British Dardanelles Army
Encyclopedia
The Dardanelles Army was formed in late 1915 and comprised the three army corps
of the British Army
operating at Gallipoli
. It was created as a result of the reorganisation of headquarters when the second Mediterranean front opened at Salonika. Prior to this, all British
(and Dominion
) units in the Mediterranean came under GHQ of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
. The Dardanelles Army was created to manage operations at Gallipoli while the Salonika Army
managed operations at Salonika. Both armies came under the direction of the MEF, which was also responsible for the defence of Egypt
.
The Dardanelles Army was short-lived as, by the time of its creation, offensive operations at Gallipoli had ceased and plans for the evacuation were being made. For most of its existence, the Army was commanded by Lieutenant General
William Birdwood. It comprised the British VIII Corps and IX Corps as well as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
and the 1st Newfoundland Regiment.
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
operating at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
. It was created as a result of the reorganisation of headquarters when the second Mediterranean front opened at Salonika. Prior to this, all British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(and Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
) units in the Mediterranean came under GHQ of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was part of the British Army during World War I, that commanded all Allied forces at Gallipoli and Salonika. This included the initial naval operation to force the straits of the Dardanelles. Its headquarters was formed in March 1915...
. The Dardanelles Army was created to manage operations at Gallipoli while the Salonika Army
British Salonika Army
The British Salonika Army was a British field army of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Army was formed in Salonika in May 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne to oppose Bulgarian advances in the region as part of the Macedonian front...
managed operations at Salonika. Both armies came under the direction of the MEF, which was also responsible for the defence of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
The Dardanelles Army was short-lived as, by the time of its creation, offensive operations at Gallipoli had ceased and plans for the evacuation were being made. For most of its existence, the Army was commanded by Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
William Birdwood. It comprised the British VIII Corps and IX Corps as well as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle of Gallipoli. General William Birdwood commanded the corps, which comprised troops from the First Australian Imperial...
and the 1st Newfoundland Regiment.