[7] With the outbreak of the Second Boer War the previous year, the regiment was ordered to South Africa, arriving as part of the 8th Division in 1900.

[9] The 2nd Battalion (the former 80th) was stationed in British India in 1881, soon moving to Tralee in Ireland, where it was involved in actions against Irish nationalists.

The battalion subsequently served in southern India and Burma until 1907, when it started a four-year posting in Pretoria, South Africa.

[11] The 4th, Militia battalion, was embodied in December 1899, and 650 men embarked in February 1900 for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

The 1st Battalion landed at Zeebrugge as part of the 22nd Brigade in 7th Division in October 1914 for service on the Western Front and then moved to Italy in November 1917.

[9] The 2nd Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 6th Brigade in the 2nd Division in August 1914 also for service on the Western Front.

However, in October 1917 the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion landed at Le Havre to join 7th Brigade in 25th Division for service on the Western Front in the last year of the war.

[13] Both the 2/5th and 2/6th battalions, part of the 176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade of 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, were involved in hostilities in Dublin during the 1916 Easter Rising.

The 7th (Service) Battalion moved off to the south to dig a system of flanking trenches while other units forward from B beach, Suvla Bay.

[13] In 1935, the South Staffordshire Regiment was granted the distinction of a badge backing of buff-coloured Brown Holland material.

[18] During the expedition George Cairns, a lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry attached to the battalion[19] was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

As such, they landed in Sicily in 1943 where they, along with the rest of the brigade, which was temporarily down to two battalions, suffered heavy casualties during the disastrous Operation Ladbroke.

[25] Major Robert Henry Cain seconded to B Company, 2nd Battalion of the regiment from the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was awarded the Victoria Cross for his participation during the Battle of Arnhem.

From 17 to 25 September 1944, Major Cain's company was cut off from the battalion and throughout the whole of this time was closely engaged with enemy tanks, self-propelled guns and infantry.

By the end of the Battle, Cain had reportedly been personally responsible for the destruction or disabling of six tanks, four of which were Tigers, as well as a number of self-propelled guns.

By his leadership he not only stopped but demoralized the enemy attacks and although he was suffering from a perforated ear-drum and multiple wounds, he refused medical attention.

Major Cain's conduct throughout was highly respected, both in terms of personal actions and leadership ability, and for this he was awarded the Victoria Cross; the only living man to receive this medal at Arnhem.

[13] Following the granting of independence of India in 1947, line infantry regiments in the British Army were reduced to a single regular battalion.

In 1954, the battalion was posted to the Suez Canal zone, before being speedily dispatched to Cyprus where hostilities had broken out between the two communities on the island.