World War: MEDITERRANEAN THEATER: Armies Split

Great Britain split her rapidly expanding Middle Eastern forces last week. G.H.Q. (Cairo) announced that henceforth the Army of the Nile would be divided into an Army of the Western Desert and an Army of Syria and Palestine.

U.S. equipment flowing into the area has enabled the British to equip at least three divisions previously lying idle in Palestine and Egypt. These, added to the forces in the Western Desert and Syria, made the armies too big for one command.

Though General Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck will probably remain Commander in Chief of both, Cairo did not say who would lead the separate armies. Best guess: veteran General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson would take over the Western Desert Army, Australia’s General Sir Thomas Albert Blarney the Syrian.

Separation of the armies was one more bit of evidence that Britain is preparing a winter relief party to Soviet Russia.