December 11, 1917 - Field Marshal Edmund Allenby (right) enters Jerusalem on foot. Graduating from Sandhurst in 1881, Allenby saw extensive service in South Africa in the 1880s and during the Second Boer War. Establishing himself as a skilled field commander, he was tapped for rapid advancement. With the beginning of World War I, he led the British Expeditionary Force's Cavalry Division before rising to command the British Third Army. Relieved in June 1917 due to conflicts with Field Marshal Douglas Haig and his performance at Arras, Allenby was made commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Winning the Third Battle of Gaza, he captured Jerusalem in December 1917. Renewing his assault in August 1918, he won the decisive Battle of Megiddo and routed Ottoman forces. Rapidly advancing, he took Aleppo before the Ottomans surrendered. After the war, Allenby remained in the region as an administrator. Where does Allenby rank among the great commanders of World War I?
Photograph Source: Public Domain
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