The Force in Egypt was a British Army formation established in August 1914 to administer garrisoning armed forces in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

at the beginning of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The force had the objective of protecting the Suez Canal and was originally commanded by Major General

Julian Byng Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, (11 September 1862 – 6 June 1935) was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since the Canadian Confederation. Known to friends as "Bun ...

, but he was replaced by General J. Maxwell, who took command on 8 September 1914. Initially, the main threat to the Suez came from Germany and throughout the early months several of the force's elements were sent to Europe to take part in the fighting on the Western Front. On 5 November 1914, Britain and France declared war on the Ottoman Empire, after which the Force in Egypt faced a direct threat from Ottoman forces, which was realised in February 1915 with a

raid on the Suez Canal The Raid on the Suez Canal, also known as Actions on the Suez Canal, took place between 26 January and 4 February 1915 when a German-led Ottoman Army force advanced from Southern Palestine to attack the British Empire-protected Suez Canal, mar ...

. This threat remained until 1916 when the British forces went on the offensive. The composition of the force changed several times due to the varying availability forces. By the end of 1914, the forces deployed in defence of the Suez Canal under Maxwell totaled approximately 30,000 troops. The main elements of this force were the

10th Indian Division The 10th Indian Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army during World War I. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914 with three infantry brigades of Indian Expeditionary Force F. After taking part in the Actions on the Su ...

(Major General A. Wilson), the 11th Indian Division, the

Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade The 15th (Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade was a brigade-sized formation that served alongside British Empire forces in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, during World War I. Originally called the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade it was formed ...

, and the

Bikaner Camel Corps The Bikaner Camel Corps was a unit of Imperial Service Troops from India that fought for the Allies in World War I and World War II. The Corps was founded by Maharaja Ganga Singh of the Indian state of Bikaner, as the Ganga Risala after the Bri ...

, as well as elements from the Indian Mountain Artillery and the Egyptian Army Artillery. In addition, several British and French warships in the canal served as floating batteries and there were several aircraft available for reconnaissance. Following the opening of the Gallipoli Campaign, the Force in Egypt was reduced mainly to a training and reinforcement camp until forces were withdrawn from the Gallipoli Peninsula and returned to Egypt in December 1915. In 1916, the Force in Egypt was merged with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force to form the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

(EEF).Falls 1930 Vol. 1 pp. 96–7 General Sir Archibald Murray was given command and additional resources and the mission of the EEF changed from the defence of the Suez to an invasion of Palestine. Bikiner Camel Corps soldier

August 1914

:3rd Dragoon Guards : T Battery, Royal Horse Artillery :7th Mountain Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery :2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers :2nd Battalion,

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

:1st Battalion,

Worcestershire Regiment The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regiment f ...

:2nd Battalion,

Northamptonshire Regiment The Northamptonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1960. In 1960, it was amalgamated with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's O ...

:2nd Battalion,

Gordon Highlanders Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gord ...

and auxiliary services.

September 1914

In addition to the above, two units from the

3rd (Lahore) Division The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops ...

were added: : 9th (Sirhind) Brigade :III Mountain Artillery Brigade Shortly afterwards, as a result of the Sinai frontier being crossed, Lord Kitchener ordered additional forces in the form of the East Lancashire Division (Territorial Force) with two

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army Reserve, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of different military roles. History Origins In the 1790s, f ...

regiments to follow, although several elements that were assigned to the Force in Egypt in August 1914 were shipped to France. By October 1914, the 9th (Sirhind) Brigade was under orders to deploy to France but was retained until the

22nd (Lucknow) Brigade The Lucknow Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1907 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It was mobilized as 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade at the outbreak of the First World War as part of Indian Expeditionary For ...

arrived.Falls 1930 Vol. 1 p. 15 The following forces were promised and on their way to Egypt in October 1914: :Bikanir Camel Corps :Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade :

32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade The 32nd (Imperial Service) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Indian Army that saw active service with the Indian Army during the First World War. It served in Egypt in 1915 before being broken up in January 1916. History The 32 ...

:: 33rd Punjabis battalion (regular British India Army) ::Alwar, Gwalior and Patiala Infantry battalions :eight Indian battalions :three more Indian brigades.

January 1915

Australian 9th and 10th battalions Egypt December 1914 AWM C02588

(total force 70,000) :10th Indian Division :11th Indian Division :

:Bikanir Camel Corps :Indian Mountain Artillery (three batteries) :Egyptian Army Artillery (one battery) : Royal Flying Corps detachment :French naval seaplanes In training :

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...

(ANZAC) :

42nd (East Lancashire) Division The 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force (TF), originally as the East Lancashire Division, and was redesignated as the 42nd (Ea ...

