Middle East Land Forces
| Middle East Command Middle East Land Forces |
|
|---|---|
.svg)
area under the command before separation of Persia and Iraq Command
|
|
| Active | Middle East Command: June 1939 – c. 1946 Middle East Land Forces: 1946–67 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type | Command |
| Size | 1 million in Second World War |
| Part of |
War Office Ministry of Defence (Army) |
| Garrison/HQ | Cairo Suez Canal Zone Cyprus |
| Engagements | Suez Crisis |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Archibald Wavell Claude Auchinleck Harold Alexander |
Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region. it primarily composed of Arabs, Sudanese and Persians.
During the Second World War, Middle East Command supervised military operations in and around the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. Following the defeat of the Axis forces in the Western Desert at the Battle of El Alamein and the landing of additional Anglo-American forces during Operation Torch, it transferred control of land forces to the newly created Allied Forces Headquarters.
Middle East Command was established in Cairo, during June 1939, due to the rising tensions in Europe. Its purpose was to provide a centralised command structure in times of war for the three separate army commands based within the Mediterranean and Middle East areas: Egypt, Sudan and Palestine/Transjordan. During periods of peace the command exerted authority over land forces based within Egypt, the Sudan, Palestine, Transjordan, and Cyprus. However, if war broke out, the Command's area of responsibility would be extended to include British Somaliland, Aden, Iraq and the shores of the Persian Gulf. As the war progressed, Middle East Command authority was extended over further areas including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya and Greece.Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Wavell, commanding officer of Southern Command in the United Kingdom, was chosen as the first General Officer Commanding in Chief, a position he took up in July 1939, and was given the acting rank of General.
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