Don’t Mention The War
Fighting the French in Syria and Lebanon, 1941
A Public Lecture by Lt-Col Ron Lyons (retd)
The Syria-Lebanon theatre of the Second World War has become the great undiscussed warzone. Don’t mention the war!
In June 1941 Commonwealth, Australian and Free French forces invaded Syria, out of concern that Germany may begin using bases occupied by the Vichy French. Operation Exporter is probably one of the most misunderstood and forgotten campaigns of World War II. It was a complicated mixture of strategic imperatives around airfields and oil, politico-diplomatic manoeuvering, and improvisation with scarce military resources.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ron Lyons (retired) discusses this often forgotten Second World War campaign. Ron served for many years as an office of the Australian Army Reserve and subsequently as a military historian and battlefield guide. He is also Vice-President of The Military History Society of New South Wales and Vice President of The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies New South Wales.
Lecture Time & Venue
Saturday, 7 September 2024, 10:30AM-11:30AM, Auditorium, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, corner Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Admission is free of charge but a donation would be appreciated. For further information call 0419 698 783 or email: president@militaryhistorynsw.com.au.
Our Venue – Anzac Memorial Hyde Park
The current venue for The Military History Society of New South Wales lecture program will be the Auditorium at the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park, corner of Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, Sydney CBD. Numerous bus services stop at the location and Museum railway station is only 160 metres away. The venue will be opening its doors at 10:30AM sharp.
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The Battle of Lake Tanganyika by Dennis Weatherall, Councillor of the Society
Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world, but one of the strangest battles of WWI took place on its placid waters. Hear Battlefield Guide Dennis Weatherall's detailed account of this feat of arms.
49th Annual General Meeting and Lecture
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Military History Society of NSW, Major General the Honourable Justice Paul Brereton AM RFD will give a lecture on Lieutenant General James Gordon Legge CB, CMG, MA, LLB.
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Interrupting a hybrid war: new perspectives on Australia’s military involvement in East Timor in 1999
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