All stories require some form of research, quite often to place a character in a place at a particular time, especially if it is in a historical context. This series will take you through what it was like in 1914 through 1916.

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The Strategic Function of the British Army in Egypt, 1915: Defence, Staging, and the Western Front Pipeline

I. Introduction: Egypt as the Strategic Nexus of the British Empire in WWI

Geopolitical and Strategic Context of Egypt (1914-1915)

At the onset of the First World War, Egypt occupied a singularly crucial position within the structure of the British Empire, primarily due to the Suez Canal. Opened in 1869, the canal was recognised as the vital artery, or the “jugular vein,” connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, offering the shortest possible route between Britain and its dominions in India, Asia, and East Africa.¹ Maintaining control of this waterway was not merely a matter of regional security but an absolute imperative for the overall logistical integrity of the imperial war effort, ensuring the rapid transport of troops, supplies, and commercial goods to Europe.²

The military formation responsible for administering the armed forces in the region was the Force in Egypt (FiE), established in August 1914 and initially commanded by Major General Julian Byng, who was later replaced by General John Maxwell in September 1914.⁴ Politically, Egypt was formally declared a British Protectorate on 18 December 1914, solidifying British military control, a necessary measure following Britain and France’s declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire on 5 November 1914, and the subsequent Ottoman Sultan’s proclamation of a Jihad.³

Initial Strategic Ambiguity and the 1915 Priority Shift

In the earliest months of the war (late 1914), before the direct Ottoman threat fully materialised, the strategic value of the FiE was somewhat ambiguous. Initially, several elements of the force were considered available surplus and were sent to Europe to participate in the fighting on the Western Front.⁴ This early troop transfer demonstrated that the British High Command viewed the Egyptian garrison, at that time, as a potential reserve force for the main theatre of war.

However, the subsequent direct threat posed by the Ottoman Empire—which quickly materialised in February 1915 with a significant raid on the Suez Canal—instantly re-prioritised the FiE’s mandate.² The overriding strategic imperative became the defence of the Canal, requiring a standing force of approximately 30,000 troops.⁴ This critical shift meant that Egypt ceased functioning as a manpower reservoir for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Any available troop capacity, particularly from the Dominions, was immediately diverted to the new strategic offensive aimed at neutralising the Ottoman threat: the Gallipoli Campaign. Consequently, the primary function of Egypt in the 1915 calendar year was twofold: Suez Canal defence and serving as the staging and logistical base for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) destined for Gallipoli. The evidence demonstrates that Egypt was definitely not used as a primary training pipeline for fresh British (UK) soldiers destined for the Western Front during 1915.

II. The Dual Roles of Egypt in 1915: Defence and Staging

The Defence of the Suez Canal: FiE’s Primary Mandate

The Force in Egypt’s foundational objective throughout 1915 was the protection of the Suez Canal.⁴ Following the declaration of war against the Ottoman Empire, the security of this waterway, which prevented British Empire troops from being cut off from Europe, became paramount.²

The initial force deployed for defence, under General Maxwell, was composed largely of Imperial contingents, reflecting Britain’s global military reach and the prioritisation of UK troops for the Western Front in late 1914. Key elements included the 10th and 11th Indian Divisions, the Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade, and the Bikaner Camel Corps, supported by elements of Indian and Egyptian Army Artillery.⁴ This defence force totalled around 30,000 troops.⁵

The anticipated Ottoman offensive materialised in February 1915. Turkish forces crossed the Sinai Peninsula and attempted to breach the defences on the Canal. The British, having fortified the length of the Canal and expecting the attack, successfully repulsed the assault over two days.² The Ottoman attack was a failure, resulting in the loss of nearly 2,000 troops, while British losses were minimal (32 killed, 130 wounded).⁵ Following the raid, the British strategy evolved, extending defences from the western bank to the eastern bank of the canal, a costly, manpower-intensive commitment that tied down a substantial force throughout 1915 and 1916.²

The ANZAC Training Pipeline (Confirmation of Staging Role)

Egypt’s secondary, but equally important, role in early 1915 was to serve as the training and mobilisation centre for Dominion troops intended for combat. The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), collectively forming the ANZAC Corps, were originally intended to train in England. However, the decision was made to divert them to Egypt in December 1914, primarily because the military camps in England were overcrowded and unsuitable for housing so many men through the winter months.⁷

The main facility established was Mena Camp, a vast training ground situated near the Giza Pyramids, about 16 kilometres from Cairo, which housed approximately 25,000 soldiers at its peak.7 Other training areas, such as Moascar near Ismailia, were also utilised by the 1st and 2nd Australian Divisions.⁹ Training was arduous, six days a week, involving marching across sand dunes and deserts in full marching order, exposing troops to extremes of heat and cold.⁸

