kuil
were bad, and only two companies reached Schoonora that night. The
remainder of the battalion, which was rear-guard to the column,
bivouacked with the baggage three miles out of camp near a branch of the
Klein Oliphants River, and joined up with the column next morning. The
following day Mooiplaats was reached, when a large number of cattle and
some families were taken.

On May 16th the column moved to Grobellars Recht. Here the Boers were
found in large numbers under Botha. The 5th and 6th West Australians
whilst operating on the right flank of the column were ambushed, losing
one officer and six men killed and thirteen wounded. The Boers were very
truculent and gave considerable trouble, and the force wa