The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial at Mount Clarence, Albany, Western Australia.
Active
1916–1917
Country
Australia British Empire New Zealand
Type
Light horse, mounted rifle, infantry
Role
Mounted infantry, infantry
Part of
Egyptian Expeditionary Force, Eastern Force
Engagements
World War I
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Battle of Rafa
First Battle of Gaza
Second Battle of Gaza
Commanders
Notable commanders
Philip W. Chetwode
Military unit
The Desert Column was a First World War British Empire army corps which operated in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from 22 December 1916.[Note 1] The Column was commanded by Lieutenant General Philip W. Chetwode and formed part of Eastern Force. When Chetwode took command of Eastern Force after the Second Battle of Gaza, Harry Chauvel took command and oversaw the expansion of the column to three divisions.[1]
Chetwode was appointed on 7 December 1916 to command the Column which was composed of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, the 52nd (Lowland) Division, the Anzac Mounted Division and the Imperial Camel Brigade's eighteen companies, six of which were yeomen.[2] These divisions had been involved in the Battle of Romani in August 1916 and had advanced across the Sinai Peninsula.[3] Chetwode arrived at El Arish to take up his appointment on 22 December 1916.[4][5] The Battle of Magdhaba was won the next day, and on 9 January 1917 the Battle of Rafa was also won by the Desert Column, before two defeats were suffered during the First and Second battles for Gaza in March and April 1917.[6]
In mid 1917 when General Edmund Allenby took command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, Desert Column was renamed to become the Desert Mounted Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Chauvel.[7]
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The DesertColumn was a First World War British Empire army corps which operated in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from 22 December 1916. The Column was...
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fight for the Sinai Peninsula in 1916. In January 1917 the newly formed DesertColumn completed the recapture of the Sinai at the Battle of Rafa. This recapture...
during the Sinai and Palestine campaign of the First World War. The DesertColumn of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) attacked an entrenched Ottoman...
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in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed part of DesertColumn, Egyptian Expeditionary Force in World War I. The division was originally...
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and Syria with the DesertColumn of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. In August 1917 the column was expanded to become the Desert Mounted Corps, which...
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the agreement of Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode commanding the DesertColumn who had arrived earlier that day, set out to attack the Turkish forces...
officer attached to the DesertColumn led by Sir Herbert Stewart. DesertColumn was ordered to strike from Korti, across the Bayuda Desert, to Metemma where...
divided into two columns at Korti—a 1,200-strong "flying column" or "desertcolumn" of camel-borne troops which would cross the Bayuda desert to reach Metmemma...
Global Information
Australia
British Empire
New Zealand