Allenby's Gunners

Alan H. Smith's "Allenby's Gunners: Artillery in the Sinai & Palestine Campaigns 1916-1918" is a detailed study that examines a subject often overshadowed in the broader narrative of the First World War's Middle Eastern theatre. While the Western Front has long dominated popular memory and scholarly attention regarding artillery warfare, Smith turns his focus to the campaigns fought under General Edmund Allenby across the Sinai Peninsula and into Palestine, offering readers a specialised look at how artillery units operated, adapted, and contributed to eventual British and Commonwealth success in this challenging environment.

The book's central achievement lies in its careful attention to the specific difficulties artillery commanders and gunners faced in this theatre. Unlike the relatively static trench warfare of France and Belgium, the Sinai and Palestine campaigns involved mobile warfare across desert terrain, requiring different logistical solutions, tactical approaches, and equipment considerations. Smith explores how gunners had to contend with issues of water supply, transport across sand, extreme heat, and the need for rapid deployment and redeployment as the campaign progressed from the Suez Canal defences through Gaza and ultimately to Jerusalem and Damascus.

Smith's research draws on military records, unit histories, and firsthand accounts to reconstruct the operational realities faced by artillery batteries during this period. The narrative traces the development of artillery tactics as the campaign evolved, from the early defensive actions protecting the Suez Canal through the costly battles at Gaza and the subsequent breakthrough that led to the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. This chronological structure allows readers to appreciate how lessons learned in earlier engagements informed later operations, reflecting a broader pattern of adaptation that characterised British military thinking during the war.

One notable strength of the book is its attention to the coordination between artillery and other arms, including infantry, cavalry, and the emerging role of aircraft in this theatre. The Sinai and Palestine campaigns saw significant use of mounted troops, and Smith examines how artillery support had to be reconceived to work alongside these more mobile forces, a departure from the artillery-infantry cooperation models that dominated Western Front thinking. This aspect of the book will particularly interest readers seeking to understand how military doctrine adapted to different geographical and operational contexts during the same conflict.

The technical details provided throughout the text demonstrate Smith's evident expertise in artillery matters, covering equipment types, ammunition supply challenges, and the organisational structure of artillery units deployed in the campaign. For readers with a background in military history or a specific interest in artillery as a branch of service, these sections offer substantial value. However, some readers without prior familiarity with artillery terminology and organisation may find certain passages demanding, as the book assumes a degree of baseline knowledge about military structures and equipment of the period.

The book also succeeds in giving proper recognition to a campaign that, despite its significance in shaping the postwar Middle East, receives considerably less attention than the Western Front in popular historical consciousness. By focusing specifically on the artillery component, Smith adds a layer of specificity to our understanding of how the campaign was actually fought, moving beyond broader strategic narratives to examine the practical mechanics of combat operations.

Structurally, the book follows a logical progression that mirrors the campaign's own development, making it accessible for readers wishing to trace the full arc of operations from 1916 through to the campaign's conclusion in 1918. The inclusion of specific engagements and their artillery dimensions helps ground the more technical discussions in concrete historical events, providing context that aids comprehension.

Overall, "Allenby's Gunners" represents a valuable contribution to the specialised literature on First World War artillery and the often-overlooked Sinai and Palestine campaigns. It will appeal most strongly to military historians, artillery enthusiasts, and those with a particular interest in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Great War. While its technical focus may present a steeper learning curve for general readers, those willing to engage with its detailed content will gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of artillery warfare in a theatre quite different from the more commonly studied Western Front.