| The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales') | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1959–2007 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Armoured Infantry |
| Size | One Battalion |
| Part of | Prince of Wales' Division |
| March | Quick - The Staffordshire Regiment Slow - God Bless the Prince of Wales |
| Anniversaries | Anzio (22 January), Ypres (31 July), Arnhem (17 September), Ferozeshah (21 December) |
| Disbanded | 2007 |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HRH The Duke of York |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
Brigadier James Kenneth Tanner OBE |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash | |
| Arm Badge | Glider From South Staffordshire Regiment |
The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales') (or simply "Staffords" for short) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of The South Staffordshire Regiment and The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's). The Staffords can trace their history back to 1705 when a regiment known as the 38th Foot was raised at Lichfield by Colonel Luke Lillingstone.
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After the creation of the regiment, its first overseas posting was a six month exercise in Kenya, followed by a year in Colchester and then a return to Kenya for a further two years. On the tour the regiment had to deal with a mutiny by the Ugandan Army. Returning home the regiment was the last unit of the British Army to serve in East Africa. A home tour in Dover followed, then came a two year posting to Berlin followed by tours in Bahrain and Sharjah in the Persian Gulf where the regiment again recorded a 'last unit' distinction being the last unit to serve in Sharjah.
Five tours in Northern Ireland were undertaken between 1972 and 1984. For the rest of the 1980s the regiment served in the United Kingdom and Germany.
In October 1990 The Staffordshire Regiment was deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of 7th Armoured Brigade, better known as the 'Desert Rats'. The deployment was in response to the dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion of the sovereign territory of Kuwait, claiming it to rightfully belong to Iraq. The Staffords comprised 45 Warrior APCs, with a company from the Grenadier Guards and the 1st Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire being attached to the regiment. They were involved in fierce fighting with Iraqi forces from the beginning of land operations to the end. They covered an astonishing 290 km/180 miles in just 100 hours.
Following a first deployment in Iraq in 2005 at the end of October 2006 the Staffordshire Regiment commenced its final overseas deployment with a second deployment in Iraq.
Under Options for Change it was announced that the Regiment would amalgamate with the Cheshire Regiment to form a single battalion regiment called the Cheshire and Staffordshire Regiment. This amalgamation was suspended in 1994.
As part of the reorganisation of the infantry announced in 2004, it was announced that the Staffordshire Regiment would merge with the Cheshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment into a new three-battalion regiment to be called the Mercian Regiment. On 1 September 2007 the Staffordshire Regiment became the 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment (Staffords), and will operate permanently in the armoured infantry role. Initially based at Tidworth, the battalion moved to Bad Fallingbostel, Germany in August 2009, where it is now permanently based as part of 7th Armoured Brigade (The Desert Rats).
The Staffordshire Regiment Museum () is located in Whittington, Staffordshire, next door to Whittington Barracks. The exhibits focus on the regiment's history, activities and members, and include photographs, uniforms, weapons, medals, artifacts, memorabilia and regimental regalia. Outdoors is a replica trench from World War I, and several armoured fighting vehicles.