 Kitchener's force, nominally in service of the Khedive of Egypt but in fact under direct British control, was composed of Egyptian and Sudanese soldiers, led by British officers.It numbered 9,000 men, accompanied by three batteries of field guns and one battery of Maxim guns.Apart from officers with the Egyptian Army, the Maxim battery were the only European troops present and was manned by detachments from the North Staffordshire Regiment and the Connaught Rangers.