The nature of this training environment—desert operations and movement in arid conditions ⁸—was highly relevant for the impending operations in the Middle Eastern theatre (Gallipoli, and later Sinai and Palestine). This environment was fundamentally unsuitable and strategically irrelevant for preparing troops for the static, trench warfare of the Western Front, where different technical and survival skills were required. The specialised training context provided in Egypt underscores that the forces stationed there were being prepared for operations against the Ottoman Empire, confirming that Egypt was focused on the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) pipeline, not the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) pipeline, in 1915. Following several months of preparation, the ANZAC Corps were duly deployed to the Gallipoli Peninsula starting in April 1915.¹⁰

III. British (UK) Troops in Egypt (1915): The Gallipoli Staging Hub

Egypt as the Operational Base for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF)

Following the decision to open an offensive against the Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli, Egypt became the indispensable operational base for the entire campaign.¹³ This base provided essential logistics, handling the transit of troops and vast quantities of supplies to the Dardanelles. Furthermore, the extensive medical infrastructure, including hospitals like the 2nd Australian General Hospital established at Mena House, received and treated the sick and wounded evacuated from the peninsula.⁹

Deployment of UK Regular and Territorial Divisions (The 1915 Flow)

The UK military units that passed through Egypt during 1915 were universally channeled toward the Gallipoli theatre, reinforcing the conclusion that Egypt’s function was MEF-specific in that year.

1. The 29th Division (Regular Army): This division, often referred to as the ‘Immortal’ division, was an elite force assembled in England from regular battalions recalled from garrisons worldwide.¹⁴ It was integral to the initial offensive. The 29th Division sailed via Egypt in March 1915, arriving at the peninsula to conduct the critical landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915.¹² Their time in Egypt was brief—a logistical staging operation—not a sustained training period specifically designed for future deployment to the Western Front.¹⁷
2. Territorial Force (TF) Reinforcements: As the Gallipoli campaign devolved into attritional deadlock, UK Territorial Force units were deployed. The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, mobilized in England and subsequently numbered the 53rd (Welsh) Division ¹⁸, embarked from Devonport between 14 and 19 July 1915.¹⁹ They sailed via Alexandria and landed at Suvla Bay on 9 August 1915.¹⁸ The commitment of this large UK formation to the MEF, routing through Egypt, demonstrates a key strategic priority of 1915: dedicating UK manpower to the secondary, Ottoman theatre.²²

This commitment occurred despite the precarious manpower situation facing the British Army overall in 1915, which saw the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) overstretched and struggling to replace losses from a system that was slowly training and equipping millions of volunteers (Kitchener’s New Armies).²³ The fact that UK territorial and regular units were funnelled into the MEF through Egypt confirms that the movement of UK troops via Egypt was solely focused on supporting the eastern campaign during that year.

IV. The Western Front Training Question: Analysing the BEF Pipeline

The Conventional BEF Training Structure (The UK/France Model)

The training regimen for British soldiers destined for the Western Front (the BEF) in 1915 followed a standardised and logical geographical path. Initial basic training for volunteers and Territorial reinforcements was conducted extensively across the United Kingdom, often overwhelming the existing barracks and necessitating the conversion of thousands of public buildings into temporary training centres.²⁴ Once this fundamental training was completed, advanced instruction, acclimatisation, and specialised training specific to trench warfare were established in the vast rear areas of France and Belgium.²⁴ This system was designed to be as direct and efficient as possible, maintaining a continuous flow of manpower to the BEF, which reached a size of 247,400 fighting men by 1915.²⁶

Assessment: Why Egypt Was Not a BEF Training Base in 1915

The logistical and strategic realities of 1915 argue strongly against the idea that Egypt was used for training UK troops specifically for France.

First, using Egypt as a training base for the BEF would have represented a highly inefficient and circuitous logistical route. Troops recruited in the UK or the Dominions would have been shipped thousands of kilometres to Egypt, trained in an inappropriate desert environment, and then shipped thousands of kilometres back across the Mediterranean to France. This would have bypassed the established, highly efficient, and industrialised pipeline running directly from UK ports to the Western Front.²⁷

Second, the manpower in Egypt was already fundamentally tied to theatre-specific objectives. The defence of the Canal and the support of the massive Gallipoli operation required a standing garrison and extensive logistical support staff.¹³ Diverting personnel or resources to train fresh BEF recruits would have compromised the core missions in the Middle East.

