Western Frontier Force

The Western Frontier Force was a force of British Empire troops formed in response to the Senussi Uprising and coming under the command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

Orders for the formation of a Western Frontier Force were issued on 20 November 1915, and Major-General A. Wallace, C.B., was appointed to the command.

The original composition of the force was:

• Mounted Brigade. Brigadier-General Tyndale Biscoe, Commanding.
  • 3 Composite yeomanry regiments from the 2nd Mounted Division, and comprising details from more than twenty different regiments.
  • 1 composite regiment of Australian Light Horse, made up of details from Australian light horse brigades.
  • 1st Nottinghamshire Battery Royal Horse Artillery

• Infantry Brigade. Brigadier-General Lord Lucan, Commanding.
  • 1/6th Battalion Royal Scots (Territorials).
  • 2/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Territorials).
  • 2/8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Territorials).
  • 15th Sikhs.

• No 1 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.

• Divisional Train from the 1st Australian Division.

• A detachment from the Egyptian Army Military Works Department took the place of the Royal Engineers, none of the latter being available.

The composition of the force was constantly changing, and it was not till the middle of February, 1916, that it became really fixed.

Other units attached during the WFF's existence included:

• 1st South African Infantry Brigade
• New Zealand Rifle Brigade
• Bikanir Camel Corps
• Imperial Camel Corps
• The Duke of Westminster's armoured car unit

Notes and references

• Haythornthwaite P.J. (1992). The World War One Sourcebook. Arms & Armour Press.

• Rolls S.C. (1937). Steel Chariots in the Desert. Leonaur Books.

• Austin, W. S (1924) The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade