Force in Egypt
| Principal battles of the Force in Egypt |
| 1915 Defence of the Suez Canal |
The Force in Egypt was a British Army formation established in August, 1914 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), garrisoning armed forces in Egypt at the beginning of the First World War. The force was originally commanded by Major General Julian Byng and had the objective of protecting the Suez Canal.[1] On 8 September General J. Maxwell took command.[2] Britain and France declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 5 November 1914.[3] In 1916 the Force was merged with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.[4] General Sir Archibald Murray was given command and additional resources and the mission of the EEF changed from defense to an invasion of Palestine.[5]
End of 1914 (General Maxwell)
- Defence of the Suez Canal (30,000 troops)
- 10th Indian Division (Major General A. Wilson)
- 11th Indian Division
- Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade
- Bikaner Camel Corps
- Indian Mountain Artillery
- Egyptian Army Artillery
(British and French warships in the Canal served as floating batteries) Reconnaissance Aircraft.[6]
Force in Egypt August 1914
- 3rd Dragoon Guards
- T Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
- 7th Mountain Battery RGA
- 2nd Field Company RE
- 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders and auxiliary services.[7]
Force in Egypt September 1914
In addition to the above, two units from the 3rd (Lahore) Division were added:
- 9th (Sirhind) Brigade
- III Mountain Artillery Brigade
Shortly afterwards as a result of the Sinai frontier being crossed Lord Kitchener ordered the additional
- East Lancashire Division (Territorial Force) with two Yeomanry regiments to follow, although the Force in Egypt in August 1914 was shipped to France.[8]
By October 1914 the 9th (Sirhind) Brigade was under orders for France but was retained until the 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade arrived.[9]
The following were promised and on their way to Egypt in October 1914
- Bikanir Camel Corps
- Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade
- 32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade
- 33rd Punjabis battalion (regular British India Army)
- Alwar, Gwalior and Patiala Infantry battalions
- 8 Indian battalions
- 3 more Indian brigades.[9]
Force in Egypt January 1915
(total force 70,000)
- 10th Indian Division
- 11th Indian Division
- Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade
- Bikanir Camel Corps
- Indian Mountain Artillery (3 batteries)
- Egyptian Army Artillery (1 battery)
- Royal Flying Corps detachment
- French Naval Seaplanes
In training
Suez Canal Defences 15 January 1915
- Advanced Ordnance Depot Zagazig
- one battalion 32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade
- Garrison railway and Sweetwater Canal
- one troop Imperial Service Cavalry
- half company Birkanir Camel Corps
- half company Indian Infantry
- General Reserve Camp, Moascar
- 31st Indian Brigade
- 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput L.I.
- 27th Punjabis
- 93rd Burma Infantry
- 128th Pioneers
- 32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade
- 33rd Punjabis
- Alwar, Gwalior and Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade less three squadrons and one troop
- one Egyptian RE Section (camels)
- one Egyptian Mountain Battery
- two sections Field artillery with Cavalry Brigade
- Indian Field Ambulances.[12]
- 31st Indian Brigade
Sector I Port Tewfik to Geneffee
- Headquarters at Suez
- 30th Indian Brigade
- 24th Punjabis
- 76th Punjabis
- 126th Baluchis
- 2/7th Gurkha Rifles
- one squadron Imperial Service Cavalry
- one company Birkanir Camel Corps
- half company Sappers and Miners
- one battery RFA (T.)
- one Indian Field Ambulance
Sector II Deversoir to El Ferdan
- Headquarters at Ismailia Old Camp
- 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade
- 62nd Punjabis
- 92nd Punjabis
- 2/10th Gurkha Rifles
- 28th Indian Brigade
- 51st Sikhs
- 53rd Sikhs
- 56th Punjabis
- 1/5th Gurkha Rifles
- one squadron Imperial Service Cavalry
- Birkanir Camel Corps (less three and a half companies)
- Machine Gun Section of Egyptian Camel Corps
- one battery RFA (T.)
- one battery Indian Mountain Artillery
- two Indian Field Ambulance
Sector III El Ferdan to Port Said
- Headquarters El-Qantarah
- 29th Indian Brigade
- 14th Sikhs
- 69th Punjabis
- 89th Punjabis
- 1/6th Gurkha Rifles
- 1 Battalion 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade
- one squadron Imperial Service Cavalry
- two companies Birkanir Camel Corps
- half company Sappers and Miners
- two battery RFA (T.)
- 26th Battery Indian Mountain Artillery
- Armoured Train with half company Indian Infantry
- Wireless Section (T.)
- Indian Field Ambulance
- Detachment RAMC (T.)[13]
Force in Egypt April 1915
During April the 29th Indian Brigade and the East Lancashire Division were sent to Gallipoli. The 2nd Mounted (Yeomanry) Division arrived to take their place by 29 April.[14]
Sent to Gallipoli Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
- ANZAC Corps
- 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
- one Indian brigade (incomplete)
Sent to Basra
- one Indian brigade
Sent to Aden (Yemen threaten attack)
Force in Egypt 9 July 1915
The total force of 69,765 consisted of
- one Yeomanry brigade 1,054
- 2nd Mounted Division 8,242
- Indian Expeditionary Force "E" (under orders for Aden) 15,940
- 5th, 6th, 7th Australian Brigades in process of arriving 5,212
- ANZAC 10,243
- 29th Divisional Supply Column 312
Regulars, Details, Depot 829 Mediterranean Expeditionary Force base 28,134[17]
By November 1915 the Force in Egypt was almost reduced to a training and reinforcement camp, with 60,000 troops in Egypt which were mainly details of formations fighting at Gallipoli and Anzacs in training.[18]
Force in Egypt November 1915
Western Frontier Force (Major General A. Wallace)
- Composite mounted brigade
- Three composite regiments of Yeomanry
- One composite regiment Australian Light Horse
- 1/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery
- Composite infantry brigade
- Three Territorial battalions.
- One battalion Indian Infantry (15th Sikhs).
Some South African troops and a New Zealand battalion added after November 1915.[19]
On 10 March 1916 the Force in Egypt was merged with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force to form the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.[4]
Notes
Citations
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 11
- ^ Falls p. 14
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 16 note
- ^ a b Falls 1930 Vol. 1 pp. 96–7
- ^ Woodward, David (March 10, 2011). "The Middle East During World War I". BBC History. BBC. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ^ Bruce 2002, pp. 15–6
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 11 note
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 14
- ^ a b Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 15
- ^ Carver 2003, pp. 8–9
- ^ Wavell 1968, p. 27
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 pp. 32–3
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 pp. 31–2
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 57
- ^ Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 22
- ^ Wavell 1968, p. 34
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 68
- ^ Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 85
- ^ Wavell 1968, pp. 36–7
References
- Bruce, Anthony (2002). The Last Crusade: The Palestine Campaign in the First World War. London: John Murray Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7195-5432-2.
- Carver, Michael, Field Marshal Lord (2003). The National Army Museum Book of The Turkish Front 1914–1918: The Campaigns at Gallipoli, in Mesopotamia and in Palestine. London: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-283-07347-2.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles. St Leonards: Allen and Unwin. ISBN 1864486112.
- Falls, Cyril; G. MacMunn (1930). Military Operations Egypt & Palestine from the outbreak of war with Germany to June 1917. Official History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. 1. London: HM Stationery Office. OCLC 610273484.
- Wavell, Field Marshal Earl (1968) [1933]. "The Palestine Campaigns". In Sheppard, Eric William (ed.). A Short History of the British Army (4th ed.). London: Constable & Co. OCLC 35621223.