Nekhl had been a regional centre for British administration until the beginning of the war when Ottoman Empire forces invaded the area.

Kress von Kressenstin's force which attacked the canal in February 1915 had moved along the central way across the Sinai desert making use of the water available at Kossaima and Nekhl.

Located in an area where lack of water and extreme climate made sustained warfare by either side impossible, Nekhl had been an important outpost at the beginning of the war, for the British administration 60 miles (97 km) east of Suez.

[2] Intelligence Branch of the General Staff had advised that after withdrawing from the Sinai as a result of the EEF advance along the coastal road, a force of 130 hostile soldiers was still deployed at Nekhl.

26, one Royal Flying Corps (RFC) officer and two other ranks and two wireless pack stations, rode out from Serapeum near Ismailia in the centre of the Canal.

Lieutenant Colonel A. W. Jennings Bramly (an Egyptian Government officer with knowledge of the country), Captain F. D. Stirling (General Staff GHQ), and Lieutenant A. H. Stuart (Intelligence Branch, General Staff), along with one aircraft observer and two mechanics to choose advanced landing ground and supervise the transportation of petrol, oil and spare parts accompanied the force.

57 Reserve Squadron at Ismailia during the raid, were to report daily on the progress of the two columns, drop messages from headquarters and scout ahead.

[10] Major Bassett commanding 2nd Battalion (British), Imperial Camel Corps, marched from Magdhaba on 17 February to surround Bir el Hassana, where at dawn the next morning they attacked the Ottoman Army garrison consisting of three officers and 19 other ranks, reinforced by armed Bedouin.

[11][Note 1] On 17 February Northern Column sent an officers' patrol commanded by Lieutenant F. C. Farlow to select a site for an advanced base and to reconnoitre the Thilwetl el Thamamat Pass, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Nekhl.

The patrol reported at 15:30 that three shots had been fired from high ground on the Bir el Hassana road shortly after 13:00 by a Bedouin who subsequently withdrew on his camel towards Nekhl.

[14] At 04:00 on 18 February, the main force of Northern Column left their advanced base and entered Nekhl at 06:00 when two more prisoners and abandoned arms, ammunition and stores were captured.

[17] The aircraft kept contact with the two columns as they converged from the east and south on Nekhl, dropping messages from headquarters and scouting ahead when necessary.

Aerial reconnaissance also had difficulty finding small groups of troops, one aircraft failed to see the whole of Northern Column when it flew over.