Therefore, the historical record indicates that UK military authorities did not establish specialised training camps for British troops destined for the Western Front in Egypt during 1915. The British units that staged there were either brief transients on their way to Gallipoli (e.g., the 29th and 53rd Divisions) or veteran units resting and recuperating, preparing for deployment to the secondary campaign.

The dedication of Egypt as the primary logistical and staging base for the MEF, handling all supplies, sick, and wounded for Gallipoli ¹³, functioned as a critical strategic pressure valve for the British military system. By accommodating the vast logistical requirements of the eastern campaign, the Egyptian base prevented this logistical weight from destabilising or collapsing the already strained infrastructure supporting the Western Front in 1915.²³ While Egypt did not contribute trained manpower directly to the BEF in 1915, it was vital in sustaining the war on two fronts simultaneously.

V. Egypt’s Transition: The Post-Gallipoli Shift and the 1916 Flow to France

The military role of Egypt underwent a dramatic transformation at the close of 1915, a shift that is critical for understanding the chronological parameters of the user’s query.

The December 1915 Flood: The Return of the MEF

The failed Gallipoli Campaign concluded with the complete evacuation of Allied forces by January 1916.²⁸ Starting in December 1915, the remaining forces of the MEF, including large numbers of seasoned UK, ANZAC, and other Imperial troops, were withdrawn and returned to Egypt.⁴ The Force in Egypt, which had been reduced mainly to a “training and reinforcement camp” during the Gallipoli offensive ⁴, now swelled with veteran combat divisions. For example, the 53rd (Welsh) Division, having suffered massive casualties at Gallipoli, arrived back in Egypt around 20 December 1915 for rest, refitting, and future deployment.²⁰

The 1916 Reallocation: Egypt as a Source for the BEF

The concentration of experienced troops in Egypt immediately transformed its strategic status. With the growing scale of operations expected on the Western Front, particularly the massive offensive planned for the Somme, there was an intense demand for veteran fighting formations to reinforce the BEF.²³ Egypt now housed a large strategic reserve of combat-tested units.

Crucially, the 29th Division, which had spent 1915 fighting solely at Gallipoli, rested briefly in Egypt (January to February 1916) and then received definitive orders on 25 February 1916 to move to France.¹⁷ The division embarked in March and began concentrating east of Pont Remy between 15 and 29 March, thus becoming a major fighting force on the Western Front.¹⁷

This transfer of the 29th Division confirms that Egypt did function as a strategic staging ground for UK troops destined for France—but this role only materialised after the evacuation of Gallipoli, beginning in the calendar year 1916. Following this reallocation, the FiE was formally merged with the remainder of the MEF to create the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) in March 1916.⁴ The EEF was then dedicated entirely to the defence of the Canal and the subsequent prosecution of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.³⁰

VI. Conclusion: A Multi-Functional Imperial Base

The role of the British Army in Egypt during 1915 was multifaceted but sharply delimited by the strategic priorities of the war’s Eastern theatre. Egypt was established as a vital imperial base with three key operational functions: the necessary garrisoning and defence of the Suez Canal, primarily undertaken by Indian and Egyptian forces; the primary training and mobilization hub for the ANZAC Corps destined for Gallipoli; and the critical logistical staging base for all UK Regular and Territorial forces (such as the 29th and 53rd Divisions) committed to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF).

Final Determination

In a specific answer to the query regarding whether Egypt was used for training British (UK) soldiers for France in 1915, the comprehensive evidence strongly indicates No.

The UK training system for the Western Front remained decentralised in the United Kingdom and industrialised in the rear areas of France. The British units that trained and staged extensively in Egypt were primarily the ANZAC Corps. The veteran UK units that eventually fought on the Western Front, originating from Egypt—most notably the 29th Division—did not transfer to France until after the Gallipoli evacuation, commencing in 1916. Thus, in the calendar year 1915, the manpower allocated to Egypt was rigidly defined by the need to secure the Canal and prosecute the Gallipoli campaign.

The following data summarises the composition and disposition of forces in Egypt during the critical period of 1915.

