During this time the Battalion was always encamped, as mentioned in the autumn manœuvres of the preceding year. They also furnished their regimental transport, having received waggons and field equipment at Woolwich, where a party of about 60 men with two officers had proceeded, after being instructed by the Land Transport Corps.
On September 13 the Battalion marched from Darrington-field to Salisbury, and thence proceeded by train to Portsmouth, where they embarked in the evening, six companies on board H.M. Troop-ship ‘Orontes’ and two on board H.M. Troop-ship ‘Jumna,’ for conveyance to Ireland.
On the 16th they disembarked at Kingstown and proceeded by train to Birr, detaching a company and a half to Nenagh; a company to Roscrea; and half a company to Portumna.
But the regimental transport marched from the camp at Darrington-field, by Andover, Basingstoke, Guildford, and Epsom to Woolwich, where they arrived and handed over equipment on the 25th. On the next day they marched with the horses to Aldershot, where they arrived on the 28th and remained till October 12, when they returned to Woolwich, arriving on the 16th; and after giving up the horses to the Control department were attached to the Army Service Corps at Woolwich till the 23rd. They embarked on that day on board the ‘Lady Eglinton,’ and joined the Battalion on the 28th.
The 3rd Battalion, which had arrived from India on December 30, 1871, landed at Portsmouth on January 1, and occupied quarters in the Clarence barracks, and was joined by the Depôt companies from Chatham.
On February 27, 14 officers and 599 of other ranks of the 4th Battalion, under command of Colonel Elrington, proceeded from Chatham to London, to take part in the thanksgiving for the recovery of His Royal Highness, the Colonel-in-Chief.
In June Colonel Elrington, who had formed the Battalion, and commanded it from its formation, retired on half-pay; and Colonel Ross, C.B., succeeded to the command.
The Head-quarters with eight companies removed from Chatham to Blandford by rail, and took part in the autumn manœuvres.
The Battalion being destined for Ireland, the remaining two companies embarked at Sheerness on August 24, on board the ‘Orontes’ Troop-ship, and landed at Kingstown on the 28th, and proceeded to Richmond barracks.
At the conclusion of the autumn manœuvres the Head-quarters marched from camp near Amesbury to Salisbury on September 14, and thence proceeded by rail to Portsmouth and embarked on board the ‘Jumna’ Troop-ship. They landed at Kingstown on the 16th and marched to Dublin, where for the remainder of the year they occupied Richmond, Ship-street, and Linen-hall barracks.