Field Marshal Edmund Allenby (1st Viscount Allenby)

Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby (1861–1936), was a British field marshal who commanded the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) during World War I. Nicknamed 'The Bull' for his imposing physique, fierce temper, and demanding discipline, Allenby served as a cavalry commander on the Western Front before Prime Minister David Lloyd George dispatched him to the Middle East in 1917 with instructions to deliver Jerusalem as a 'Christmas present to the British nation'.

Allenby completely transformed the Middle Eastern theater. In October 1917, he breached the Ottoman Gaza-Beersheba line via a famous surprise cavalry dash by the Australian Light Horse. On December 11, 1917, Allenby entered Jerusalem on foot through the Jaffa Gate out of religious respect, declaring that all sacred places of Christians, Jews, and Muslims would be safeguarded. In September 1918, he won the Battle of Megiddo, executing a classic armored car and cavalry encirclement that shattered the Ottoman armies in Palestine and Syria.