OSPREY - MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES Text by PETER YOUNG Colour plates by MICHAEL ROFFEPublished in England by Osprey Publishing Ltd, P.O. Box 25, 707 Oxford Road, Reading, Berkshire © Copyright 1972 Osprey Publishing Ltd. ‘This book is copyrighted under the Berne Convention. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photo- copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. I wish to record my gratitude to Major W.F. Woodhouse, R.T.R., who has rendered me the greatest assistance in preparing this work. Commissioned in 1948, he served as a captain in the Arab Legion from 1953 to 1956. He was Technical Adjutant to the Armoured Brigade and then to the jrd Tank Regiment, and his knowledge of the weapons and vehicles of the Armoured Brigade has been particularly helpful. Since leaving the Legion he has qualified at the Royal Military College of Science, and is currently employed at the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment. Like so many other British soldiers ~ including myself ~ Bill Woodhouse looks back on his three years with the Arab Legion as being among the happiest in his Army career. sow 85045 084 5 Printed in Great Britain by ‘Jarrold & Sons Lid, NorwichTie Arb Legion 18 May Arab Legion enters Jerusalem, Chronology se ui June Fighting round Latrun, : 11 June— gJuly Ceasefire, followed by further fight- ing round Latrun, 1949 3 April Israeli-Trangordan Armistice igned. 1958 King Abdallah assassinated. 1953 1920 14-15 October ___ Peake forms the Arab Legion. October _ The Qibya Incident. 1924 Defeat of the Wahhabis by RAF. 1954 The Jerusalem Incident. at Ziza. 30 June~ 1927 Anglo-Trangordan Treaty and 2 July ‘The Beit Liqya Incident Legion establishment reduce 1955 ‘Jordan application to join Baghdad 1930 Glubb arrives to form the Desert ptian-inspired riots Patrol. 1956 1932 1 March — Glubb and other British officers July Last tribal raid. dismissed; Arab Legion becomes 1936 Arab Palestine, Formation “The Jordan Arab Army’, of Desert i For 1939 Campaign against Arab infiltraters Ft 7) af from Palestine and Syria, OCW) 21 March Peake retires. Writing these pages has revived memories of three 3 September Second World War begins. very happy years spent in the Arab Legion, in the 194T days when Glubb Pasha, already a legendary April Campaign in Iraq. Desert Mechan- figure, was in command, and when Cooke Pasha ized Regiment accompanies was forging the 1st Division. Man for man the Habforce. Arab Legion was the best of all the Arab armies. June Syrian Campaign, Desert Mechan- In 1967 the Jordanian Army, according to friend ized Regiment again accompanies and foe alike, fought far better than the Egyptians Habforce and plays a decisive part. or the Syrians. I look back with the greatest at Sukhna on 1 July. pleasure on the days when I commanded the gth 7945 econd World W Regiment. Such opportunities do not come to the 1946 New Anglo-Trangordan Treaty; British officer of the present generation. The Amir Abdallah becomes King of a British Army need not be ashamed of the officers truly independent state. it sent to help with the expansion of the Arab 15May _ Palestine Mandate endsand Legion Legion. Men like Galletly, Elliott, McCully, occupies Arab areas. riffiths, and Tirrell, Hutton, Wormald, Leakey 3