Transjordan Frontier Force
Encyclopedia
The Transjordan Frontier Force was formed, on 1 April 1926, as a para-military border guard
to defend Trans-Jordan's northern and southern borders. The TJFF was also an Imperial Service regiment whose Imperial Service soldiers agreed to serve wherever required and not just within the borders of their own colony, protectorate or, in the case of the Transjordan, mandate. This was in contrast to the Arab Legion
, which was seen more as an internal security militia, deriving from the troops of the Arab Revolt
and closely associated with the Hashemite
cause. The Amir Abdullah
was an Honorary Colonel of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force from its inception.
on 1 April 1926 with a cadre drawn from the Arab Legion and quickly grew to three cavalry squadrons, each of 120 men each, and an infantry unit. Its first commander was Lieutenant-Colonel FW Bewsher, DSO, OBE, MC,Other units, such as a camel squadron and mechanised units, were added subsequently.
The TJFF would be equipped in a conventional manner, with modern weapons, whilst the Arab Legion would, initially, remain a traditional force, looser in structure and without training in alien technology. Accordingly, the Arab Legion transferred its inventory of machine guns, artillery, and radios.
The TJFF replaced the disbanded British Gendarmerie
which previously had the task of protecting Transjordan
's borders.
In the post-war era, with the independence of the Transjordan and of Palestine looming, there was no longer a requirement for an Imperial Service unit in the region. On 9 February, 1948 the 3,000 man Trans-Jordan Frontier Force was disbanded and most of its members transferred to the Arab Legion.
The squadrons and companies were all commanded by British majors, with another British officer as second-in-command. The cavalry squadrons were organised into three rifle troops (36 men) and one machine gun troop (36 rifles and 4 MGs). The normal tactical and reconnaissance unit however, was the half-squadron or half-company and these were commanded by local captains. Each half-squadron or company consisted of two troops, led by local lieutenants and captains.
By the end of 1927 there were 39 officers, including 17 British, 12 British warrant officer
s, three staff sergeants and 676 other ranks. In 1930 there were 17 British officers, two in each of the four squadrons and companies with the remainder at Force HQ. In 1935 there were 24 British officers - the OC, seven majors and sixteen captains.
The TJFF spent its first six months training in Palestine at Sarafand then at Shunet Nimrinfrom (from October 1926) in the Jordan Valley. TJFF HQ moved to Zerqa east of the Jordan River in Trans-Jordan. The cavalry squadrons were based at Zerqa and the camel company was based at Ma'an
. In 1929, the TJFF was called upon to help deal with Arab unrest in Palestine. The camel company moved to Jericho
and a cavalry squadron went to Jisr el Majamie. A second cavalry squadron was raised and dispatched as reinforcement in early 1930.
In 1930, the mechanised company, based at Ma'an, was formed and later that year the camel companies were disbanded. Motorisation extended the range of the TJFF further out into the desert. In 1930 the TJFF had 980 men, including 28 Jews.
A Squadron (cavalry), 1 Apr 1926 till 1 Jan 1941
B Squadron (cavalry), 1-Apr-26 till 1 Jan 1941
C Squadron (cavalry), 1-Apr-26 till 1 Jan 1941
Camel Company, 1 Apr 1926 till 1930, replaced by Mechanised coy
D Company (Mechanised), 1930 till Feb 1941, Based at the H4 pumping station on the Iraq Petroleum Company
pipeline
E Company (Mechanised), 1933 till Feb 1941
Line of Communication Squadron, Feb 1941 till May-41, raised to protect the Baghdad-Haifa Road, reformed as L Coy in 1st Mech Regt May 1941
Mobile Guard Squadron, 1 May 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, formed to replace Line of Communication Squadron in May 1941 and to take over the line of communication duties
By 1929 there were also four Troops of Reservists
TJFF Regiments
1st Cavalry (Horsed) Regiment, 1 Jan 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, based at Jisr el Majamie with A, B, and C Squadrons (Cavalry)
1st Mechanised Regiment, Feb 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, based at Irbid
with D, E, and L Squadrons (Mechanised)
Border guard
The border guard, frontier guard, border patrol, border police, or frontier police of a country is a national security agency that performs border control, i.e., enforces the security of the country's national borders....
to defend Trans-Jordan's northern and southern borders. The TJFF was also an Imperial Service regiment whose Imperial Service soldiers agreed to serve wherever required and not just within the borders of their own colony, protectorate or, in the case of the Transjordan, mandate. This was in contrast to the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
, which was seen more as an internal security militia, deriving from the troops of the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
and closely associated with the Hashemite
Hashemite
Hashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
cause. The Amir Abdullah
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
was an Honorary Colonel of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force from its inception.
History
The Transjordan Frontier Force (TJFF) was established at SarafandTzrifin
Tzrifin is an area in Gush Dan in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities....
on 1 April 1926 with a cadre drawn from the Arab Legion and quickly grew to three cavalry squadrons, each of 120 men each, and an infantry unit. Its first commander was Lieutenant-Colonel FW Bewsher, DSO, OBE, MC,Other units, such as a camel squadron and mechanised units, were added subsequently.
The TJFF would be equipped in a conventional manner, with modern weapons, whilst the Arab Legion would, initially, remain a traditional force, looser in structure and without training in alien technology. Accordingly, the Arab Legion transferred its inventory of machine guns, artillery, and radios.
