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Western Frontier Force

{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = Western Frontier Force

| image =File:Area of operations, Senussi Campaign, World War 1.jpg

|image_size = 250px

| caption = Western Desert of Egypt

| dates = 1915–1918

| country = British Empire

| countries =

| allegiance =

| branch = Army

| type =

| nickname =

| battles = Affair of the Wadi Senab
Affair of the Wadi Majid
Affair of Halazin
Action of Agagia
Affairs in the Dakhla Oasis
Operations at Girba and Siwa

| disbanded = 1918

| notable_commanders =Major-General Sir Charles Dobell

}}

{{Campaignbox North African theatre (World War I)}}

The Western Frontier Force was raised from British Empire troops during the Senussi campaign from November 1915 to February 1917, under the command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). Orders for the formation of the force were issued on 20 November 1915, under Major-General Alexander Wallace, C.B. The force concentrated at Mersa Matruh on the coast and began operations against the Senussi in late 1915.

Organisational history

{{main|Senussi Campaign}}

In January 1916, during the Band of Oases campaign, a Southern Force was formed under Major-General William Peyton, who replaced Wallace two weeks later and then the force was taken over by Major-General John Adye. On 31 March, the Southern Force merged with the Western Force that was then divided into a North-West Section and a South-West Section and Adye was made Adjutant-General of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). Peyton was appointed to the command of the Western Frontier Force (WFF) but was reappointed while in England. On 11 May, Lieutenant-General Sir Bryan Mahon took over but got sunstroke and was invalided.{{sfn|Macmunn|Falls|1996|p=153}}

Major-General Alister Dallas, in temporary command during Peyton's absence, resumed temporary command until 20 June, when Major-General Sir Charles Dobell took up the appointment. The North-West and South-West sections were abolished and a Coastal Section formed. On 4 October, Major-General W. A. Watson took over from Dobell, who was sent to command the Eastern Force (EF) in Sinai. On 5 March 1917, the quiet on the frontier led to the WFF being amalgamated with the Delta Command (Brigadier-General Hugh Casson), comprising a Coastal and a Southern section.{{sfn|Macmunn|Falls|1996|p=153}}

Commanders

(All data from Macmunn and Falls: Military Operations Egypt and Palestine, volume I [1928]){{sfn|Macmunn|Falls|1996|p=153}}

  • Major-General A. Wallace
  • Major-General W. E. Peyton
  • Major-General A. G. Dallas (temp)
  • Lieutenant-General Sir B. Mahon
  • Major-General A. G. Dallas (temp)
  • Major-General Sir C. M. Dobell
  • Major-General W. A. Watson
  • Brigadier-General H. G. Casson

Orders of battle

=January 1914=

(All data from Macmunn and Falls: Military Operations Egypt and Palestine volume I (1928) unless specified. Later information suggested that there were {{nowrap|10,000 Senussi.}}{{sfn|Macmunn|Falls|1996|p=411}}

  • Derna district
  • 3,000 paid regulars
  • 6,000 volunteers (unpaid)
  • Benghazi district
  • 3,000 paid regulars
  • 5,000 volunteers
  • Tripoli district
  • 600 African soldiers
  • 800 Zowai Arabs
  • 1,000 Tuareg

=20 November 1915=

(All data from Macmunn and Falls: Military Operations Egypt and Palestine volume I (1928) unless specified.){{sfn|Macmunn|Falls|1996|pp=107–108}}

The composition of the force frequently changed and only settled in the middle of February 1916. Other units attached to the WFF included:

{{notelist}}

Footnotes

{{reflist|20em}}

References

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book |series=History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence |title=Military Operations: Egypt and Palestine, From the Outbreak of War with Germany to June 1917 |volume=I |last1=Macmunn |first1=G. |last2=Falls |first2=C. |year=1996 |orig-year=1930 |location=London; Nashville, TN |publisher=HMSO |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum Department of Printed Books and Battery Press |isbn=0-89839-241-1}}

{{refend}}

Further reading

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book |last=Austin |first=W. S |year=2008 |orig-year=1924 |url=https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html |series=New Zealand in the First World War 1914–1918 |title=The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (the Earl of Liverpool's Own): Covering the Period of Service with New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War from 1915 to 1919 |edition=New Zealand Electronic Text Centre |publisher=L. T. Watkins |location=Wellington, NZ |oclc=349855395}}
  • {{cite book |last=Haythornthwaite |first=P. J. |year=1992 |title=The World War One Sourcebook |publisher=Arms & Armour Press |location=London |isbn=1-85409-102-6}}
  • {{cite book |title=The Desert Campaigns |last=Massey |first=W. T. |year=1918 |publisher=Putnam |location=London and New York |url=https://archive.org/details/desertcampaignsb00mass |via=Archive Foundation |oclc=1163314}}
  • {{cite book |last=Rolls |first=S. C. |year=1937 |title=Steel Chariots in the Desert: The Story of an Armoured-car Driver with the Duke of Westminster in Libya and in Arabia with T. E. Lawrence |publisher=Jonathan Cape |location=London |oclc=752787276}}
  • {{cite book |author= |title=The Union of South Africa and the Great War 1914–1918: Official History |year=2010 |orig-year=1924 |publisher=Government Print and Stationery Office |location=Pretoria |edition=facs. repr. Imperial War Museum Department of Printed Books and Naval & Military Press |isbn=978-1-845748-85-2}}

{{refend}}

{{World War I}}

Category:Military units and formations established in 1915

Category:Military units and formations of the British Army in World War I

Category:1915 establishments in the United Kingdom