[1] During the Second World War, the regiment was deployed to Egypt and Cyrenaica, but most of their work consisted of guard duty.

At the time the British garrison in Palestine consisted of no fewer than eleven infantry battalions and two cavalry regiments.

These circumstances mandated the British government to use new reserves for duties that required limited training or logistic support.

British recruiters in Palestine had enjoyed at least moderate success in forming the units of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps (AMPC), which they hoped would be expanded once the equipment and supplies became available.

Almost simultaneously, Dr. Chaim Weizmann offered to help recruit an entire Jewish division for the services in the British Army.