In 1917, a desert battle secured the Sinai Peninsula for the British Empire
After a grueling march across the scorching sands, British Empire forces launched a decisive dawn raid in 1917 to capture the strategic border town of Rafa and clear the Sinai Peninsula.
The Battle of Rafa marked the final victory in the Sinai campaign of World War I. On January 9, 1917, the Desert Column of the British Empire surrounded a heavily fortified Ottoman garrison. The Allied victory was narrow; commanders almost called a retreat due to a lack of water before a final bayonet charge broke the Turkish lines.
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