Composition
The Sudan Defence Force consisted of a number of battalions, misleadingly styled 'Corps', which had a set area of operations:
- the Shendi Horse.
- the Sudan Camel Corps ('the Hajana').
- the Western Arab Corps.
- the Eastern Arab Corps.
- the Equatoria Corps.
In peacetime, the SDF comprised approximately 4,500 regular Sudanese soldiers. During the Second World War, the SDF expanded greatly to counter the threat from the four neighbouring Italian territories: to the north-west, Libya, and to the east, Eritrea and the newly-conquered Abyssinia (Ethiopia). To accommodate the extra numbers, a new war-service battalion was formed, the Sudanese Frontier Force. In wartime, the SDF grew to as many as 20,000 men.
There were also two regiments consisting of irregular special forces:
- the Gideon Force (under Orde Wingate)
- the Gazelle Force
Read more about this topic: Sudan Defence Force
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