Countries in the Middle East during World War Two?

[Chris Weddell]

Hello all,

            I am at a loss of finding a list of Countries classed as being in the Middle East during World War Two.

Can anyone help with a definitive list of these Countries as I am doing something on this region and do not want to add or miss Countries out.

                                                      Cheers

                                                      Chris S-W 

[Michael Dobbs]

Chris

Post Office Circular of 23 October 1940 on the introduction of the command address Middle East Command stated that it

[i]" ... applied to correspondence and parcels for members of His Majesty's Army and Royal Air Force serving in Cyprus, Egypt (including the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) Palestine and Transjordan. ... "[/i]

I have another note that the Command eventually comprised Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya (Cyrenaica and Tripolitania), Palestine and Sudan.

Under telegraph service I have a note which states:

The Post Office Circular of 9 September 1942 stated that the following addresses were issued as an addendum to the Supplement issued with the Post Office Circular of 10 June 1942 with dealt with the availability of the Concessional (CSN) telegraph service:

MIDDLE EAST FORCE
(which included Aden, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Iraq and Persia)

It is clear that the command expanded (initially called Middle East Force, later Command) as the war progressed.  One would need to study the war diaries of the GHQ to establish exactly when additional countries were brought under the command.

Mike  :)

[Ross Debenham]

According to Proud East Africa became part of Middle East Command on 3rd February, 1040,

[Chris Weddell]

Mike and Ross,

                    Thank you both for your help.

Mike, This is what I was thinking going by the CCSG book on Civil Censorship in the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East. I just wanted to make sure as I was not sure about Egypt and Cyprus one being classed as North Africa and the other as the Mediterranean. It has now made my task of writing up my Middle East Censorship items somewhat bigger !!!!!


                                                              Thanks

                                                                Chris