and The Free French incurred about and taken prisoner; British and Indian casualties were captured and including cases. The RAF and RAAF lost Subsequent events Operations against the Vichy regime in Syria could only be conducted with troops withdrawn from the Western Desert, a dispersal that contributed to the defeat of Operation Battleaxe and made the Syrian campaign take longer than necessary. Churchill had decided to sack Wavell in early May over his reluctance to divert forces to Iraq. Wavell was relieved on 22 June and relinquished command on 5 July, leaving for India two days afterwards. In late July 1941, De Gaulle flew from Brazzaville to congratulate the victors. Free French General Georges Catroux was placed in control of Syria and Lebanon and on 26 November, shortly after assuming this post, Catroux recognized the independence of Syria and Lebanon in the name of the Free French movement. After elections on 8 November 1943, Lebanon became an independent state on 22 November 1943 and on 27 February 1945, declared war on Germany and the Empire of Japan. By 1945, however, continued French presence in the Levant saw nationalist demonstrations which the French attempted to quell. With heavy Syrian casualties, notably in Damascus, Churchill opposed French action but after being rebuffed by Charles De Gaulle, he ordered British forces into Syria from Jordan with orders to fire on the French. Known as the Levant Crisis, British armored cars and troops reached Damascus, following which the French were escorted and confined to their barracks. With political pressure added, De Gaulle ordered a ceasefire and France withdrew from Syria the following year. Victoria Cross Lieutenant Arthur Roden Cutler Private Jim Gordon See also Syria-Lebanon Campaign order of battle Asmahan Attack on Mers-el-Kébir 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence (1936) Italian bombings on Palestine in World War II French Colonial Empire List of French possessions and colonies Moshe Dayan#Eye patch References Sources Books in in Journals Further reading External links Australian War Memorial, 2005, "Syrian Campaign" "Exit With A Flourish" – Time magazine article, July 28, 1941 The Palmach Middle East theatre of World War II World War II campaigns of the Mediterranean Theatre Military history of Lebanon Military history of Syria Battles and operations of World War II involving Australia Military history of India during World War II Military battles of Vichy France World War II occupied territories 1941 in