Arab Legion

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Arab Legion
الفيلق العربي
Arab Legion insignia
Active22 October 1920 – 25 March 1956
Country Jordan
Allegiance Emirate of Transjordan
(1920–1946)
Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
(1946–1956)
BranchArmy
TypeInfantry
Size150 (1920)
12,000 (1949)
22,000 (1956)
Garrison/HQZarqa
PatronMonarch
Anniversaries10 June 1917: Arab Revolt
22 October 1920: Establishment of the Arab Legion
25 May 1956: Dismissal of British officers
Engagements
Commanders
Commander (1920–1939)Captain
Frederick Gerard Peake
Commander (1939–1956)Lieutenant General John Bagot Glubb
Notable
commanders
Colonel JW Hackett, Jr
Brigadier Norman Lash

The Arab Legion (

Arabic: الفيلق العربي) was the police force, then regular army, of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
, an independent state, with a final Arabization of its command taking place in 1956, when British senior officers were replaced by Jordanian ones.

Creation

In October 1920, after taking over the

Frederick Gerard Peake, to defend the territory against both internal and external threats.[1] The Mobile Force was based in Zarqa. 80% of its men were drawn from the local Chechen community.[2]

The Arab army during the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire, which formed the nucleus of the Arab Legion
Arab Legion in Iraq during the Anglo-Iraqi War in 1941

It was quickly expanded to 1,000 men, recruiting Arabs who had served in the Ottoman Army. On 22 October 1923, the police were merged with the Reserve Mobile Force, still under Peake, who was now an employee of the Emirate of Transjordan. 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.[3] The Legion was formed as a police force to keep order among the tribes of Transjordan and to guard the important JerusalemAmman road.

On 1 April 1926, the Transjordan Frontier Force was formed from cadre drawn from the Arab Legion. 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,

Major General
Abdul Qadir Pasha Al Jundi as his deputy commander. Together they transformed it into the best-trained Arab army.

World War II

During

Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre
. By then, the force had grown to 1,600 men.

The Legion, part of

Syria-Lebanon campaign, two decisive early victories for the Allies
.

Pennant used by commanders

The top three officers representing the Legion who participated in the Victory March were Major General Abdul Qadir Pasha el Jundi,

M.B.E.

1948 Arab–Israeli War

Abdullah el Tell
(far right) with Captain Hikmat Mihyar (far left) pose with Jewish prisoners after the fall of Gush Etzion
Arab Legion artillery shells illuminate Jerusalem in 1948

The Arab Legion actively participated in the

25-pounders each. On 9 February 1948 the Transjordan Frontier Force was disbanded with members being absorbed back into the Arab Legion. Although headed by Glubb, now a Lieutenant General, command in the field was by Brigadier Norman Lash
.

The Legion was initially withdrawn from Palestine to Transjordanian territory, under instruction from the

]

There was considerable embarrassment from the UK government that British officers were employed in the Legion during the conflict and all of them, including a

King's permission.[citation needed
]

Units of the Arab Legion were engaged in several battles with the Jewish forces, including the following:

By the end of the war 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 withdrawal of Iraqi forces.[citation needed]

Further clashes with Israel

Vickers VC.1 Viking of the Arab Legion Air Force in 1955

On September 11, 1956, an Israeli force in what the

retribution operations, Operation Jehonathan, raided Jordanian territory at Al-Rahwa, Hebron Sector, attacking the police station and clashing with a unit from the Legion's Desert Force. Over twenty soldiers and policemen were killed.[11]

The Legion generally stayed out of the 1956 Suez Crisis.

Jordanian army

On 1 March 1956, the Arab Legion was renamed as the Arab Army (now

1967 war
and its aftermath.

Commanders

King Abdullah I with John Bagot Glubb "Glubb Pasha"

Note: "Pasha" is a Turkish honorary title, one of various ranks, and is equivalent to the British title of "Lord". Bey is equivalent to a knighthood or "Sir".

References

  1. ^ Pollack, Kenneth, Arabs at War, Council on Foreign Relations/University of Nebraska Press, 2002, p.267
  2. ^ Pike, John. "The Chechen Chronicles '98". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  3. , p.17
  4. ^ Morris, 2008, p. 105
  5. ^ Gelber, Yoav, Palestine 1948: War, Escape and the Emergence of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, Sussex Academic Press, Brighton & Portland 2006 (2nd edition), p. 90
  6. .
  7. ^ "Truce commission warns Abdullah". The Palestine Post. 2 May 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 28 July 2022. The attack on Gesher settlements... by... Trans-Jordan
  8. ^ Morris, 2008, p. 132
  9. ^ Morris, 2008, p. 230
  10. ^ Morris, 2008, p. 332
  11. . Page 392.

Bibliography

External links