Czechoslovak soldiers in north Africa & the Middle East
The Free Czechoslovak Army
Infantry Regiment No.4
The surrender of France in June 1940 caught a group of 206 Czechoslovak volunteers in Beirut, Lebanon, where they were waiting for a transfer to the Czechoslovak 1st Infantry Division in France. Because the territory, on which they happened to be waiting for the said transport, was under French administration and the commander-in-chief of the French Middle East forces, general E. Mittlehauser, swore allegiance to the government in Vichy, the Czechoslovak volunteers were exposed to the very immediate threat of detention or their being handed over to the Germans. Thanks to Honourable J. M. Kadlec, the Czechoslovak consul-general in Jerusalem, this threat was repelled by the granting of British visa for Palestine.
All the volunteers were consequently transferred to the camp at the Palestinian Az Sumeirya, to which more volunteers were gradually coming until the total number of Czechoslovak personnel rose to 280.
The most senior officer at the camp, colonel J. Kores, decided to establish a higher-level unit, the Infantry Regiment No 4, as a part of the Czechoslovak 1st Infantry Division, which withdrew from France to Great Britain. The regiment consisted of a headquarters, a maintenance company and the 1 Infantry Regiment at two complete and two cadre companies.
After that, the soldiers were screened by British secret service, sent to the Gedera camp, equipped with hand guns and tropical equipment and an intensive training programme began at once.
On the 23rd July 1940, the British Government officially recognized the London-based Czechoslovak government-in-exile. By the 14th August 1940, the Czechoslovak Military Mission to the Near and Middle East was established and general O. Mezl (Gak) was appointed head of this institution. On the 28th October 1940, the Czechoslovak Co
At the same time, the Infantry Regiment was disbanded and Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion No. 11 - East and Czechoslovak Training Depot - East were formed.
Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion No. 11 - East
Lt.-Col. Karel Klapalek was appointed to the office of the commander of the battalion, which consisted of the battalion headquarters, four rifle companies (each at three platoons) and an accompanying arms company (a machine-gun platoon, signal, sapper, repair and transport platoons).
In the beginning of December 1940, the Battalion began its 11 days of acclimatization. A transfer to the Sidi Bishr and Agami camps followed the acclimatization. Here, the Battalion was to perform guard duties until the Spring of 1941, when the missing part of personnel was added and the unit became a part of the British 23rd Infantry Brigade under the command of brigadier A. Galoway. At the time, it was based in the Sidi Hanaism area at Marsamatruh.
In April 1941 the British were forced by the circumstances to the energetical acquiring of Syria, which was under French administration. The Operation Exporter, as this campaign was called, was to check the German advance on the Iraqi oil-fields and refining sites in Syria. In the formation summoned for the purpose of the aforesaid Operation, the Australian 7th Division, the British 1st Cavalry Division and the 6th Division (among other units, the 23rd Infantry Brigade was to fight under its command) were joined by the Indian 5th Brigade and the Free French Brigade.
In August 1941, the Czechoslovak Ministry of National Defence repeated its request for the battalion to be transferred to the Czechoslovak forces in Great Britain. The British commander-in-chief rejected the request and, after a meeting with Lt.-Col. Klapalek, agreed to transfer the Battalion to the besieged Lybian port of Tobruk, where it was subordinated to the Polish Independent Highland Infantry Brigade. The Czechoslovaks were to maintain a 5,700 metres long line, supported by a system of fortlets and pillboxes.
It was then that the Czechoslovak soldiers became part of the legendary defenders of Tobruk, the so-called 'Tobruk Rats'.
On the 18th November 1941, the British 8th Army commenced the Operation Crusader with a purpose to rout the enemy forces out of Lybia. On the 27th November, a contact was established with the defenders. Tobruk again got close to the front in February 1942, when Rommel's counter-offensive was checked just 75 kilometres off Tobruk.
After 158 days at Tobruk, 51 of which were spent by the soldiers of the Battalion directly engaging the enemy, the unit was withdrawn from its position for convalescence and reorganization. During its time at Tobruk, it had lost 14 soldiers killed and further 81 wounded in action.
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