Suez Canal Defences: 15 January 1915

:Advanced Ordnance Depot Zagazig ::one battalion from the

:Garrison railway and Sweetwater Canal ::one troop of Imperial Service Cavalry ::a half company from the Birkanir Camel Corps ::a half company of Indian infantry :General Reserve Camp, Moascar :: 31st Indian Brigade :::

2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry The 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry, commonly shortened to 2nd Rajputs, was a regiment of the British Indian Army. Raised in 1798, it was amalgamated with five other Rajput regiments in 1922. History The British East India Company ...

:::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 of field artillery with the Cavalry Brigade ::Indian field ambulances.

Sector I: Port Tewfik to Geneffee

:Headquarters at

Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...

: 30th Indian Brigade ::24th Punjabis ::76th Punjabis ::126th Baluchis ::2/7th Gurkha Rifles :one squadron of Imperial Service Cavalry :one company from the Birkanir Camel Corps :half company of Sappers and Miners :one battery from the Royal Field Artillery (Territorial) :one Indian field ambulance

Sector II: Deversoir to El Ferdan

:Headquarters at

Ismailia Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...

Old Camp :

::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 :the Birkanir Camel Corps (less three and a half companies) :a machine gun section from the Egyptian Camel Corps :one battery from the Royal Field Artillery (Territorial) :one battery from the Indian Mountain Artillery :two Indian field ambulances

Sector III: El Ferdan to Port Said

:Headquarters El-Qantarah : 29th Indian Brigade ::14th Sikhs ::69th Punjabis ::89th Punjabis ::1/6th Gurkha Rifles :one battalion from the 22nd (Lucknow) Brigade :one squadron from the Imperial Service Cavalry :two companies from the Birkanir Camel Corps :half company of sappers and miners :two batteries from the Royal Field Artillery (Territorial) :26th Battery, Indian Mountain Artillery :armoured train with a half company of Indian infantry :wireless section (Territorial) :Indian field ambulance :Detachment Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial)

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. Sent to Gallipoli as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force :ANZAC Corps :42nd (East Lancashire) Division :one Indian brigade (incomplete) Sent to Basra : one Indian brigade Sent to Aden (to defend Yemen against a possible attack) : Aden Brigade

9 July 1915

The total force of 69,765 personnel consisted of: :one Yeomanry brigade: 1,054 personnel :

2nd Mounted Division The 2nd Mounted Division was a yeomanry ( Territorial Army cavalry) division that served in the First World War. At the outbreak of war it was assigned to defence of the Norfolk coast. In March 1915 it formed a 2nd Line duplicate of itself, ...

: 8,242 personnel :Indian Expeditionary Force "E" (under orders for Aden): 15,940 personnel :5th, 6th, 7th Australian Brigades in process of arriving: 5,212 personnel :ANZAC: 10,243 personnel :29th Divisional Supply Column: 312 personnel : regulars, details, depot: 829 personnel : Mediterranean Expeditionary Force base: 28,134 personnel By November 1915, the Force in Egypt had been reduced largely to a training and reinforcement camp. Although there were 60,000 troops in Egypt, these were mainly details of formations fighting at Gallipoli and ANZACs in training.

November 1915

Western Frontier Force The Western Frontier Force was raised from British Empire troops during the Senussi Campaign from November 1915 to February 1917, under the command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). Orders for the formation of the force were issued on ...

'' (Major General A. Wallace) :Composite mounted brigade ::Three composite regiments of Yeomanry ::One composite regiment of Australian Light Horse :

1/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery The Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Nottinghamshire in 1908. It saw active service during the First World War in the Middle Eastin the Senussi Campaign and the Si ...

:Composite infantry brigade ::Three territorial battalions. ::One battalion Indian infantry (

15th Sikhs The 15th Ludhiana Sikhs was an infantry regiment in the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1846, when they were known as the Regiment of Ludhiana (or the Loodiana Regiment). During the Indian Mutiny they were relied upon to hol ...

). Some South African troops and a New Zealand battalion were added after November 1915.Wavell 1968, pp. 36–7 On 10 March 1916, the Force in Egypt was merged with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force to form the

Notes

References

* * * * * {{cite book , chapter=The Palestine Campaigns , last=Wavell , first=Field Marshal Earl, authorlink=Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, editor-last=Sheppard, editor-first=Eric William , edition=4th , title=A Short History of the British Army , year=1968, origyear=1933, publisher=Constable & Co. , location=London, oclc=35621223 Expeditionary units and formations Commands of the British Army Field armies of the United Kingdom Military units and formations of the British Army in World War I Egypt in World War I Middle Eastern theatre of World War I