The 2nd Battalion was in India when formed, moving to Suez in 1884. It then joined the Suakin Expedition in the Sudan in February 1885, where it saw fighting against the forces of the Mahdist State. The battalion left Suakin when the expedition was withdrawn in May 1885, returning to England. The battalion's next overseas service was in the Anglo-Boer War, where it took part in the Battle of Colenso in December 1899, the Relief of Ladysmith in February 1900, and the Battle of the Tugela Heights in February 1900. After South Africa the battalion was shipped to India in 1903, where it replaced the 1st battalion at Lucknow. The battalion remained in India until the outbreak of the First World War.