WI: Arab Legion Fights in Europe WW2?

What if Arab Legion Fights in Europe WW2?

"Glubb was bitterly disappointed by his failure to persuade the British authorities to employ the Arab Legion in Europe. It was frustrating to stand on the sidelines when great events were happening; he also believed that it would be of advantage to the Arabs themselves to demonstrate their fighting qualities."
Glubb Pasha by James Lunt

After El Alamein, the Arab Legion asked for a combat role in the coming invasion of Europe. In OTL the British rejected the offer, what if instead they had of accepted perhaps as a show of goodwill to Emir Abdullah?

The Arab Legion was a very competent force and I think it could have been a valuable asset. Its officers, Glubb in particular, were skilled and its Mechanized Regiment was widely acclaimed. The tricky part is where to send the legion? Sicily and Italy? What battles, campaigns, operations could they have been useful in?

On a side note what impact could this have had post war? I imagine European views on Arabs might be positively impacted if they get alot of publicity.

Interested in everyones thoughts.:)
 
little concerned about their ability to take casualties... how much recruitment depth is available?

otherwise they were a respectable force

I would imagine Italy is where they end up... which would be ironic because that is also were the Jewish Brigade served
 
I would imagine Italy is where they end up... which would be ironic because that is also were the Jewish Brigade served

Is there any possibility that this shared experience could lead to good personal and political relationships being formed which butterflies the bad relations of OTL between Israel/Palestine?
 

trurle

Banned
I agree they will end up in Italy as it was a strategic backwater.
The long-term consequences will be earlier and harder fighting in 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine. May be up to point of Israelis relief failing to penetrate to Jerusalem.
 
little concerned about their ability to take casualties... how much recruitment depth is available?

otherwise they were a respectable force

I would imagine Italy is where they end up... which would be ironic because that is also were the Jewish Brigade served

Thanks for the response.:)

Based on my source I think they will be good for man power. The Legion really expanded after the Syria campaign in OTL. Alot of Syrians apparently preferred joining them to the French.

This is what the Legion look like at wars end:
"By the end of the Second World War the Legion's strength had risen to 8,000, 3,000 of whom composed the all bedouin mechanized brigade. There were fifteen guard companies, amounting to 2,000 men, 2,000 recruits under training and 500 employed in administrative duties. Significantly some 300 officers had been trained, many of them bedouins."
 
Is there any possibility that this shared experience could lead to good personal and political relationships being formed which butterflies the bad relations of OTL between Israel/Palestine?

That would be interesting to see but that depends of number.
 
Little concerned about their ability to take casualties... how much recruitment depth is available?
It's been an age since I read Glubb's history of the Legion but IIRC they were able to turn away applicants allowing them to pick and choose. How long that remains so or could be maintained if they suffer major casualties I don't know.


Is there any possibility that this shared experience could lead to good personal and political relationships being formed which butterflies the bad relations of OTL between Israel/Palestine?
Unlikely I'd say, considering Arab-Jewish relations during the period I would expect British commanders to keep the two groups as part of different higher formations and well separated just in case. Whilst Jordan seems to of had the best relations with Israel post-1948 of the region at the end of the day they're still going to be fighting over the same territory and sites.


This is what the Legion look like at wars end:

"By the end of the Second World War the Legion's strength had risen to 8,000, 3,000 of whom composed the all bedouin mechanized brigade. There were fifteen guard companies, amounting to 2,000 men, 2,000 recruits under training and 500 employed in administrative duties. Significantly some 300 officers had been trained, many of them Bedouins."
If the Legion is sent to fight in Italy then you can probably expect them to be expanded to a full infantry division with regards to infantry regiments, most of the attached artillery and divisional units will likely be British to begin with. I can't remember if it was after WWII or the 1948 Arab–Israeli War but the Legion made a fairly large effort to train up their own artillery and support units, this actually led to some problems as previously Glubb had preferred to recruit Bedouins since in his opinion they were mostly apolitical however the necessary skills required for these more technical units meant having to recruit educated 'town' Arabs which he wasn't keen on as he felt they'd be too political and risk dragging the armed forces into government affairs. That aside provided that they aren't scaled down post-war the Legion being a fully equipped infantry division organised along British lines, possibly with an attached tank regiment, could make for some interesting changes in the fighting over Jerusalem and what became the West Bank in 1948 and afterwards.
 
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