Queen Elizabeth II inspects troops of the newly renamed Queen’s Own Nigeria Regiment at Kaduna Airport, Nigeria, during her Commonwealth Tour, 2 February 1956
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Formed in 1900 by the British Colonial Office, the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was initially established to garrison the colonies of the Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast. Each colony contributed battalions of varying size and the WAFF first saw action against German forces in Africa during WWI. The force earned eight battle honours during the conflict and received royal recognition in 1928 when it became the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF).