The Libyan Arab Force, also known as the Sanusi Army, consisting of five infantry battalions made up of volunteers, was established to aid the British war effort.
[1] Vladimir Peniakoff was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served in the Libyan Arab Force,[2] before creating a unit known as Popski's Private Army.
Because the high mobility of the desert campaigns required a considerable degree of technical and mechanical expertise, the Libyan forces were used primarily as auxiliaries, guarding military installations and prisoners.
A small number of people were transferred to 102 Military Mission which had trained the British Senussi Army, later called the Libyan Arab Force.
The Sanusi Army was reluctant to disband and the majority of its members arranged to be transferred to the local police force in Cyrenaica under the British military administration.