| Staffordshire Rangers 5th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment 41st Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
|---|---|
| Active | 30 September 1859 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Territorial Army |
| Role | Infantry Air Defence |
| Garrison/HQ | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Nickname(s) | The Potters |
| Engagements | WWI: Loos Somme Bucquoy Lens 3rd Ypres Cambrai German spring offensive WWII: Blitz North West Europe |
The Staffordshire Rangers was a volunteer unit of the British Army from the 'Potteries' area around Stoke-on-Trent. It fought on the Western Front in World War I as the 5th Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment. In World War II it served as a Royal Artillery searchlight regiment in Home Defence and was the first complete searchlight unit to land in North-Western Europe after the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944. Its successors continue to serve in the Army Reserve (previously the Territorial Army) as part of the Mercian Regiment.