In 1914 the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was strengthened with additional troops from India and Australia. The EEF's primary task was to defend the Suez Canal, and tensions only increased after war was declared between Britain and Turkey in November.
The first test came when the Turks launched a major attack on the canal in February 1915, marching some 25,000 men across 200 miles of open desert. They lost the element of surprise when reconnaissance planes picked up their movements and the 30,000-strong EEF repulsed the Turkish attack along a 100-mile front.
