The Corps was formed during World War I in order to maintain order and discipline within the large number of troops within Egypt after the end of the Gallipoli campaign. Corps personnel were spread throughout the Middle East and Europe during the war, taking part in actions at Gallipoli, on the Western Front and in the Sinai and Palestine in order to help keep troops under control and to aid with detention. The Australian Military Police's role to keep Australian troops under control caused a lot of tension between the two groups and this continued through into the Second World War.