In March 1916, the ANZAC Mounted Division was formed, from the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Light Horse Brigades and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, in Egypt. It was commanded by Major General (later Lieutenant General Sir) Harry G. Chauvel.⁶⁸ In August, the Division helped defeat a Turkish advance to Romani, and by March 1917 had forced the enemy back to the line Gaza-Beersheba.⁶⁹ Participation in the initial battles for Gaza then followed.⁷⁰ In August, the Desert Mounted Corps was formed, consisting of the ANZAC Mounted Division (less the 3^rd Light Horse), the Australian Mounted Division (3^rd and 4^th Light Horse and 5^th Yeomanry Brigades) and the Yeomanry Division.⁷¹ The capture of Beersheba was achieved on 31 October 1917, involving the Light Horse armed only with rifles and bayonets charging as cavalry.⁷²

The Corps played a prominent part in the capture of Jerusalem in December.⁷³ Many of the British troops, including the Yeomanry Division, were withdrawn and redeployed to France to shore up the allied resistance to the German 'Michael' offensive in March 1918.⁷⁴ Despite the loss of many experienced troops, the Corps defeated a determined attack by the German Asia Corps at Abu Tellul in April. During September, the Corps played an important part in the advance to Haifa and Semakh, entering Damascus on 1 October. Turkey signed an armistice at the end of that month, by which time Corps units had reached Aleppo.⁷⁶

The total battle casualties for the AIF in this campaign were 416 officers and 4435 other ranks, with 96 officers and 1278 enlisted men dying from all causes.⁷⁷