Table 1: Composition and Primary Role of Key Forces in Egypt (1915)

Formation Type	Example Units Present	Approximate Strength	Primary Role in Egypt (1915)	Destination from Egypt
Imperial Garrison (FiE)	10th & 11th Indian Divisions, Bikaner Camel Corps	~30,000	Defence of the Suez Canal	Egypt/Sinai
Dominion Expeditionary Force	ANZAC Corps (AIF/NZEF)	~25,000	Training/Mobilization	Gallipoli (MEF)
UK Regular (Staging)	29th Division	15,000+	Staging/Immediate Deployment	Gallipoli (MEF)
UK Territorial Force (TF)	53rd (Welsh) Division	15,000+	Staging/Reinforcement	Gallipoli (MEF)

Table 2: Key British Troop Movements from Egypt to External Theatres (1915-1916)

Unit/Formation	Date Arrived in Egypt	Key Activity in Egypt	Date Departed Egypt	Destination	Causal Relationship to Query
ANZAC Corps	December 1914	Training (Mena/Moascar)	April 1915	Gallipoli	Confirms 1915 training role, but not for UK troops/France.
29th Division (UK Regular)	March 1915	Staging	April 1915	Gallipoli	UK troop passage in 1915 for MEF, not BEF.
53rd (Welsh) Division (TF)	July 1915	Staging	August 1915	Gallipoli	UK TF units prioritized for MEF in 1915.
29th Division (UK Regular)	January 1916 (Returned)	Rest/Reorganisation	March 1916	France (Western Front)	Shows Egypt becoming a BEF staging post, but only after 1915.

All stories require some form of research, quite often to place a character in a place at a particular time, especially if it is in a historical context. This series will take you through what it was like in 1914 through 1916.

…

Mena Camp Training and Deployment (April 1915)

1. Trench Warfare Conditioning at Mena Camp, Egypt

The British and Dominion troops (primarily ANZACs) stationed at Mena Camp near the Pyramids from December 1914 through early 1915 received extensive military training, but it was generally considered inadequate for the complex, industrialised nature of Western Front trench warfare.

A. The Focus of Training

The curriculum was heavily influenced by traditional pre-war British doctrine and the immediate need to defend the Suez Canal, resulting in conditioning focused primarily on:

• Discipline and Drill: Intense route marches in full kit across the deep desert sand to build stamina and discipline. The aim was to “harden” the men for active service.
• Musketry and Field Tactics: Extensive rifle practice and training in basic field formations and manoeuvres, adapted for the open terrain of the desert.
• Rudimentary Trenches: While they did dig and occupy practice trenches, these were often created for the purpose of defending the linear positions of the Suez Canal against a Turkish attack (which did occur in February 1915). This training lacked the crucial elements that defined the Western Front:
  • No Bombing/Grenades: Many troops arrived without even seeing a modern hand grenade (a “bomb”) or knowing how to use one.
  • No Periscopes or Wire Tactics: They lacked training in the use of periscopes for observation or tactics for cutting and navigating dense barbed wire defenses.
  • No Gas Warfare: The chemical attacks that defined the Western Front had not yet become standard, so this conditioning was absent.

In short, the training was excellent for physical fitness and basic soldiering but poorly prepared the men for the static, subterranean, machine-gun-dominated battles of Europe.

B. The Missing “Western Front” Element

Training staff at Mena relied on textbooks and older doctrine. There was very little intelligence or doctrine flowing directly from the horrific realities of the trenches in France and Belgium (where the stalemate was already in full swing). As such, the conditioning was for a war of movement that had already ceased to exist on the main European front.

2. Deployment Destinations

For the troops training in Egypt in April 1915, the overwhelming majority of British, Australian, and New Zealand forces were not sent to the Western Front.

A. Immediate Destination: The Gallipoli Campaign

The primary and immediate destination for almost all troops (British territorial divisions, ANZACs, and other reinforcements) mobilised from Egypt in April 1915 was the Gallipoli Peninsula (The Dardanelles).

• The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF), commanded by General Sir Ian Hamilton, was assembling in Egypt to launch the amphibious assault designed to capture Constantinople and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war.
• In the weeks leading up to April 25, 1915, forces were moved from Egypt to staging posts like the Greek island of Lemnos for final preparations before the famous landings at Anzac Cove and Cape Helles.
• Your enlisted Englishman, arriving in April 1915, would almost certainly have been deployed to Gallipoli if his special orders related to infantry service or staff work supporting the MEF.

B. The Western Front Deployment (Later in the War)

The large-scale movement of these forces to the Western Front only occurred after the failure and eventual evacuation of Gallipoli (late 1915 and early 1916).

• 1916: In early 1916, the surviving ANZAC divisions were expanded and reorganised in Egypt before being transferred to France and Belgium. They entered the trenches of the Western Front and suffered massive casualties at battles like Pozières and Fromelles (part of the Battle of the Somme in 1916).
• British Divisions: Several British divisions (such as the 31st and 54th) that had been brought to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal or support the MEF were also transferred to France in early 1916.
• Remaining Forces: Other British and Empire forces remained in Egypt to form the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), which was tasked with defending the Canal and launching the later successful campaigns into Palestine and Syria against the Ottoman Turks.