From April 1860 it was included in the 3rd Administrative Battalion of Sussex RVCs, but having attained a strength of six companies it became an independent unit in July 1863.

[3][4][5][6][7] Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, Volunteers were brigaded with their local Regular and Militia battalions.

[4][5][7][6] The late Victorian era saw a craze for cycling and the Volunteer Force took a leading role in developing the new Safety bicycle for military use.

The Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888 proposed a more comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war.

[7] After Black Week in December 1899, the Volunteers were invited to send active service units to assist the Regulars in the Second Boer War.

[7][20] The cyclist battalions were not included in the TF's main divisional structure but were instead given the role of using their mobility to defend vulnerable sectors of the coastline and to maintain communications between the static defence units.

1/6th Royal Sussex moved to St Leonards-on-Sea on the South Coast as part of the General Reserve.

[22][24] The 2/6th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex, was mobilised at Brighton on 26 October 1914 under the temporary command of Maj C.V. Johnson.

[4][22][24][29] On the night of 15/16 April Zeppelin L5 bombed Southwold and a patrol from the battalion opened fire on what they thought was spies signalling to it.

Thereafter patrols frequently investigated reports of suspicious lights during a period of spy fever and occasional air raids.

[29][30] Many 2nd Line TF units had to make do with .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles; when the battalion received its Lee-Enfields in June they were a mixture of Long and Short models and carbines, in poor condition.

The battalion then went through a series of rapid changes, coming under First Army, Central Force, in May, then 2/1st London Division in June.

Johnson, DSO, was sent to Chiseldon in Wiltshire where it was brigaded with three other cyclist battalions (1/9th Hampshire Regiment, 1/25th London and 1/1st Kent) and converted to infantry, dropping 'Cyclist' from their titles.

2/6th Royal Sussex, with Capt Hynes promoted to major as battalion second-in-command, embarked on the White Star liner Ceramic at Devonport, and landed at Bombay on 25 February 1916.

Here the brigade formed an entrenched camp with 2/6th Sussex deployed along the perimeter with outlying picquets and Lewis gun posts, though large numbers of the men were sick.

2/6th Royal Sussex and 45th Bde moved on the second night, 7/8 June, over appalling tracks past Zam Fort as the force closed up to Jandola.

Here the force was subjected to night sniping, and the daytime picquets going out and coming back exchanged fire with tribesmen.

But when the brigade advanced again the passage of the Shahur Tangi Pass was unopposed, the 2/6th Royal Sussex reaching the fortified camp beyond on 16 June.

Next day 45th Bde was sent to destroy the village of Nanu at the head of the Splitoi valley, with 2/6th Sussex suffering one killed and 11 wounded in seizing the heights and then acting as the rearguard.

On 23 June 45th Bde cleared a very difficult defile to allow the Striking Force to advance, 2/6th Sussex suffering more casualties.

There was still a month of hard duty, picquetting the heights and escorting supply convoys up the Shahur Tangi pass, while many sick had to be transported down to the nearest hospital, five days' march away.

Once the peace conditions were completed, the field force withdrew by stages through Jandola and Zam to Tank, with 2/6th Sussex having to provide picquets and road repair parties.

44th and 45th Brigades were immediately sent up to Peshawar and took part in the campaign, but 43rd Bde went back to Waziristan where the Afghan war had rekindled trouble.

The brigade's arrival at Bannu from 30 May transformed the situation, enabling relief columns to lift the sieges of some militia posts.

The home service details of 1/6th Royal Sussex were withdrawn on 4 July, and on 8 September the 113 men were ordered to join two platoons (64 men) from 1/1st and 2/1st Kent Cyclist Battalions to form 9th Provisional Cyclist Company at Herne Bay, Kent, under the command of Capt H. Ewell of 1/6th Royal Sussex.