Near East Command
Near East Command was a Command of the British Armed Forces.
History
In 1959 Middle East Command was divided into two commands split by the Suez canal.[1]
The two parts were British Forces Arabian Peninsular, which was based at Aden, and the rump of Middle East Command which was based in Cyprus and which on 1 March 1961 was renamed Near East Command.[1]It was formed as an interservice command with HQ at Episkopi, Cyprus, from Mediterranean elements of Middle East Command, while most of the latter's assets moved with HQ to Aden. The RAF element was named Air Forces Near East, and the army element was Near East Land Forces.
Near East Land Forces comprised Cyprus District, British Troops Malta, Libya and Tripolitania Area, and Cyrenaica Area
Near East Command itself was disbanded in 1962,[2] but NELF remained, with its headquarters in Cyprus.
In August 1965 NELF was reorganised into districts: Cyprus District, Malta District, Libya and Tripolitania District and Cyrenaica District. In 1969 the Libyan districts were disbanded as British and American forces left Libya.
Later the Malta District disbanded, and after that NELF disbanded, leaving British Forces Cyprus as an independent command.
Commanders-in-Chief
Commanders-in-Chief included:[3][4]
- 1960-1962 Lieutenant General Sir Dudley Ward