Near East Command
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Near East Command was a Command of the
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
. It was only active from 1961 to 1962, but its subordinate Near East Land Forces was active from 1961 to as late as 1977.


History

In 1959
Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
was divided into two commands split by the
Suez canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the corps (1920-2001)'' by Cliff Lord and Graham Watson, Page 54
/ref> The two parts were British Forces Arabian Peninsula, which was based at
Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
, and the rump of Middle East Command which was based in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
and which on 1 March 1961 was renamed Near East Command. It was formed as an interservice command with HQ at Episkopi, Cyprus, from Mediterranean elements of Middle East Command, while most of the latter's assets moved with its headquarters to Aden. The army element was Near East Land Forces. Near East Land Forces comprised Cyprus District, British Troops Malta, Libya and Tripolitania Area, and Cyrenaica Area. Near East Command itself was disbanded in 1962. Near East Land Forces remained, with its headquarters in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, and was reorganised into districts: Cyprus District, Malta District, Libya and Tripolitania District and Cyrenaica District in August 1965. In 1969 the Libyan districts were disbanded as British and American forces left Libya. In Libya an Army port complex and
RAF El Adem The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's Air force, air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal ...
were closed in the late 1960s. Hew Butler was General Officer Commanding Near East Land Forces from 1972 to 1974."Major-General Hew Butler"
''Telegraph'', 13 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
In April 1978 3 Signal Group in Cyprus was replaced by Signal Branch HQ Near East Land Forces. Later the Malta District disbanded, and after that Near East Land Forces disbanded, leaving British Forces Cyprus as an independent command in 1977.Near East Command at Regiments.org
/ref>


Near East Land Forces signals support

NELF had a signals group located in Cyprus. 3rd Signal Group (Near East Land Forces) was active from 1967 to 1978. Created from Headquarters, Royal Signals Cyprus in 1967 to form 3rd Signal Group (Cyprus), it was renamed Headquarters, 3rd Signal Group (Near East Land Forces) in 1970, and was disbanded eight years later. In 1967 the Headquarters, Royal Signals Cyprus became the Headquarters, 3 Signal Group (Cyprus). When it was first formed it only contained one signal regiment commanding three squadrons, as well as three separate squadrons. In 1970 it became the Headquarters, 3 Signal Group (Near East Land Forces). In 1976 it moved from
Episkopeio Episkopeio ( gr, Επισκοπειό) is a village located in the Nicosia District of Cyprus. The church of the Apostle Andrew and all Russian saints is located near the village. The church is constructed in traditional Russian orthodox style. ...
to
Dhekelia Dhekelia Cantonment ( el, Φρουρά Δεκέλεια, tr, Dikelya Cantonment) is a military base in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus, administered as the Sovereign Base Areas. It is located in the ...
and was disbanded officially two years later in 1978. After its disbandment the group was replaced by Headquarters, Signals Branch, Near East Land Forces. The following was the structure of the group on formation in 1967: * 9th (Radio) Regiment Royal Signals ** 234 Signal Squadron ** 235 Signal Squadron ** 236 Signal Squadron * 259 (Radio Relay) Signal Squadron * 261 (Air Formation) Signal Squadron * 262 (Cyprus) Signal Squadron


Commanders-in-Chief

General Sir Dudley Ward left the post of Commander-in-Chief
British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located a ...
to become, in May 1960, Commander-in-Chief, British Forces Middle East. By the time Ward vacated the appointment in May 1962 his title was Commander-in-Chief, Near East.


References

{{reflist


External links


War Office and Ministry of Defence: Headquarters Middle East

DEFE 13 - Ministry of Defence: Private Office: Registered Files (all Ministers') - Mediterranean and Near East Command, DEFE 13/319, 1959-1962, former reference in original department: MO 20/5/2 Pt 1
held by: The National Archives, Kew. * Review of Plans for Near East Command Area; DEFE 6/78/30; 1962 May 2, held by The National Archives, Kew. Joint commands of the United Kingdom Military units and formations established in 1961 Military units and formations disestablished in the 1960s