It was 1913, and the Spanish Morocco Protectorade had just been created. The Supreme Sultan representative, the "Jalifa" was awarded with an entirely moroccan army being its headquarters staff the "majden" (Jalifa's government), although controlled by the Spanish protectorade authorities through spanish officers.

Spanish instructors and HQ were sent (Jarrub) to Morocco, being organized the Protectorate army as follows:

Tabor (Btn), Mia (Company), and yemaa (section) which were commanded respectively by a "caid tabor," "caid mia,"and "mulazemim." N.C.O. was called "mokaddemin," corporals were called "maauenin" and soldiers were called "askaris." Mehal'las had two infantry tabors of one/two "mias," with 110 askaris in each "mia". Cavalry tabors had 75 askaris.

Main weapons were 7mm rifle and hand grenades. During SCW, tabors were given a MG section and two 81mm mortars; each "mia" had also three LMG.

Officers' uniforms were gray-green, long black boots and leather belts. Caps could be a red and emerald green "gorrillo" for ltnant. or peaked cap for senior officers. Medium tabard jackets ("candora") in a sand colour were popular, although the brown "chilaba" white striped was the official uniform, and troops' headgear were either turbans or caps called "chichia," a 4 cm high red cilinder.

At the end of 1915 there were four infantry "mias" and two cavalry ones plus a section of mountain artillery (this latter was disbanded lately).

During 1922, the moroccan Police (more than 30 mias) were incorporated to the Mehal'la. At the end of 1926 there were six mehal'las (as regiments), with three tabors (as btn.) each, and three "mias" in each tabor, as follows: Mehal'la de Tetuan, nĝl (the old Mehal'la)
Mehal'la de Melilla, nĝ2 (Local police)
Mehal'la de Larache, nĝ3 (Local police)
Mehal'la de Yebala, nĝ4 (Local police)
Mehal'la del Rif, nĝ5 from different tribes
Mehal'la de Gomara, nĝ6 from disbanded nĝ4 in 1926

During the SCW each Mehal'la sent two tabors to the peninsula, which were assigned to different Divisions from time to time. At the end of 1938 these were distributed as follows:

I and III tabors from Tetuan Mehal'la in 53th Division (Aragon).
I tabor of Melilla Mehal'la in the 11th Division (Center).
II tabor of Melilla Mehal'la in the 107th Division (Center).
I tabor of Larache Mehal'la in the 18th Division (Center).
II tabor of Larache Mehal'la in the 14th Division (Center).
I tabor of Rif Mehal'la in the 11th Division (Center).
III tabor of Rif Mehal'la in the 108th Division (Ebro).
I and II of Gomara Mehal'la in the 83rd Division (Ebro).

Large Uniform Guide

Sources:

Historia de las Fuerzas Armadas Volume IV
ABC Doble Diario
Uniformes Militares de la Guerra Civil (J. Bueno)