Desert Mounted Corps - Definition and Overview

This article is part of the Anzac series.

Military History

Australia | New Zealand

Expeditionary Forces

AIF | NZEF

Corps

ANZAC | I Anzac | II Anzac Australian | Desert Mounted

Divisions

Aus 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th NZ & Aus | New Zealand Anzac Mounted | Aus Mounted

The Desert Mounted Corps was a World War I Allied army corps that operated in the Middle East (Sinai and Palestine) during 1917 and 1918. Originally formed as the Desert Column in February 1917 under the command of General Sir Philip W. Chetwode, it was expanded to a full corps, commanded by Australian General Henry Chauvel, in August 1917 following the reorganisation of the Allied forces by General Allenby after the failure of the Second Battle of Gaza. The DMC was not an Anzac corps -- it contained numerous British and Indian cavalry brigades as well as some French colonial cavalry -- but the Australian and New Zealand units provided the veteran foundation and it was the first army corps to be commanded by an Australian.

As the Desert Column the corps contained the Anzac Mounted Division and the Imperial Mounted Division (later to become the Australian Mounted Division). Following the reorganisation, the corps contained:

• Anzac Mounted Division
• Australian Mounted Division
• Imperial Camel Corps Brigade
• British Yeomanry Mounted Division