The Salonika Campaign, 1915 -1918

Anglo-French forces began landing at the Greek port of Salonika (now Thessaloniki) on 5 October 1915. The troops were sent to provide military assistance to the Serbs who had recently been attacked by combined German, Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian armies. The intervention came too late to save Serbia and after a brief winter campaign in severe weather conditions on the Serbian frontier, the Anglo-French forces found themselves back at Salonika.

At this point the British advised that the troops be withdrawn. However, the French - with Russian, Italian and Serbian backing - still believed something of strategic importance could be gained in the Balkans.

After preparing the port of Salonika for defence, the troops moved up country. During 1916, further Allied contingents of Serbian, Italian and Russian troops arrived and offensive operations began. These culminated in the fall of Monastir to Franco-Serb forces during November. A second offensive during the spring of 1917, the British part of which was the First Battle of Doiran (24-25 April and 8-9 May 1917), made little impression on the Bulgarian defences. The front-line remained more or less static until September 1918, when a third offensive was launched. During this the British attacked at Doiran for a second time (18-19 September 1918). With a breakthrough by Serbian forces west of the river Vardar the Bulgarian army was forced into a general retreat. The campaign concluded with the surrender of Bulgaria on 30 September 1918.

The British Salonika Force was commanded by Lieutenant General George Milne from May 1916, following General Sir Bryan Mahon's posting to Egypt. At its height - late 1916 to early 1917 - it comprised six infantry divisions, grouped into two corps:

• XII Corps: 22nd, 26th, 60th Divisions
• XVI Corps: 10th, 27th, 28th Divisions

This made it a mixture of Regular, New Army and Territorial formations, with battalions of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh origin. Yeomanry (in the 7th and 8th Mounted Brigades and as Divisional and Headquarters troops) and cyclists provided the BSF's mounted element. The only crucial weakness lay in artillery, especially howitzers. 

In support were Royal Engineers; British, Maltese and Macedonian Labour Battalions; ASC, Indian and Maltese muleteers; RAMC, Canadian and volunteer medical services. Air support was provided by Nos. 17 and 47 Squadrons RFC, and No 17 Kite Balloon Section. A third squadron, No. 150, was formed during 1918. RNAS aircraft based at Stavros and on the island of Thasos also assisted with operations.

Malaria proved to be a serious drain on manpower during the campaign. In total the British forces suffered 162,517 cases of the disease and in total 505,024 non-battle casualties. With the campaign being a low priority for the War Office the assistance rendered by voluntary medical organisations, such as the Scottish Women's Hospitals, proved invaluable.