Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) was formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General A . J . Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force , and the Force in Egypt ( 1914 – 1915 ) at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I . Formed in the British protectorate of the Sultanate of Egypt , the initially small force was to guard the Suez Canal and Egypt . After the withdrawal from the Gallipoli Campaign the force grew into a large reserve force designed to provide reinforcements for the Western Front , while the Western Frontier Force fought in the Senussi Campaign from 1915 to 1917 , and the Eastern Frontier Force defended the canal at the Battle of Romani in August 1916 . Following the victory at Romani part of Eastern Force pursued the German commanded Ottoman Empire invading force back to Palestine after the victories at the Battle of Magdhaba in December 1916 and the Battle of Rafa in January 1917 , by which time Desert Column had been formed within Eastern Force . These victories which resulted in the recapture of substantial Egyptian territory were followed in March and April , by two EEF defeats on Ottoman Empire territory , at the First and Second Battles of Gaza in southern Palestine . During the Stalemate in Southern Palestine from April to October 1917 , Murray consolidated the EEF ' s position and in June Edmund Allenby took command and began preparations to take the offensive , employing maneuver warfare He reorganised the force into three corps ; the XX Corps , XXI Corps and Desert Mounted Corps formerly Desert Column . On 31 October two corps captured Beersheba defended by the III Corps ( which had fought at Gallipoli ) , which weakened the Ottoman defences stretching almost continually from Gaza to Beersheba . Subsequently the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe , the Third Battle of Gaza and the Battle of Hareira and Sheria forced the withdrawal from Gaza on the night of 6 / 7 November at the beginning of the pursuit to Jerusalem . During the subsequent operations , about of formerly Ottoman territory , was captured as a result of the EEF victories at the Battle of Mughar Ridge , fought between 10 and 14 November , and the Battle of Jerusalem fought between 17 November and 30 December . Serious losses on the Western Front in March 1918 during Luddendorf ' s German Spring Offensive , forced the British Empire to send reinforcements from the EEF . During this time , two unsuccessful attacks were made to capture Amman and to capture Es Salt in March and April 1918 , before Allenby ' s force resumed the offensive , again employing manoeuvre warfare at the Battle of Megiddo . The successful infantry battles at the Battle of Tulkarm and the Battle of Tabsor , created gaps in the Ottoman front line , enabling the pursuit by the Desert Mounted Corps to encircle the infantry fighting in the Judean Hills when fighting occurred during the Battle of Nazareth , the Afulah , Beisan , the Jenin , the Battle of Samakh , and the capture of Tiberias . In the process the EEF destroyed three Ottoman Armies during the Battle of Sharon , the Battle of Nablus and the Third Transjordan attack , capturing thousands of prisoners and large quantities of equipment . Subsequently the EEF pursued the surviving German and Ottoman forces to Damascus , and Aleppo , before the Ottoman Empire agreed to the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918 , ending the Sinai and Palestine Campaign . The British Mandate of Palestine , and the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon were created to administer the captured territories . 1916 . Canal Defences ( General Murray ) No . 1 Section , Headquarters Suez – IX Corps ( January to March ) No . 2 Section , Headquarters Ismailia – I Anzac Corps ( January to March ) No . 3 Section , Headquarters Port Said – ( Major General H . A . Lawrence ) 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 ( temp . Lieutenant General ) F . J . Davies 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Division GOC Major General W . Douglas Divisional Troops 3rd Dismounted Brigade ( attached ) GOC Lieutenant Colonel Lord Kensington ( Acting ) 54th ( East Anglian ) Division GOC Colonel ( temp . Major General ) S . W . Hare Divisional Troops 20th ( Indian ) Infantry Brigade ( attached ) GOC Brigadier General H . D . Watson 29th Indian Infantry Brigade GOC Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General ) P . C . Palin II Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( II ANZAC ) GOC Major General ( temp . LIeutenant General ) A . J . Godley 4th Australian Division GOC Major General H . V . Cox GOC Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General ) J . Monash Divisional Troops 5th Australian Division GOC Colonel ( temp Major General ) J . W . McCay Divisional Troops 11th 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 ( attached ) 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 ( temp . Major General ) A . E . Dallas Divisional Troops 4th Dismounted Brigade ( attached ) GOC Temp Brigadier General John Stewart - Murray , Marquess of Tullibardine 22nd Mounted Brigade Provisional Infantry Brigade ( less Headquarters ) 17th Motor Machine Gun Battery No . 1 Armoured Train South Western Section GOC Colonel ( temp Brigadier General ) 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 ( included Romani ) ( Major General H . A . Lawrence ) 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 , also known as Eastern Force , was formed in Cairo on 18 October 1916 with headquarters at Ismailia . The force was commanded by Lieutenant General C . M . Dobell , who had previously commanded Western Frontier Force . Eastern Frontier Force . Eastern Force consisted of No . 1 Squadron , Australian Flying Corps Western Desert Force ( Major General William Watson ) Desert Column December . Desert Column Headquarters El Arish ( Lieutenant General Sir Philip Chetwode ) 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 ( Lieutenant General Chetwode ) Order of Battle March . Eastern Force ( Lieutenant General Sir C . M . Dobell ) Desert Column ( Lieutenant General P . Chetwode ) Artillery General organization April 1917 . General Headquarters 1st Garrison Battalion , Essex Regiment at Khartoum Order of Battle April . General Headquarters Commander in Chief Lieutenant General ( temp . General ) A . J . Murray Eastern Force GOC Major General ( temp . Lieutenant General C . M . Dobell Brigadier General General Staff Brevet Lieutenant Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General G . P . Dawnay 52nd ( Lowland ) Division GOC Brevet Colonel ( temp . Major General ) W . E . B . Smith 53rd ( Welsh ) Division GOC Major General S . F . Mott 54th ( East Anglian ) Division GOC Colonel ( temp . Major General ) S . W . Hare 74th ( Yeomanry ) Division GOC Brevet Lieutenant Colonel ( temp . Major General ) E . S Girdwood Desert Column GOC Major General ( temp . Lieutenant General P . W . Chetwode Divisional Troops Northern Canal Section GOC Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General ) H . D . Watson commander of 20th Indian Brigade Delta and Western Force GOC Brevet Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General ) H . G . Casson Alexandria District GOC Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General R . C . Boyle General Headquarters Troops Southern Canal Section GOC Brevet Colonel ( temp . Brigadier General P . C . Palin in addition to GOC 29th Indian Brigade Cyprus Detachment and Lines of Communications controlled by GHQ including RFC " X " Aircraft Park ( 5th Wing ) , " X " Aircraft Depot for all Middle East units RFC , Engineers , Signal Service , ASC , Medical Units , Ordnance , Veterinary , Remounts and Postal Units . June 1917 . Desert Column 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 Henry George Chauvel . The air component was the Palestine Brigade of the Royal Flying Corps ( later the Royal Air Force ) and the Australian Flying Corps . Order of Battle October . XX Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir R . W . Chetwode , Bart . ) XXI Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir E . S . Bulfin ) Desert Mounted Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir H . Chauvel ) 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 ( who had declared a " jihad " against the Allies early in the war ) , 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 ( see Third Battle of Gaza ) , entering Jerusalem on December 11 , 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 : West of the Jordan Order of Battle 19 September . XX Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir P . Chetwode ) XXI Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir E . Bulfin ) Generally – Desert Mounted Corps ( Lieutenant General Sir H . Chauvel ) Chaytor ' s Force ( Major General E . W . C . Chaytor )