Czechoslovak units in the Middle East

On November 1, 1940, the Czechoslovak Military Group in the Middle East was established in the Gedera camp in Palestine, which included the Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion 11 – East, headed by Lt. Col. Karel Klapálek, and the Czechoslovak Training Centre – East, under the command of Col. Josef Koreš. It was based on Czechoslovak soldiers who had been transferred from Syria after the surrender of France and those who had escaped from the Protectorate to the Middle East. The unit also included Czechoslovaks of Jewish origin living in Palestine and, last but not least, members of the Czechoslovak Legion who had been interned between 1939 and 1941 in camps in the Soviet Union. After training and guard duty in Egypt, the battalion was deployed in Syria from May to October 1941. From October 1941 to March 1942, the battalion defended the besieged port of Tobruk in Libya. On May 2, 1942, the battalion was transformed into the Czechoslovak Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 200 – East, which provided air defence of Tobruk until June 1943. Over 120 Czechoslovak women also served with the British Auxiliary and Medical Units in the Middle East.