In October, one company under Captain Holland and Lieutenant Willis, whilst acting as escort to a party erecting blockhouses in the Badfontein valley, was attacked by Ben Viljoen and about three hundred Boers.  The Boers galloped down from the hills on to the extended company.  The men behaved with great gallantry, and finally, after a sharp and mixed-up fight, drove off the Boers.  One man of the company fell into their hands and was stripped and left.  Lieutenant Willis, for gallantry on this occasion, was rewarded with the D.S.O., and Lance-Corporal Cummings was promoted corporal by the Commander-in-Chief for gallantry in the field.

During the first week of November, orders were received for the 1st Battalion to proceed to Standerton en route to India.  The 2nd Battalion had been quartered there for a considerable time, and a transfer of men was effected from one battalion to the other.  The two battalions spent Christmas together.

[Illustration:  Devons En Route to Durban]

On January 1st (1902) the 1st Battalion entrained at daylight for
Durban.

The battalion met with a great reception at Maritzburg, where a halt was made for nine hours.  Here each man was presented by the ladies of that place with a pipe, half a pound of tobacco, and a pockethandkerchief.

The battalion sailed from South Africa for India, with the following officers and 922 rank and file:—­

Bt.  Lieutenant-Colonel T.A.H.  Davies, D.S.O. 
Bt.  Lieutenant-Colonel M.G.  Jacson. 
Captain E.C.  Wren.
  " T.C.B.  Holland.
  " G.H.I.  Graham. 
Lieutenant T.B.  Harries.
  " G.I.  Watts.
  " D.H.  Blunt.
  " H.R.  Gunning.
  " S.T.  Hailey.
  " H.W.F.  Twiss.
  " E.S.C.  Willis.
  " W.E.  Scafe.
  " G.F.A.  Kane.
2nd Lieutenant C. Edward-Collins. " " M.D.  Young. " " C.W.  Hext. " " A.M.  Mills. " " R.C.  Wrey. 
Brevet-Major and Adjutant H.S.L.  Ravenshaw.

Of the above, it may be noted that the following left India with the battalion in 1899:—­

Bt.  Lieut.-Colonel M.G.  Jacson. 
Captain E.C.  Wren.
   " G.H.I.  Graham. 
Lieutenant T.B.  Harries.
    " G.I.  Watts.
    " D.H.  Blunt.
    " H.R.  Gunning.
    " S.T.  Hayley.
    " H.W.F.  Twiss. 
Bt-Major and Adjutant H.S.L.  Ravenshaw.

The following officers of the battalion remained behind in South
Africa:—­

Colonel C.W.  Park, A.D.C., commanding a column. 
Captain and Bt.-Major E.M.  Morris, South African Constabulary. 
Captain Bartlett, D.A.A.G. for Intelligence.
   " Vyvyan, Provost Marshal, Barberton.
   " Travers, South African Constabulary.

Lieutenant-General Lyttleton met the battalion at Howick on its way to Durban, and wished them “farewell.”