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The campaign in the Hejaz 1916-1917

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 2:35 am
by Moggy
1916 Jan. 1 - Sherif Hussein agreed to Arab alliance with British. On Feb. 18 he requested money from British, who granted 50,000 pounds Mar. 10.

1916 June 5 - Hussein proclaimed the Arab Revolt, and June 10 attacked the Turks in Mecca, but met stiff resistance at Medina.

1916 Oct. - Hussein's 4 sons had taken Mecca, but not Medina. Lawrence met Faisal Oct 23 for the first time after camel ride from Jidda. They agreed on strategy of using mobile Arab forces against static Turks, break communications and railroad, isolate the large Turkish force of 11,000 in Medina.

1917 Jan. - British naval force captured valuable port of Wejh.

1917 Mar. - Lawrence met the powerful Awdah abu-Tayi, the key to getting Arabs to attack Aqaba July 6.

1917 July 6 - The victory of Aqaba ended the war in the Hedjaz, and British forces had a valuable port for the Palestine campaign.

1917 July - Lawrence returned to Cairo, met Allenby who had replaced Archibald Murray.

1917 Aug. - Faisal's army and Lawrence were transferred to Allenby's Egypt Expeditionary Force in Palestine 1917-18