the brigade arrived back in egypt from salonika on 29 june 1917, less the derbyshire yeomanry which remained in macedonia as ghq troops with the british salonika army. 20th machine gun squadron then was formed on 4 july 1917 at ismailia from the machine gun sections of the two regiments. the brigade served variously as corps troops with the desert mounted corps and xxi corps and on attachment to the yeomanry mounted division. essex battery, rha joined from 52nd (lowland) division on 17 september 1917 and was still assigned to the brigade when it joined the new 2nd mounted division.