Officer's Forage Cap, c. 1881
The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and the 106th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Light Infantry) along with the Militia and Volunteers of County Durham. On formation of the regiment the 1st Battalion was in India at Meerut and the 2nd Battalion was in Ireland at Dublin.
In 1885 the 2nd Battalion was transferred to Egypt to take part in the Mahdist War, fighting at the Battle of Ginnis.
The 1st Battalion arrived in South Africa in November of 1899 for the Second Boer War, participating in the Relief of Ladysmith. One company of the 2nd Battalion was dispatched from India in January of 1900, forming part of the Burmah Mounted Infantry. The 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions were also sent to South Africa in February of 1900 and February of 1902, respectively. The 1st Battalion and the company from the 2nd left South Africa for India at the end of October of 1902. The two militia battalions departed that September.
In 1968 the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and the King's Shropshire Light Infantry to form The Light Infantry. That regiment was further amalgamated in 2007 to the form The Rifles.
