[5] The force had a strong divisional artillery, consisting of six field and two mountain batteries,[7][a] but having been raised quickly, it received only limited training as a formation.

Troops assigned to the corps wore varying coloured uniforms, even in combat, in contrast to those worn by some of the other nations which they fought alongside.

War correspondent Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, writing from Gallipoli, provides this account of a scene around Krithia in May 1915: "Neither was the picturesque element of colour absent from the scene, as in most modern battles, for amidst the green and yellow of the fields and gardens the dark blue uniforms of the Senegalese, the red trousers of the Zouaves, and the new light blue uniform of the Infantry showed up in pleasant contrast amidst the dull-hued masses of the British brigades.

"[15]Following the Ottoman Empire's entry into the war on the Central Powers side in late 1914, the Allies began preparations to capture the Dardanelles in order to secure a supply route to Russia.

[16] As part of these preparations, the Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient was raised on 22 February 1915[17][18] under the command of General Albert d'Amade, who had previously served in Morocco and the Western Front.

[19] Throughout February and March, Anglo-French naval forces attempted to penetrate the Dardanelles, aided by small landing parties that were put ashore to destroy Ottoman fortifications.

[22] Hastily formed, after assembling on Lemnos there had been no time for the corps to undertake large-scale training before it was committed to the land campaign.

Part of the first wave was turned back by heavy fire, but the rest managed to get ashore and they proceeded to secure the village and an Ottoman fort.

The attack was beaten back, but the French division suffered heavy casualties – up to 2,000 men – and at the height of the assault some of the Senegalese and Zouaves "broke and ran".

[32] The six French batteries were detached to support the British,[33] while the infantry were tasked with attacking the Haricot Redoubt, overlooking the Kereves Dere spur.

[32] Attacking in daylight, but possessing a numerical superiority, the Allies made ground across a broad front, before the French were forced back by an Ottoman counterattack, and suffering 2,000 casualties.

[39] A period of stalemate followed, and after the August Offensive failed to break the deadlock, the Allied commanders at Gallipoli requested heavy reinforcements.

[52][d] The attrition through combat deaths and sickness due to the poor sanitary conditions meant that none of the four infantry regiments had maintained their establishment strength of 120 officers and 3,150 other ranks.

[54][55] The corps remained in existence until 6 January 1916[e] when, following the evacuation of French forces from the peninsula, it was subsumed into the larger Army of the Orient serving in Salonika.

[17][57] In the autumn of 1915, there were concerns as to the ability of the Senegalese to cope with the winter weather, and their withdrawal from Gallipoli was proposed,[52] once the British agreed to replace them.

[62] It was usual practice for Senegalese to be sent to Fréjus for a period of "wintering" (hivernage),[63] but this location did not get proposed as an alternative, notwithstanding its previous mention by General Joffre.