Why were Australian troops who would fight in Turkey sent to train in Egypt?
Most of the men recruited into the Australian Imperial Force at the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 were sent to Egypt to meet the threat which the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) posed to British interests in the Middle East and to the Suez Canal.
When did the Anzacs leave Australia for Egypt?
3 December 1914 Units of the AIF began disembarking in Egypt. They were sent to Mena Camp where training commenced. It had been decided to hold the Australians and New Zealanders in Egypt because proper camps in England were not ready to receive them.
When did Australian soldiers arrive in Egypt?
Then British forces occupied the Nile Valley for 30 years. (Although the Sultanate of Egypt protectorate did not commence until 1914.) The first Australian and New Zealand troops disembarked at Alexandria on 3 December 1914. They were moved into training camps around Cairo.
Why was Australia fighting Turkey in ww1?
The Gallipoli campaign was intended to force Germany’s ally, Turkey, out of the war. This would eliminate the Turkish land and shore defences and open up the Dardanelles for the passage of the navy. It would involve British troops first capturing the tip of the peninsula on 25 April, then advancing northwards.
What was training like for Australian soldiers in ww1?
The Australians’ training was very similar to the British Army, with little advice coming from the battle field as to the tactics being used in the new form of modern trench warfare. The behaviour of some Australian troops would continue to be a sticking point throughout the war.
What was the training like for Australian soldiers in Egypt?
The training conditions in Egypt were tough with many Australian soldiers embracing the challenging lifestyle of a soldier. In Cairo, Australians took tours of the pyramids and tombs and haggled with Egyptian traders for souvenirs in the markets.
Where was the Australian prisoner of war camp in Egypt?
During the Gallipoli landings and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, Tel-el-Kebir located about 40km west of Ismailia was a training centre for the First Australian Imperial Force reinforcements, No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, and also a site of a large prisoner of war camp.
Why was there a British training camp in Egypt?
The pyramids and Sphinx at Giza made for a spectacular backdrop as the training camps providing enough space for training drills and manoeuvres for unlimited troops. Within days, British staff in Egypt had arranged contractors to lay water pipes to all the camps and extend tramlines to the prospective depot at Mena.
Where was the AIF training camp before Gallipoli?
Mena Camp: 1914-1915 (pre-Gallipoli) When the AIF left Australia in November 1914, the expected destination was England and the training grounds of the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.