Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎26r] (51/176)

This document is the property ot His Britannic Majesty’s Government.
Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence, October, 1923.
457—B.
To ho returned to the Secretary
of the Ccmmittoe of imperial Defence,
2, Whitehall Gardens, 8.W. 1.
SECRET.
Qm.-No41
COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.
MILITARY POLICY IN EGYPT.
(Previous C.I.D. Papers Nos. 438-11, 439-B, 446-B, 448-B, 450-B, 4.53-B and 454-B.)
MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR.
The general lines of military policy in Egypt which 1 consider necessary for our
strategic requirements were submitted to the Committee of Imperial Defence in my
memorandum of July, 1923 (C.I.D. Paper No. 439-P>, revised). Other Departments of
His Majesty’s Government have now expressed their views on this subject and these
have been considered by the Committee of Imperial Defence. I am therefore in a
position to carry my proposals further in the light of the recent discussions that have
taken place.
2. I now assume that the Committee of Imperial Defence have definitely decided
that the Canal is to be defended against all possible attack, external and internal, and
that the force responsible for this task is to be based on Egypt.
3. In my previous memoranda (C.I.D. Paper No. 439-B and C.P. 89 (23) )
the military reasons which necessitate the control of Cairo and Alexandria have been
emphasized. So cogent are these, both tactically and strategically, that it is upon the
basis of our being able to secure immediate control of Cairo that our defence scheme for
the Canal is drawn up, and the present disposition of our garrison arrived at.
4. Therefore it will be convenient to recapitulate the existing distribution of troops,
and note the relation between this and the task the garrison have to be prepared for.
This will assist us to decide how any modifications, which circumstances may render
inevitable, can be made with the least tactical and administrative disarrangement.
5. The present distribution is as follows :—
(1) Cairo area—
(a) Cairo. Eden Palace Hotel;
Villa Victoria.
(b) Cairo Citadel
(c) Kasr-el-Nil Barracks
(d) Abbassia (4 miles E.N.E. of
the Citadel).
(e) Helmieh (3£ miles north of
the Citadel).
(/) Heliopolis (8 miles north-east
of the Citadel).
(q) Helouan (14 miles south of
the Citadel).
(B28/210) 100 10/23 W.O.P. 1083
Headquarters Command and R.A.F. Head
quarters, Middle East.
1 infantry battalion.
Headquarters, infantry brigade.
1 infantry battalion.
2 cavalry regiments*
1 brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (3 bat
teries) .
1 infantry battalion.
1 field company, Royal Engineers.
1 armoured car company.
Wireless signal company.
Signal company.
1 pack artillery brigade (3 batteries).
1 cavalry regiment.
1 squadron, R.A.F.
1 special communication flight, R.A.F.
1 squadron, R.A.F.
014 3
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