Structure of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force


The Order of battle of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force during the First World War is shown below.

1916

Canal Defences
No.1 Section, Headquarters Suez – IX Corps
No.2 Section, Headquarters Ismailia – I Anzac Corps
No.3 Section, Headquarters Port Said –
Until almost the end of 1917, No. l Squadron, A.F.C., and No. 14 Squadron, R.F.C., were the sole flying units east of the Suez Canal.

General organisation in April 1916

General Headquarters

Order of battle April

General Headquarters
Headquarters of Administrative services and departments
Army Signals, Work, Supplies and Transport, Railways, Ordnance, Remounts, Veterinary Services, Medical Services, Army Postal Services, Paymaster
Inspector General of Communication and Levant Base
Divisional Troops
IX Corps
GOC Major General F. J. Davies
42nd (East Lancashire) Division
GOC Major General W. Douglas
Divisional Troops
3rd Dismounted Brigade
GOC Lieutenant Colonel Lord Kensington
54th (East Anglian) Division
GOC Colonel S. W. Hare
Divisional Troops
20th Indian Brigade
GOC Brigadier General H. D. Watson
29th Indian Brigade
GOC Colonel P. C. Palin
II Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
GOC Major General A. J. Godley
4th Australian Division
GOC Major General H. V. Cox
GOC Colonel J. Monash
Divisional Troops
5th Australian Division
GOC Colonel J. W. McCay
Divisional Troops
11th (Northern) Division
GOC Major General E. A. Fanshawe
Divisional Troops
No. 3 Section Canal Defences
GOC etc Headquarters 52nd Division
52nd (Lowland) Division
GOC Major General H. A. Lawrence
Divisional Troops
1st Dismounted Brigade
GOC Temp Brigadier General Marquess of Tullibardine
Western Frontier Force
GOC Major General W. E. Peyton
North Western Section
GOC etc Headquarters 53rd Division
53rd (Welsh) Division
GOC Colonel A. G. Dallas
Divisional Troops
4th Dismounted Brigade
GOC Temp Brigadier General John Stewart-Murray, Marquess of Tullibardine
22nd Mounted Brigade
Provisional Infantry Brigade
17th Motor Machine Gun Battery
No. 1 Armoured Train
South Western Section
GOC Colonel H. W. Hodgson
General Headquarters Troops
Artillery
Engineers
Signal Service
ASC
Transport
Lines of Communication Defence Troops
Alexandria District
and Lines of Communications units of Infantry, Signal Service, Engineers, ASC, Medical Units, Ordnance Units, Veterinary Units and Postal Units.

Distribution, 27 July

Eastern Frontier
No. 1 Section
No. 2 Section
No. 2a Section
No. 3 Section
Western Frontier

No. 3 Section Canal Defences August

Canal Defences No. 3 Section Headquarters Kantara
Force Defending Romani on 4 August
Force moved to Romani during 4 August and took part in the battle
Force moved to Romani during 4 August and took part in the battle on 5 August

Eastern Frontier Force

;October 1916
Eastern Frontier Force, also known as Eastern Force, was formed in Cairo on 18 October 1916 with headquarters at Ismailia. The force was commanded by Lieutenant General Charles Dobell, who had commanded Western Frontier Force.
Eastern Force consisted of
No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps

Western Frontier Force

;October 1916 to February 1917
Western Desert Force

Desert Column December

Desert Column Headquarters El Arish

1917

Royal Flying Corps in Egypt in January 1917
By January 1917 there were three smaller commands directly under GHQ EEF.
Western Force
Alexandria District
Delta District
With the front line approaching Gaza, the defence of the Suez Canal was still part of Eastern Force but had been reduced to:
Northern Section Suez Canal
Southern Section Suez Canal

Order of Battle 9 January

Desert Column

Order of Battle March

Eastern Force
Desert Column
Artillery
  • 53rd Division 4 of each battery only = 16 guns; 4 4.5-inch howitzers = 8 howitzer
  • 54th Division 4 of each battery only = 16 guns; 4 4.5-inch howitzers = 8 howitzer
  • Anzac Mounted Division 4 Batteries RHA of 4 18–pdrs = 16 guns
  • Imperial Mounted Division 4 Batteries RHA of 4 18–pdrs = 16 guns
  • Imperial Camel Brigade 1 Camel Pack Battery of 6 2.75-inch = 6 guns
  • Army Troops one section only = 6 guns

