AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY BEIRUT

Australian Embassy Launches Its Book of Photographs “A LONG WAY FROM HOME” in Bsharri

On 17 August, Australian Ambassador Glenn Miles launched the book of photographs ‘A Long Way From Home: Australian Forces in Lebanon 1941-1942’ in Bsharri, the third leg of the Australian Embassy’s roadshow.

Present at the event were the Mayor of Bsharri, Mr Freddy Kairouz, and members of the Australian-Lebanese community.

The collection of photographs records the presence of around 18,000 Australians in Lebanon between 1941 and 1942. Australian troops entered Lebanon from Palestine on 8 June 1941 and fought some of the hardest battles of World War II in the five weeks that followed around Damour, Jezzine, and Saida. Australian soldiers stayed on after the battle was over. In December 1941, they opened Australia’s first-ever ski unit in the Cedars above Bsharri. Training was conducted in a picturesque environment but entailed considerable hardships for men, who were not fully acclimatised to the harsh weather conditions. Only the most physically fit men were selected for training.

“The collection features a number of photographs of this historic episode, as our soldiers, all wearing the white alpine gear, adapted from desert fighting to skiing and snow-based battle, ” Ambassador Miles said. “This is a yet another testament to our longstanding and historical ties that are not only grounded on people-to-people links, but were also forged by young Australians, who came a long way from home and established friendships with their Lebanese hosts.

Ambassador Miles also thanked the Municipality of Bsharri for making the event a success.

The publication is dedicated to the Australian servicemen, who served in Lebanon and to the Lebanese people, who assisted and supported them. The Embassy will organize more roadshows in other regions of Lebanon.