British Troops in Egypt

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British Troops in Egypt
Active1882–1956
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeCommand
Garrison/HQCairo

British Troops in Egypt was a command of the British Army.

History[edit]

A British Army commander was appointed in the late 19th century after the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882.[1] The British Army remained in Egypt throughout the First World War and, after the War, remained there to protect the Suez Canal.[1] Following Egypt's independence in 1922, the United Kingdom and Egypt entered into a treaty in 1936 whereby British troops remained to protect the canal and to train the Egyptian Army.[1]

HQ BTE occupied a garrison role while the Western Desert Campaign was fought against Italy and Germany during the Second World War. Initially British troops in the area consisted of the Mobile Division (Egypt), later to become the 7th Armoured Division, and the Cairo Brigade.[2] On 5 July 1942, 'A' Force Depot was redesignated as 74th Armoured Brigade (Dummy Tanks) in Egypt under the command of Headquarters British Troops in Egypt.[3] The "brigade" was redesignated a number of times: as 24th Armoured Brigade (Dummy Tanks) from 23 August 1943,[4] as 87th Armoured Brigade (Dummy Tanks) from 26 May 1944,[5] and back to 24th Armoured Brigade (Dummy Tanks) again from 14 July 1944. Finally, on 29 September 1944 it was redesignated and reorganized as 13th Reserve Unit in the UK.[4]

After the Second World War anti-British resentment escalated and there was rioting in Egyptian streets in February 1946.[1] British troops left Egypt in June 1956 shortly before the Suez Crisis.[6]

It is reported that in December 1945 Major General Lashmer Whistler, GOC 3rd Division, became GOC British Troops in Egypt and shortly after ceased to be a member of the 3rd Division. Whistler's rank of major general was made substantive in February 1947, with seniority backdated to April 1946.[7]

The Egyptian Free Officers Movement overthrew King Farouk in the Egyptian coup d'état of 1952. The Free Officers then concluded the Anglo–Egyptian Agreement of 1954, made during the month of October, with Great Britain. It stipulated a phased evacuation of British troops from the Suez base, agreed to withdrawal of all troops within 20 months (that is, June 1956); maintenance of the base was to be continued; and allowed Britain to hold the right to return for seven years.[8] The British troops were withdrawn by 24 March 1956. The last unit was 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, leaving Port Said.[9]

Commanders[edit]

Commanders of the British Army of Occupation in Cairo included:

Later commanders included:[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "British Troops in Egypt 1930 – 45". British Military History. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  2. ^ Playfair, The Mediterranean and Middle East.
  3. ^ Joslen 1990, p. 186
  4. ^ a b Joslen 1990, p. 173
  5. ^ Joslen 1990, p. 187
  6. ^ "The Suez Crisis". BBC. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  7. ^ "No. 37880". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1947-02-11. p. 750.
  8. ^ Butler 2002, p. 112.
  9. ^ "Suez Canal Zone". Retrieved 2021-03-26.; see also Reed, J. "A History of the British Army in Egypt 1950-56". the Imperial War Museum.
  10. ^ "Men of Harlech". A Newspaper for the Men of the Welsh Regiment. 14 June 1893. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Army Commands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Major-General Sir John Slade". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 September 1913. Retrieved 23 August 2014.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Butler, L. J. (2002). Britain and Empire : adjusting to a post-imperial world. I.B. Taurus. OCLC 1200286507.
  • Joslen, Lt-Col H.F. (1990) [1st. Pub. HMSO:1960]. Orders of Battle, Second World War, 1939–1945. London: London Stamp Exchange. ISBN 0-948130-03-2.
  • Mason, Michael. "Killing Time: The British Army and its Antagonists in Egypt, 1945–1954." War & Society 12, no. 2 (1994): 103-126.
  • Steven Morewood, The British Defence of Egypt, 1935-1940: Conflict and Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean Frank Cass, 2005 - History - 274 pages. Notes that the British Cabinet created a Middle East Reserve on 22 February 1939 (p. 125), to consist of one colonial division and to come under the command of GOC.-in-C. BTE.
  • Stevens, Major-General W. G. Problems of 2 NZEF, Historical Publications Branch, 1958, Wellington, Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. Contains details on the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force rear base area at Maadi Camp, one of the enormous number of rear base areas HQ BTE supervised during the Second World War.

External links[edit]