The British had advanced through Boer territory astride the Pretoria to Portuguese East Africa railway line and arrived at the border by the end of September 1901. Many assumed that war’s end was approaching. The Boers, who had been dispersed but never engaged and beaten, had accepted that they could not win. However, they were determined to make sure that the British would not win, They therefore conducted a number of raids against posts on the British Line of Communication (LoC) along the Pretoria to Delagoa railway line in January 1901.

The 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers, in September 1900, had settled into Machadodorp* on the LoC, where they were to remain for the next year. During this period the Faughs were responsible for three hilltop positions and enjoyed artillery and cavalry support. During the dark and rainy night of 7/8 January, a Boer force of some 700 attacked ‘Rocky Hill’ The position was defended by an alert and well prepared force of 93 Faughs and 6 Gunners. As a result of their thorough readiness they defended themselves successfully by beating off the numerically superior Boer force. The Battalion’s total casualty figures for the night were two killed and 10 wounded.

*
Paul Kruger, following the fall of Pretoria, had moved his railway car headquarters to Machadodorp and there established the temporary capital of the Transvaal from June to September 1900.