Organization in April 1917

General Headquarters
1st Garrison Battalion, Essex Regiment at Khartoum

Order of Battle April

General Headquarters
Commander in Chief Lieutenant General A. J. Murray
Eastern Force
GOC Major General C. M. Dobell
Brigadier General General Staff Brevet Lieutenant Colonel G. P. Dawnay
52nd Division
GOC Brevet Colonel W. E. B. Smith
53rd Division
GOC Major General S. F. Mott
54th Division
GOC Colonel S. W. Hare
74th (Yeomanry) Division
GOC Brevet Lieutenant Colonel E. S. Girdwood
Desert Column
GOC Major General P. W. Chetwode
Divisional Troops
Northern Canal Section
GOC Colonel H. D. Watson commander of 20th Indian Brigade
Delta and Western Force
GOC Brevet Colonel H. G. Casson
Alexandria District
GOC Colonel R. C. Boyle
General Headquarters Troops
Southern Canal Section
GOC Brevet Colonel P. C. Palin in addition to GOC 29th Indian Brigade
Cyprus Detachment
and Lines of Communications controlled by GHQ including RFC "X" Aircraft Park, "X" Aircraft Depot for all Middle East units RFC, Engineers, Signal Service, ASC, Medical Units, Ordnance, Veterinary, Remounts and Postal Units.

Expansion of Desert Column June 1917

Desert Column was expanded to three divisions, commanded by Chauvel –
At the end of June 1917 General Allenby took command. At that time the Egyptian Expeditionary Force consisted of the British XX Corps and the British XXI Corps, under the command of Lieutenant Generals Philip Chetwode and Edward Stanislaus Bulfin, respectively, along with the Desert Mounted Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel. The air component was the Palestine Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps and the Australian Flying Corps.

Order of Battle October

XX Corps
XXI Corps
Desert Mounted Corps
On establishment in 1916 and 1917, the first two mounted divisions had been supplied with 18–pounder artillery guns. In September 1917 these guns were replaced with 13-pounders, making the divisions "even more capable", according to Erickson.
Also in General Headquarters Troops were the

1918

The force initially consisted mostly of British and Egyptian troops, but most of the former were sent to the Western Front in early 1918 to help repel Germany's Spring Offensive. In the meantime, new troops were then dispatched from India, Australia, and New Zealand, in particular who made up a large portion of the army. Though it was feared that mostly Muslim Indian troops might desert and join Ottoman Empire forces in the region, this fear proved unfounded, as the Indians fought valiantly on the front lines of most of the army's major engagements. The force also included a small contingent of French and Italian troops. The forces of the Arab Revolt, led by Prince Feisal of Mecca, were also unofficially attached during Allenby's Damascus offensive.
The force's role evolved from a defense of Egypt to the invasion of Palestine which involved: the capture of Beersheba and Gaza in October–November 1917, entering Jerusalem on 11 December 1917, and Allenby's successful campaign of 1918, resulting in the defeat of the Turks at Megiddo, and the capture of Damascus, Beirut, and Aleppo. The force's successes ultimately led to Turkey's exit from the war and the creation of the British Mandate of Palestine.
The Palestine Brigade RAF was reorganised at the end of 1917 or during the summer of 1918, as follows:

Deployment, 9 February

Order of Battle April

  • Desert Mounted Corps
West of the Jordan

Order of Battle 19 September

XX Corps
  • For support of 53rd Division
  • For support of 10th Division
XXI Corps
  • Sub-Group under the Right Group
  • Right Group
  • Right Centre Group
  • Left Centre Group
  • Left Group
Generally –
  • The Sub-Group was in support of the French
  • The Right Group was in support of the 54th Division
  • The Right Centre Group was in support of the 3rd Division
  • The Left Centre Group was in support of the 75th Division
  • The Left Group was in support of the 60th Division.
Desert Mounted Corps
Chaytor's Force