The British commanders adopted a policy of avoiding reverses, before attempting to defeat the Senussi. Sollum was 280 mi  from Alexandria, too far west for a base and too exposed to German submarines, with the lack of fast patrol boats to guard ships in the bay. Mersa Matruh  was 120 mi  closer to Alexandria and had a good water supply. The Western Frontier posts were ordered back to Matruh to concentrate and to be reinforced by troops moved along the coast by trawler and on the Khedival Railway as far as Dabaa, 75 mi  short of Matruh. Orders were given on 20 November to form a Western Frontier Force, made up of composite horse and infantry brigades and supporting arms; by the end of the year, the British had about 40,000 troops in the Western Desert. On 21 November, the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade, a company of the 15th Sikhs, parties of the Bikanir Camel Corps and an armoured train crewed by Egyptian gunners, was sent to Dabaa to guard the railway and patrol to the Moghara Oasis. Later on, the 1/1st North Midland Mounted Brigade was sent to Faiyum and a smaller force went to garrison Wadi Natrun, 45 mi  south of Alexandria.

Question: How many miles apart were Sollum and Mersa Matruh?
Answer: 160

Question: What endangered Sollum?
Answer: exposed to German submarines

Question: When did the army start the rebellion?
Answer: Orders were given on 20 November to form a Western Frontier Force

Question: Who was closer to Alexandria, Sollum or Mersa Matruh?
Answer: Sollum was 280

Question: What was the furthest from Alexandria?
Answer: Sollum

Question: What was the closest to Alexandria?
Answer: Wadi Natrun

Question: What was the last place the British sent troops to?
Answer: Wadi Natrun

Question: Which was closer to Alexandria, Sollum or Mersa Matruh?
Answer: Mersa Matruh

Question: Did the reinforcement troops go to Matruh or to Dabaa?
Answer: Dabaa

Question: How many days after the order to form a Western Frontier Force was the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade sent to Dabaa?
Answer: 1

Question: How many different entities were sent to Dabaa to guard the railway?
Answer: 4

Question: How many miles from Alexandria was Mersa Matruh?
Answer: 160

Question: How many days after orders were given  to form a Western Frontier Force were the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade sent to Dabaa to guard the railway?
Answer: 1

Question: How many miles from Alexandria was Mersa Matruh?
Answer: 160

Question: How many miles farther was Sollum from Alexandria than Wadi Natrun?
Answer: 235