Who's Who - Sir Edmund Allenby
Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby (1861-1936) who was
born in Brackenhurst on 23 April 1861, began his military career with the
Inniskilling Dragoons in 1882 following an education at the Royal Military
Academy (Sandhurst), serving in South Africa between 1884-88 and taking part
in the Second Boer War from 1899-1901. By the end of the war, Allenby
had reached the rank of brevet colonel.
During the First World War Allenby commanded the cavalry division of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front. Following First Ypres Allenby was promoted to commander of the Third Army.
In 1917 he was given command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (chiefly because of a disagreement with Sir Douglas Haig over tactics used at the Battle of Arras). His reputation derives from his command in the Middle East.
During his campaign against the Turks in Palestine he captured Gaza in November and Jerusalem in December 1917 and, after defeating the enemy on the plain of Megiddo in September 1918 (click here to read his report), took Damascus and Aleppo. In 1919 he was created a Field Marshal and ennobled. He served as High Commissioner to Egypt from 1919-25.
Sir Edmund Allenby, who retired in 1925 becoming Rector of Edinburgh University, died in London on 14 May 1936. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Click here to read Allenby's account of the fall of Jerusalem in December 1917. Click here to read Allenby's official proclamation of marshal law following the city's fall.
The "linseed lancers" was the Anzac nickname assigned to members of the Australian Field Ambulance.
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