The TJFF replaced the disbanded British Gendarmerie
British Gendarmerie
The British Gendarmerie was a British paramilitary police field force created by Winston Churchill in April 1922 to police Palestine.Concerned with the high cost of British Army units acting as police forces in Palestine, Winston Churchill decided that an elite police force similar to the Royal...
which previously had the task of protecting Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
's borders.
In the post-war era, with the independence of the Transjordan and of Palestine looming, there was no longer a requirement for an Imperial Service unit in the region. On 9 February, 1948 the 3,000 man Trans-Jordan Frontier Force was disbanded and most of its members transferred to the Arab Legion.
Organization
The TJFF served under Headquarters, British Forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan, from 3 Sep 1939 till 9 Feb 1948. The O.C. TJFF was a British lieutenant colonel, with Headquarters at Zerqa. Second-in-command was a British major, responsible for administration, workshops, quartermaster's stores and pay. The adjutant, another British major, was responsible for training and personnel and was aided by an assistant adjutant who was an Arab officer.The squadrons and companies were all commanded by British majors, with another British officer as second-in-command. The cavalry squadrons were organised into three rifle troops (36 men) and one machine gun troop (36 rifles and 4 MGs). The normal tactical and reconnaissance unit however, was the half-squadron or half-company and these were commanded by local captains. Each half-squadron or company consisted of two troops, led by local lieutenants and captains.
By the end of 1927 there were 39 officers, including 17 British, 12 British warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s, three staff sergeants and 676 other ranks. In 1930 there were 17 British officers, two in each of the four squadrons and companies with the remainder at Force HQ. In 1935 there were 24 British officers - the OC, seven majors and sixteen captains.
The TJFF spent its first six months training in Palestine at Sarafand then at Shunet Nimrinfrom (from October 1926) in the Jordan Valley. TJFF HQ moved to Zerqa east of the Jordan River in Trans-Jordan. The cavalry squadrons were based at Zerqa and the camel company was based at Ma'an
Ma'an
Ma'an is a town in southern Jordan 218 km away from the capital Amman. It is the capital of Ma'an Governorate. Ma'an has a population of around 50,000. The city had a population of 22,989 in the 1992 census and is estimated as being about 50,000 as of 2007 according to the Ma'an Municipality...
. In 1929, the TJFF was called upon to help deal with Arab unrest in Palestine. The camel company moved to Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
and a cavalry squadron went to Jisr el Majamie. A second cavalry squadron was raised and dispatched as reinforcement in early 1930.
In 1930, the mechanised company, based at Ma'an, was formed and later that year the camel companies were disbanded. Motorisation extended the range of the TJFF further out into the desert. In 1930 the TJFF had 980 men, including 28 Jews.
Officers Commanding
- Lieutenant-Colonel FW Bewsher, DSO, OBE, MC, 1 April 1926 to 1928
- Major (local Lt-Col) CA Shute, CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, Indian ArmyBritish Indian ArmyThe British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
, previously second-in-command. 1928 to 1933 - Major (local Lieutenant-Colonel) CH Miller, 13/18th Hussars, 1933 to 1936
- Lt Col JI Chrystall, 1936 to May-40
- Lt Col PL Wilson, May 1940 to 1946
- Colonel JW Hackett, JrJohn Winthrop Hackett JuniorGeneral Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC was an Australian-born British soldier, author and university administrator.-Early life:Hackett, who was nicknamed "Shan", was born in Perth, Western Australia...
(later General Sir John Hackett) former OC of 4th Parachute Brigade which fought at SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, TarantoTarantoTaranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
and ArnhemArnhemArnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
), 1946 to 9 February, 1948. J Hackett was previously seconded to TJFF from 1937-1941.
TJFF Units
HQ Wing , 1 Apr 1926 till 9 Feb 194848A Squadron (cavalry), 1 Apr 1926 till 1 Jan 1941
B Squadron (cavalry), 1-Apr-26 till 1 Jan 1941
C Squadron (cavalry), 1-Apr-26 till 1 Jan 1941
Camel Company, 1 Apr 1926 till 1930, replaced by Mechanised coy
D Company (Mechanised), 1930 till Feb 1941, Based at the H4 pumping station on the Iraq Petroleum Company
Iraq Petroleum Company
The Iraq Petroleum Company , until 1929 called Turkish Petroleum Company , was an oil company jointly owned by some of the world's largest oil companies, which had virtual monopoly on all oil exploration and production in Iraq from 1925 to 1961...
pipeline
E Company (Mechanised), 1933 till Feb 1941
Line of Communication Squadron, Feb 1941 till May-41, raised to protect the Baghdad-Haifa Road, reformed as L Coy in 1st Mech Regt May 1941
Mobile Guard Squadron, 1 May 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, formed to replace Line of Communication Squadron in May 1941 and to take over the line of communication duties
By 1929 there were also four Troops of Reservists
TJFF Regiments
1st Cavalry (Horsed) Regiment, 1 Jan 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, based at Jisr el Majamie with A, B, and C Squadrons (Cavalry)
1st Mechanised Regiment, Feb 1941 till 9 Feb 1948, based at Irbid
Irbid
Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of...
with D, E, and L Squadrons (Mechanised)