Subsequent long periods were spent in Ireland and the West Indies before action was seen in India during the Indian Mutiny.

[5] The 98th Regiment of Foot, raised in 1824 in Chichester, had a much shorter history, but like the 64th had spent the majority of its time overseas spending a long time in South Africa before seeing action in China in the First Anglo-Chinese (or Opium) War and India on the North West Frontier.

This brigade was intended to assemble at Wolverhampton in time of war, while in peacetime it acted as a focus for collective training of the Volunteers.

[9] During the campaign, the 1st Battalion were based initially at Wadi Halfa but moved to Gemai to avoid a cholera outbreak.

During this time period, it took part in an expedition to the Zhob Valley in 1884, thus making it the first battalion in the regiment to see active service.

Forming part of 15th Brigade in the 7th Division,[12] the majority of the battalion saw little action throughout the conflict, being mostly occupied in garrison duties in Johannesburg in 1900.

[13] In 1901, the battalion was part of a mobile column under Brigadier-General Dartnell in the Eastern Transvaal which carried out a scorched earth campaign.

This unit was involved in the pursuit of Koos de la Rey and was present when he was captured at Wildfontein.

[17] As a result of these contributions and those of the two regular battalions, the regiment was awarded the "South Africa 1900–1902" battle honour.

[18] At the war's end in June 1902, the 2nd battalion returned to England on the SS Galeka in October that year,[19] but the home posting was brief.

[10] Thus 1st Battalion was reduced to a small cadre, which served for nine years upon its return to Lichfield and other stations in England, before moving to Buttevant in Ireland in 1912.

These battalions saw service in a number of theatres including on the Western Front, at Gallipoli, in the Middle East, and India.

[29][30] In December 1914 it was in trenches in the Rue-du-Bois area (near Fleurbaix), and participated in the Christmas truce, where British and German soldiers fraternised in no man's land.

[31][32] In March 1915 it carried out a successful action in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, capturing the village of L'Epinette.

[34] In April and June 1916 the battalion suffered casualties of well over 500 in two serious gas attacks, on both occasions when in trenches north of Wulverghem (near Messines).

[36][37] In June 1917, the battalion was involved (and suffered over 150 casualties) in the assault on Messines Ridge, one of the most successful British offensives of the war.

[42] On 21 March 1918, the 1st Battalion was in front-line trenches near Saint-Quentin when the German Army launched Operation Michael, the opening attack in their Spring Offensive.

[43][44] The battalion was subsequently re-formed, and in the last weeks of the war in October 1918 took part in the Battle of the Selle, in which it suffered nearly 200 casualties.

When the 1st Battalion was relieved in the front line following its defence of Delville Wood in September 1916, one of the advanced posts was missed out by mistake.

The soldier realised he was at some risk of being shot by his own side, and so "when he had crawled within shouting distance he enquired politely but firmly what —— bastards were holding that —— trench.

[62] The 1st Battalion was posted to the Curragh, Ireland after the armistice, becoming involved in the Irish War of Independence until 1922, when it moved to Gibraltar.

[63] The 2nd Battalion was stationed in India in 1919 when Afghan forces crossed the border and occupied some Indian territory, sparking the brief Third Anglo-Afghan War.

[73] In 1937, the black facings formerly worn by the 64th Foot were restored, replacing the white colour that had been imposed on all non-royal English regiments in 1881.

[74][75] The London, Midland and Scottish Railway renamed one of their Royal Scot class locomotives, number 6141 (formerly Caledonian), after the regiment.

[80] The 2nd Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Donald Butterworth, was sent to France shortly after the outbreak of war in September 1939 as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade (alongside the 1st Loyal Regiment and 1st Gordon Highlanders), 1st Infantry Division and was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and was involved in the battles of France and Belgium before eventually being evacuated from Dunkirk on 1 June 1940.

[81] Following that, the 2nd Battalion spent years on home defence in the United Kingdom preparing for a possible German invasion of England which never arrived.

It served with 21st Army Group, as part of 31st (North Midland) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, until the end of the war in Europe and then undertook garrison duty in Lower Saxony.

In 1953, the battalion was transferred to Korea, where they were stationed on garrison duties as part of the United Nations force established at the end of the Korean War.

In 1961, it merged with the 441st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, the successor to the 5th North Staffords, to become the 5th/6th Battalion.

The honours chosen by the North Staffordshire Regiment to be carried on the colours are shown in capitals in the following list.