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Battle Honour - "The Litani", 1941

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Honourable Insignia - Regimental Colours, Guidons, and Royal Banners

Overview

Colours are the symbol of the spirit of a regiment and carry battle honours and badges granted to the unit to mark deeds performed by its members. The Battle Honour “The Litani” was awarded to the 2/16 Battalion AIF for participation in the operations to secure a crossing over the Litani River in western Lebanon during the invasion of Syria and Lebanon in 1941.

Historical information

In June 1941, the Australian 21st Brigade faced a significant challenge while advancing along southern Lebanon's coast due to the Litani River, which had been incorporated into Vichy French defenses. The Allied plan included a commando landing to seize the bridge across the river, but rough surf on 8 June delayed the operation. On 9 June, commandos attempted to capture the bridge but failed, prompting the 2/16th Battalion to launch an assault. However, the Vichy French defenders destroyed the bridge, forcing the Australians to cross the river under fire using a single canvas boat that could only carry eight men at a time.
Despite slow progress, the Australians established a bridgehead on the north bank and, by afternoon, had enough troops across to launch attacks on the main Vichy positions on the ridge. Artillery supported their efforts, but communication issues caused friendly fire incidents, leading to some Australian withdrawals. By the end of the day, however, the ridge was under Australian control.
Meanwhile, to the west, C Company of the 2/16th Battalion and a mislanded commando unit faced heavy resistance and suffered significant casualties. Their progress was slower, but by late evening, with reinforcements from the 2/27th Battalion, they overcame the French defenses. The following day, engineers constructed a temporary bridge, allowing the 2/27th Battalion to cross the river and resume the coastal advance on 10 June.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-943

Geotag

33.479116616131, 35.349344143327

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Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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