In the Second World War, the regiment saw service in the East African Campaign where it carried out the fastest advance in military history against Italian forces and in Burma where it provided the bulk of the 81 and 82 West African divisions.

With the Fall of France the battalion was the only defense for the country against possible Vichy French threats from neighboring colonies.

[1] In 1956, at the time of the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the regiment was renamed The Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, part of the Nigerian Military Forces.

Domestically, the regiment had a negative image for their punitive behaviour as instrument of British imperial policy.

Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was commissioned as early as 1949 (with the result that he later became the first Nigerian General Officer Commanding of the Army and the first military head of state), but the number of African officers rose only slowly during the 1950s.