Bathe Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 Can anyone tell me what MEF stands for? - I presumer EF is expeditionary force, but is M Macedonia or Mesopotamia, or, indeed, anywhere else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 I thought it was Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bathe Posted 16 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2007 Thanks for that. Would, therefore, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force be the overall title for the force that took part in the Salonika (Macedonian) campaign? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 quote: "Would, therefore, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force be the overall title for the force that took part in the Salonika (Macedonian) campaign?" Yes, but only up to 23rd Nov. 1915 It will be interesting to hear from someone as to what the Salonika history says on this, but working from what I have which is that of Gallipoli then Kitchener's letter of 23rd November 1915 addressed to Gen Sir C. Monro seems to mark the official end of the use of the letters MEF in respect of the combined theatres of Gallipoli and Salonika. Kitchener's letter refers to Monro's command as "the forces in the Eastern Mediterranean outside Egypt" and the OH notes that from that date [23 Nov '15] Monro commanded both Gallipoli and Salonika, but that "The force on the peninsula, hitherto styled the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, was renamed the Dardanelles Army" [The latter was at that time under the command of Gen. Sir W. Birdwood] Notwithstanding the above, it would be useful to have the context here, as I am sure that most of us, myself included, are guilty of using MEF as referring to Gallipoli up to the time of the final evacuation. regards Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 16 December , 2007 Share Posted 16 December , 2007 MEF used in the context of Gallipoli died on 23/11/15 as Michael said. The Army in Salonika was known as the British Salonika Army, which was used by the War Office, which did not recognise Kitchener's local arrangement. HQ for Macedonia was formed 15/11/15 by Gen Mahon. The above info from Becke's Order of Battle of Divisions Part 4. That below comes from the Offy History Mespot Campaign (4 vols). Operations in Mespot began by the Force in Mesopotamia, which became British Force in Mespotamia, then British Forces in Mesopotamia, and sometime in Spring/early summer 1916, it is referred to as the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force (MEF!!!). Also mixed in there is the Indian Expeditionary Force, so it isn't clear cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bathe Posted 16 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 December , 2007 The context for the orginal enquiry was my grandfather's "burnt" records which give him as being posted to "M.E.F" on 19 Dec 1916 and to 132 SB RGA on 8 Jan 1917, with which he served in Salonika Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 17 December , 2007 Share Posted 17 December , 2007 Its perhaps likely then that "M.E.F." was shorthand for this particular clerk's unofficial name for the British Salonika Army - Macedonian Expeditionary Force. I did a quick check through the Offy for Macedonia but no mention of MEF as an abbreviation for Macedonian Expeditionary Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 17 December , 2007 Share Posted 17 December , 2007 You will also find frequent reference to the BSF - British Salonika Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggy65 Posted 18 December , 2007 Share Posted 18 December , 2007 My grandfather served in the RGA - enlisted 1915, called to service in 1917. He served only in and around Basrah/Makina (Mesopotamia). Fortunately, for me, his papers survived and on them is printed "M.E.F." and, "Embarked Margil 14.12.18 and stuck off strength of Mes Ex Force from that date." Mabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggy65 Posted 18 December , 2007 Share Posted 18 December , 2007 "Battles On The Tigris, The Mesoptomian Campaign of the First World War" by Ron Wilcox is an interesting read - in the text he doesn't, as far as I can remember, ever refer to the MEF but, instead, as in the book title, "The Mesoptomian Campaign". Mabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted 18 December , 2007 Share Posted 18 December , 2007 The force sent to Basra in November 1914 was called Indian Expeditionary Force "D". The Report of the Mesopotamian Commission refers to 'the Mesopotamian Expedition, known as Force "D",' in the context of its dispatch. The orders given to Sir John Nixon when he was given command in Mesopotamia in March 1915 refer to his command as 'Indian Expeditionary Force "D".' At this time, operations in Mesopotamia were run from India. Control switched to London on the insistence of Robertson when he became CIGS at the end of 1915. The orders that he issued to Sir Stanley Maude on appointing him to command in Mesopotamia in September 1916 call Maude's command the 'Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bathe Posted 18 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2007 Dear Mabel Many thanks for your two posts. It is possible that my grandfather was earmarked for Mesopotamia orginally and then his battery added to the task force that went to Salonika - because I know that is where he was posted a few weeks after his MEF posting. Which battery was your grandfather with? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggy65 Posted 19 December , 2007 Share Posted 19 December , 2007 Hi Peter My grandfather was in the 177th Battery, HB, RGA. and Martin, In "Battles on the Tigris", it confirms your information of the 'Force D (6th Division)' title as at 1 December 1914 - along with the composition of the Force - which expanded enormously over time. It also states that '" 'Force D' was reorganized on 1 April 1915 as II Indian Army Corps". As I said previously, the book is an interesting read and contains great, if only a few, interesting photos. Many thanks for the extra info which I did not know. Mabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n cherry Posted 19 December , 2007 Share Posted 19 December , 2007 The troops who went to Gallipoli from England in early 1915 (ish) were from memory going to be known as the 'Dardanelles Expeditionary Force' but I think Hamilton complained that this was giving a little bit away and so it became the MEF...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callowbrack Posted 31 December , 2008 Share Posted 31 December , 2008 The was also definately a 'Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force' It said so on my father Character Certificate issued in 1918 Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 31 December , 2008 Share Posted 31 December , 2008 MEF = Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, applied to the Gallipoli Campaign, despite the peninsula being in the Aegean Sea. The troops who landed at Salonika, and waged warfare further upcountry in the Macedonian Campaign were the BSF = British Salonika Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick ODwyer Posted 31 December , 2008 Share Posted 31 December , 2008 MEF = Mediterranean Expeditionary Force This is on my grandfather's surviving papers - he served only in Mesopotamia at the time it refers to - 1917-1919 Clerking error or a standard notation for all things East? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now