Arab Legion: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Arab Legion

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Arab Legion
	Home Discussion
	Topics Arab Legion Topic Home The Arab Legion (al-Jaysh al-Arabi) was the regular army of TransjordanTransjordan The Emirate of Transjordan was an autonomous political division of the Mandate for Palestine, created as an administrative e... and then JordanJordan Summary Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , is an Arab country in the Middle East.... in the early part of the 20th Century. Creation In 1921, the HashemiteHashemite Hashemite traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashem", a clan within the larger Quraish ... EmirEmir Emir is a high title of nobility or office, historically used in Islamic nations of the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Mino... Abdullah I of TransjordanAbdullah I of Jordan Abdullah I, King of Jordan, also known as Abdullah bin al-Husayn, was, successively, Emir of Trans-Jordan under a Brit... raised an armed force of 100 which was quickly expanded to 1,000 men and called it the "Reserve Mobile Force", recruited Arabs who had served in the Ottoman army. On 22 October 1923, the police were merged with the Reserve Mobile Force, under the command of Captain Frederick Gerard PeakeFrederick Gerard Peake Frederick Gerard Peake CMG CBE was a British commander and creator of the Arab Legion.... who was now an employee of the EmirateEmirate Etymologically an emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir.... . The new force was named Al Jeish al Arabi (The Arab Army) but was always known officially in English as the Arab Legion. The Arab Legion was financed by Britain and commanded by British officers. The force was formed as a police force to keep order among the tribes of Transjordan and to guard the important JerusalemJerusalem Jerusalem is Israel's capital and largest city, with a population of 724,000 contained in 123 km.... -AmmanFacts About Amman Amman, sometimes spelled Ammann , is the capital city of the Kingdom of Jordan, a city of more than 1.6 million inhabi... road. On 1 April 1926, the Transjordan Frontier ForceTransjordan Frontier Force The Transjordan Frontier Force was formed, on 1 April 1926, from cadre drawn drawn from the Arab Legion, and it consisted of... was formed from cadre drawn drawn from the Arab Legion, and it consisted of only 150 men and most of them were stationed along Transjordan's roads. During this time the Arab Legion was reduced to 900 men and was also stripped of its machine guns, artillery, and communications troops. In 1939, John Bagot GlubbJohn Bagot Glubb Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb, better known as Glubb Pasha, was a British soldier best known for leading and... , better known as Glubb Pasha, became the Legion's commander and transformed it into the best trained Arab army. World War II During World War IIWorld War II World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,... , the Arab Legion took part in the BritishUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... war effort against pro-Axis forces in the Middle East TheatreMiddle East Theatre of World War II The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlled... . By then the force had grown to 1,600 men. The Legion, part of IraqforceIraqforce Iraqforce, was a British and Commonwealth unit which fought in the Middle East during World War II.... , contributed significantly in the Anglo-Iraqi WarAnglo-Iraqi War The Anglo-Iraqi War is the name of hostilities between the United Kingdom and the Iraqi nationalist government during the se... and in the Syria-Lebanon campaignSyria-Lebanon campaign Summary The Syria-Lebanon campaign was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon in 1941, during World War II... . These were two decisive early victories for the AlliesAllies Allies spelled with a capital A, usually denotes the countries who fought together against the Central Powers in World War I... . 1948 Arab-Israeli War The Legion was the most successful of the Arab armies during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war1948 Arab-Israeli War }\|-\|\|}The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, referred to as the "War of Independence" or as the "War of Liberation" by... . With a total strength of just over 6,000, its military contingent consisted of 4,500 men in 4 single battalionBattalion A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant ... sized regiments, each with their own armored car squadrons, and seven independent companiesCompany (military unit) A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers.... plus support troops. The regiments were organized into two brigades. 1st Brigade contained 1st and 3rd Regiments while 3rd brigade contained 2nd and 4th Regiments. There were also two artillery batteries with four 25-pounders each. Note that on 9 February, 1948 the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force was disbanded with members being absorbed back into The Arab Legion. Although headed by Glubb, now a Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries.... , command in the field was by BrigadierBrigadier Brigadier is a rank which is used in different ways by different countries.... Norman Lash. The Legion was initially withdrawn from Palestine to Transjordanian territory, under instruction from the United NationsUnited Nations name = United NationsNations Unies... , prior to the end of the British Mandate. With the commencement of hostilities the Legion re-entered Palestine with 1st Brigade heading to NablusNablus Nablus; ) is a major city under Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and, with a population of over 100,000, is one of the... and 2nd Brigade heading to RamallahRamallah Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the West Bank of approximately 57,000 residents.... . The Arab Legion entered Palestine with other Arab Forces on May 15, 1948 using the AllenbyAllenby Allenby can refer to one of the following:... , now King Hussein, bridge as they were advancing to cover the approaches from JeninJenin Jenin , a city on the West Bank, is a major Palestinian agricultural center.... , in the north to Alaffoula and from Al-Majame'a bridge on the Jordan RiverJordan River The Jordan River is a river in Southwest Asia flowing through the Great Rift Valley into the Dead Sea.... to Bissan Alaffoula. There was considerable embarrassment from the United KingdomUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... government that British officers were employed in the Legion during the conflict and regular British officers, including a brigadeBrigade Brigade is a term from military science which refers to military echelon under a division, above a regiment where that exist... commander, were instructed to return to Transjordan. This led to the bizarre spectacle of British officers leaving their units to return to Transjordan before sneaking back across the border to rejoin the Arab Legion. Without exception all of the affected officers returned to their units. One British MPMember of Parliament A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament.... called for Glubb Pasha to be imprisoned for serving in a foreign army without the KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdom George VI became the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Emperor of India, upon the unexp... 's permission. At LatrunLatrun The area of Latrun is a region of the Ayalon Valley, about 15 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of R... , the Legion blockaded the Jerusalem highwayHighway 1 (Israel) Highway 1, is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem.... . Legion troops were involved in the Kfar Etzion massacreKfar Etzion massacre The Kfar Etzion massacre was an act committed by Arab armed forces on May 13, 1948, the day before the declaration of indepe... . On May 28, 1948, aided by Marmon-Herrington Armoured CarMarmon-Herrington Armoured Car South African Reconnaissance Car, better known under its British designation Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car, was an ar... s, they conquered the Jewish QuarterJewish Quarter The Jewish Quarter is one of the four traditional quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem.... of Jerusalem's Old City (i.e. inside the walls of the Old City), expelled the Jews who lived there and took part in the destruction of the SynagogueFacts About Synagogue A synagogue is a Jewish place of religious worship.... s therein. The Legion also secured the West BankWest Bank The West Bank , is a landlocked territory on the west bank of the Jordan River in the Middle East.... for Transjordan. Units of the Arab Legion were engaged in several battles with the Jewish forces including the following: Battles of Beit NabalaBeit Nabala Beit Nabala was a Muslim Arab village in the district of al-Ramla in Mandatory Palestine that was destroyed during the 1948 ... – December 14, 1947 Battle of HaifaHaifa Haifa is the main city of northern Israel and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of about 267,800 .... – February 9, 1948 Battle of prophet Jacob settlement- April 18, 1948 Battle of Gaisher settlement in late April 1948 Battle of Kfar Aitsion 7-13 May 1948. On 9 February, 1948 the 3,000 strong Trans-Jordan Frontier Force was disbanded with members being absorbed back into The Arab Legion. so that by the wars end in 1949, the Arab Legion consisted of over 10,000 men manning a 100 mile front, which then expanded to a 400 mile front following the withdraw of Iraqi forces. Between the wars The Beit Liqya Encounter occurred in September 1954. 1956 Arab Israeli War On September 11, an Israeli force infiltrated to the Jordanian territories in Al-Rahwa, Hebron sector, and attacked the police station there. After long clashes with a Jordanian unit from the Desert Patrol, the Israeli force was repulsed. On October 10, 1956 an enemy force, estimated at a motorized infantry brigade, supported by medium-range artillery and 10 combat aircraft, attacked the towns of Hubla, Al-Nabi Illias and Azroun. The assaulting troops fought the Arab legion west of Al-Nabi Illias and were forced to withdraw to Qalqilia hills. It must be noted that the Legion generally stated out of the 1956 War. Aftermath On 1 March 1956, the Legion was renamed as the Jordan Arab Army. Commanders Colonel F. G. Peake ("Peake Pasha") - 22 October 1923 - 21 March 1939 Lieutenant General John Glubb ("Glubb Pasha") - 21 March 1939 - 1 March 1956 Note: "PashaPasha Pasha was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors and generals.... " is a Turkish honorary title in one of its various ranks is equivalent to the British title of "Lord". See also Kfar Etzion massacreKfar Etzion massacre The Kfar Etzion massacre was an act committed by Arab armed forces on May 13, 1948, the day before the declaration of indepe... LatrunLatrun The area of Latrun is a region of the Ayalon Valley, about 15 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of R... Transjordan Frontier ForceTransjordan Frontier Force Overview The Transjordan Frontier Force was formed, on 1 April 1926, from cadre drawn drawn from the Arab Legion, and it consisted of... Desert ForceDesert Force The Desert Force , AKA Desert Patrol, was a paramilitary force of Transjordan.... Bibliography Dupuy, Trevor N, Elusive Victory, The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-1974, Hero (1984) Farndale, Sir Martin, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, The Years of Defeat, 1939-41, Brassey’s (1996) Glubb, John Bagot, The Arab Legion, Hodder & Stoughton, London (1948) A. Isseroff, Kfar Etzion Remembered: A history of Gush Etzion and the Massacre of Kfar Etzion, 2005. I. Levi, Jerusalem in the War of Independence ("Tisha Kabin" – Nine Measures – in Hebrew) Maarachot – IDF, Israel Ministry of Defence, 1986. ISBN 965-05-0287-4 Pal, Dharm, Official History of the Indian Armed in the Second World War, 1939-45 - Campaign in Western Asia, Orient Longmans (1957) Roubicek, Marcel, Echo of the Bugle, extinct military and constabulary forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan 1915,1967, Franciscan (Jerusalem 1974) Avi Shlaim (2007) "Lion of Jordan The Life of king Hussein in War and Peace" Allen Lane ISBN 9780713997774 P.J. Vatikiotis, (1967). Politics and the Military in Jordan: A Study of the Arab Legion, 1921-1957, New York, Praeger Publishers. ISBN The Arab Legion (Men-at-arms) (Paperback) by Peter Young, 48 pages, Osprey Publishing (15 Jun 1972) ISBN-10: 0850450845 and ISBN-13: 978-0850450842 Jordan – A Country Study, US Library of CongressLibrary of Congress The Library of Congress is the de facto national library of the United States and the research arm of the United States ... Photos